
Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 9 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 12 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 13s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 8,315 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 17s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Bells Beach - Bowl this week:
The surf forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 09) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bells Beach - Bowl in the next 16 days are 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 9th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sun 12th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Tue 14th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
G’day, it’s Rusty. We’ve got a solid 16-day window of surf ahead, but it’s a bit of a mixed bag with some proper clean windows and a few wild, windy days in between. The standout is Bells Beach – Bowl (Bells-Beach-Bowl), a reef and point setup that’s exposed to the swell and consistent. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is about normal for the time of year, so no surprises there.
The action starts Thursday the 9th, but it’s pretty ordinary – you’re looking at 3 ft from the SW with a cross-on breeze, and the energy is moderate at 493. Not worth paddling out for. Things improve Friday morning the 10th: 3 ft SW, clean, with a light cross-off wind, and the combined energy is still moderate at 421. It’s a good start, but the swell’s small.
Saturday the 11th is a write-off – strong northerly winds, 22 mph gusts, and the swell drops to 2 ft. Sunday the 12th turns proper messy. The morning brings 5 ft SW with a strong breeze at 25 mph, and the energy is moderate (666), but it’s poor conditions. Sunday afternoon, the swell jumps to 10 ft SW, and the energy is strong (4738) – that’s big, expert-only territory, and the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-off.
Monday the 13th is your first real highlight. The morning has 6 ft SW with a long 16-second period, offshore NW wind at 19 mph, and the energy is strong (2355). The waves are clean, but at that size it’s for experienced surfers only. The afternoon holds 6 ft with similar offshore wind and energy at 1439. This is the best stretch of the first week – but it’s big, and it’s a point break, so the long period will make for some proper lines.
Tuesday the 14th is big again – 8 ft SW in the morning, 16-second period, strong energy (3469), and a moderate cross-off wind. The afternoon turns cross-shore with a chop, so go for the morning session. Wednesday the 15th sees a drop to 5 ft and 5 ft, but the wind is cross-on, so it’s a bit bumpy.
Thursday the 16th early is clean with 4 ft SW, and the energy is moderate (511). That’s worth a session if you’re after a mellow paddle. Friday the 17th morning is a standout: 4 ft SW, 16-second period, offshore NNW wind at 6 mph, and moderate energy (832). Clean and glassy for a point break – this is a gem.
The weekend of the 18th and 19th drops off, with 4 ft to 3 ft, moderate energy, and cross-off winds. Not great. Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st are a dead zone – 2 ft and 1 ft, with poor conditions and weak energy. That’s a solid gap of a few days with no real surf to chase.
Then Wednesday the 22nd improves: 3 ft SSW in the morning, with a gentle offshore wind and moderate energy (503). The best is yet to come. Thursday the 23rd is the absolute standout of the whole outlook. The morning has 6 ft SSW, 18-second period, and the energy is strong (2234). The wind is light cross-off, so it’s clean. The afternoon is glassy – 6 ft SSW, 17-second period, and the energy is strong (2229). That’s a classic session, big enough for experienced surfers, but clean as a whistle. Friday the 24th morning holds 6 ft again, but the period drops to 10 seconds, so it’s a bit shorter and more lumpy, with energy still strong (1341). The afternoon jumps to 12 ft SW, but the period is short (10 seconds), and the energy is very strong (4030) – that’s expert-only, and the cross-shore wind will make it a mess.
To wrap it up: the best on offer is Thursday the 23rd, both morning and afternoon, with that 6 ft SSW groundswell, glassy conditions, and a long period. Friday the 17th morning is a close second for a smaller, cleaner day. Everything else is either too big, too windy, or too small.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 7°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, strong winds from the WNW by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Sun afternoon, min 8°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Mon night, light winds from the S by Wed morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thu 9 | Friday 10 | Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
355 | 661 | 421 | 313 | 206 | 134 | 125 | 156 | 666 | 3097 | 1099 | 1532 | 1246 | 8315 | 3301 | 3177 | 2629 | 1219 | 953 | 752 | 469 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:18PM1.75m | 6:28AM1.69m | 5:54PM1.70m | 7:30AM1.71m | 6:39PM1.65m | 8:40AM1.74m | 7:35PM1.61m | 9:55AM1.78m | 8:45PM1.58m | 11:07AM1.84m | 10:05PM1.58m | 12:09PM1.92m | 11:25PM1.62m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:54PM0.30m | 12:10PM0.81m | 00:39AM0.22m | 1:09PM0.92m | 1:34AM0.17m | 2:18PM1.01m | 2:38AM0.14m | 3:38PM1.04m | 3:48AM0.11m | 4:58PM0.99m | 4:59AM0.08m | 6:08PM0.88m | 6:06AM0.06m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | |
5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:17 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:19 | — | — | 5:20 | — | 5:21 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 3 | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 14 |
355 | 661 | 421 | 313 | 206 | 134 | 125 | 156 | 666 | 1641 | 1099 | 1532 | 1246 | 2684 | 3301 | 3177 | 2629 | 1219 | 953 | 752 | 469 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 20 | S 17 | — | E 8 | E 5 | ENE 4 | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 20 | S 17 | S 15 | — | — | — | S 6 | — | S 12 |
134 | 51 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 823 | 186 | 91 | 168 | — | — | — | 32 | — | 11 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 11 | — | — | — | E 8 | E 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 19 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
4 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 4 | NNE 4 | WNW 3 | WNW 4 | SW 13 | WNW 3 | NNW 4 | NW 4 | SW 14 | — | — | — | S 6 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 5 |
— | — | — | — | — | 8 | 29 | 13 | 14 | 3097 | 4 | 18 | 17 | 8315 | — | — | — | 173 | 54 | 44 | 31 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 336 | 555 | 555 | 519 | 0 | 329 | 329 | 536 | 5 | 294 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Torquay | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Bells Beach - Bowl Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Bells Beach - Bowl provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Bells Beach - Bowl can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Bells Beach - Bowl) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Bells Beach - Bowl is 26 km (16 miles) from the city of Geelong. If you plan a holiday in Torquay, look for hotels and other accommodation in Geelong. Geelong has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











