Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 5,387 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 15s 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 Wednesday (Aug 19) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 15s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bells Beach - Bowl in the next 16 days are 3.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty here. The next couple of weeks have some good windows at Bells Beach – Bowl, but you’ll need to pick your moments. The first few days are pretty flat, so don’t rush. Water temp is 56°F, right around average for this time of year.
The first real look comes Friday morning, 21st August. Light offshore NW wind, 3ft of SW groundswell at 15 seconds, and combined energy of 392 (moderate). It’s clean, well-spaced, and sets will have some punch. Friday afternoon is even better: 3ft, same SW direction, 14 seconds, energy jumps to 541. Gentle offshore, glassy faces – that’s a proper session.
Saturday 22nd August sees swell build to 5ft–5ft from the SW, period 16 seconds, and energy hits four digits (1073 morning, 1194 afternoon). That’s strong wave energy. Winds are cross-off and moderate, so it’s clean but pushing into expert territory – 5ft with that power is no joke. Sunday 23rd is another standout: 5ft–4ft SW groundswell, energy still strong at 996 and 764, with offshore WNW winds and gentle breezes. These two days are the best of the whole run – clean, solid, and well-suited to a reef and point setup like Bells.
Monday 24th holds decent with 3ft–4ft SSW/SW swell, light offshore winds, energy around 470–490. Good, but not the highlight. From Tuesday 25th onward, things drop off – small, inconsistent, mixed winds. There’s a long gap of marginal or poor conditions from the 26th through the 29th, with only tiny swell and cross-off or cross-shore breezes.
Then Sunday 30th August throws a curveball: 6ft of S swell, but only 8 seconds period. That’s short-period wind swell, with 764 combined energy – moderate. Winds are cross-off in the morning, but the short period will make it lumpy and hard to line up. Not ideal for a point break. Monday 31st and into September bring more SW groundswell, 3ft–4ft, periods 14–19 seconds, but cross-on or cross-off winds and moderate energy – surfable, but nothing special.
If you’re picking one session, aim for Friday 21st afternoon or Sunday 23rd morning – both have clean offshore winds, decent groundswell, and moderate to strong energy.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Mon night, fresh winds from the NNE by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 485 | 238 | 310 | 196 | 109 | 85 | 54 | 121 | 91 | 201 | 197 | 393 | 1096 | 1265 | 5387 | 1358 | 902 | 915 | 894 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:19AM1.91m | 3:19PM1.94m | 4:01AM1.89m | 3:51PM1.88m | 4:41AM1.83m | 4:21PM1.80m | 5:20AM1.75m | 4:50PM1.71m | 6:00AM1.66m | 5:19PM1.62m | 6:47AM1.56m | 5:50PM1.52m | |||||||
Low Tide | 9:18AM0.42m | 9:40PM0.15m | 9:56AM0.52m | 10:16PM0.17m | 10:31AM0.63m | 10:50PM0.22m | 11:06AM0.74m | 11:24PM0.30m | 11:40AM0.86m | 00:01AM0.39m | 12:19PM0.97m | 00:44AM0.47m | |||||||
 |  | |  |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — |
 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | ENE 5 | SW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 485 | 238 | 310 | 196 | 109 | 17 | 54 | 121 | 83 | 201 | 197 | 393 | 1096 | 1265 | 1715 | 1358 | 902 | 915 | 894 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 7 | SW 15 | SW 18 | S 16 | S 17 | S 16 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 46 | 23 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 85 | 54 | 49 | 91 | 27 | 181 | 194 | 21 | 22 | 46 | 61 | 316 | 57 | 254 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 14 | SE 5 | — | — | SE 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 7 | — | SW 19 | SW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 149 | 7 | — | — | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | 127 | 162 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 6 | NE 3 | NE 3 | NE 3 | NE 5 | N 4 | NW 3 | NW 3 | NW 3 | — | WNW 3 | — | — | — | SW 16 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 80 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 54 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 5387 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 9 | 19 | 19 | 52 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Torquay | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.
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