
Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 15s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 16s period, SSW swell with 4,881 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 11s period with SSW 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 18s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bells Beach - Bowl in the next 16 days are 3.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sun 26th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Tue 28th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Wed 29th Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here, looking at the Bells Bowl forecast. We've got a 16-day outlook, but it's a slow start. The first decent surf isn't until Saturday the 26th of July, so there's a quiet gap at the beginning.
The pattern starts off a bit messy but builds into a nice clean spell. The best of the first week looks like Tuesday the 29th of July. We've got a solid 4ft SW groundswell, with a period of 15 seconds and moderate wave energy (623). The wind is offshore from the NW at 19 mph, which will keep it clean. That's a standout window for experienced surfers, but remember that longer period groundswell can make Bells (a reef and point) bowl up a bit, so it's worth it for the right crew.
The real gem, and the one I'm getting excited about, is Saturday the 1st of August. The morning is looking a touch small at 2ft, but the afternoon is where it's at. We've got a 5ft SW groundswell with a very long period of 17 seconds, generating strong wave energy (1221). The wind is gentle offshore from the WNW at just 9 mph, glassing it right up. That's excellent surf for experienced surfers, and with crowds possible at Bells, it's worth getting down early. Water temp is sitting around 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so you won't need the thickest rubber.
After that, the second week is a bit of a mixed bag. Thursday the 7th of August morning has a clean 4ft SW swell with a 17-second period, offshore NNE wind at 9 mph, and strong wave energy (1006). It's another promising, though less certain, window for experienced surfers. The run finishes up on Sunday the 10th of August with a 6ft SW swell, but it's choppy and onshore.
Overall, set your sights on the afternoon of Saturday the 1st of August—that's the one to circle. It's a longer-range call, so don't bank on it, but if it comes together, it'll be a beauty.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the NNW by Tue morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Fri morning, min 7°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSW on Wed morning, light winds from the W by Thu night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | ||||||||||||||
PM | 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 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
2386 | 636 | 372 | 263 | 212 | 209 | 199 | 469 | 444 | 623 | 1045 | 1330 | 4100 | 810 | 451 | 431 | 377 | 353 | 280 | 260 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 6:37PM1.52m | 8:44AM1.51m | 7:19PM1.43m | 9:57AM1.51m | 8:17PM1.36m | 11:09AM1.55m | 9:38PM1.32m | 12:07PM1.63m | 11:00PM1.33m | 12:51PM1.71m | 00:08AM1.38m | 1:28PM1.78m | 1:02AM1.46m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:35AM0.44m | 2:12PM1.09m | 2:29AM0.49m | 3:35PM1.13m | 3:34AM0.51m | 5:06PM1.10m | 4:41AM0.50m | 6:14PM1.02m | 5:41AM0.46m | 7:02PM0.92m | 6:32AM0.42m | 7:40PM0.80m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | |
5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | — | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 |
908 | 636 | 372 | 263 | 212 | 209 | 199 | 469 | 444 | 623 | 1045 | 1330 | — | 810 | 451 | 431 | 377 | 353 | 280 | 260 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | S 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 6 | S 6 | S 24 | SSW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 |
— | — | 27 | 11 | 25 | 34 | 103 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 94 | 54 | 11 | 45 | 98 | 175 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 10 | E 8 | E 8 | E 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NNW 3 | N 4 | NNW 3 | NW 3 | WNW 3 | SSW 8 | SSW 15 | S 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2386 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 672 | 4100 | 193 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 336 | 35 | 358 | 294 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 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.










