Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright surfers, Rusty here. Let’s have a yarn about what’s coming down the line at Bells Beach.

The pattern for this run is a slow burn that builds into a proper, chest-thumping swell, then backs off into cleaner, more manageable conditions. The first few days are a write-off, so don’t bother paddling out just yet. From Saturday the 11th through to Sunday the 12th, the surf is small and the wind is messy. The real story kicks off mid-week.

The standout of the whole period is absolutely Tuesday the 14th. The Bowl is going to be pumping with a solid 15ft SW swell, and the combined energy is massive, hitting over twelve thousand. That is some serious, heavy ocean. The wind is cross-off, which keeps the face reasonably clean for an exposed reef, but let’s be real: at that size, this is for experts only. The wave period is 15 seconds, so you’ll get those long, grinding sets with plenty of time between them to get set. Don't be a hero if you're not comfortable in big water. If you’re a kite surfer, this setup looks more interesting than paddle surfing for most.

Before that, Monday the 13th is a solid warm-up. It’s a bit smaller at 7 to 8ft, still with that long 16-second period groundswell from the SW, and the wind is clean offshore from the NW. The combined energy is strong, over two thousand. It’s marked for experienced surfers, so if the Tuesday beast is too much, Monday is your big day with much better shape and paddle-out conditions.

After the big pulse, things settle into a great rhythm. From Wednesday the 15th through Friday the 17th, the swell drops back to a very surfable 5ft to 6ft from the SW, and the wind goes light offshore or drops to a whisper. The period stays long (14 to 16 seconds), which means those waves will have proper power and shape. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so don’t expect any surprises. Crowds are possible at Bells, especially with these conditions.

The second week gets a little more mixed. The weekend of the 18th and 19th is small and weak, but Monday the 20th sees a cleaner 3ft SW swell with offshore winds – good for a longboard if you’re keen. Into Tuesday the 21st, the swell picks back up to 7ft in the afternoon with a 13-second period and a cross-off wind, which looks promising for experienced surfers again. Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd look good with 6ft to 8ft SSW swells and offshore winds, but the wind strengthens on Thursday. The final days of the run from the 24th to the 26th see the swell drop in quality with cross-shore winds making things choppy.

So, to sum it up: Tuesday the 14th is the big, wild standout for the brave, but Monday the 13th and that stretch from Wednesday to Friday (15th-17th) offer the best blend of size, clean offshore wind, and quality.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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