Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty.

We’ve got a classic winter pattern coming down the pipe for Bells Beach. There’s a bit of a quiet start, but hang tight because the second week is where the real action is. The water’s sitting around 58°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, nothing to write home about on the anomaly front.

The first few days are a bit of a tease. Wednesday the 8th is a write-off with a messy cross-on breeze, so don’t bother. Thursday the 9th has a clean morning with decent 3 ft swell from the SW, but the energy is only moderate (471) and the ratings are poor. Friday the 10th offers cleaner conditions with offshores, but the swell drops to 3 ft on the morning and it’s pretty weak, so it’s a low-key session for logs. Saturday the 11th is blown out by a fresh breeze and light rain, forget it.

Then things get interesting. Sunday the 12th kicks off with a 6 ft SW swell, clean offshores from the NW, and the energy jumps to moderate (903). The sets will have some push, and a 13-second period means decent shape. That morning session is the first real standout – good clean lines for the experienced crew. Later that day and into Monday the 13th, the swell builds, but it gets marginal with fresh breezes and rain. Monday afternoon’s 7 ft is a bit of a handful.

But Tuesday the 14th – that’s the big one. Morning brings a solid 8 ft SW groundswell with a long 16-second period, offshore NW wind at 12 mph, and strong energy (3638). This is expert territory. The long period means it’ll throw some heavy, well-shaped walls on the point, and the crowds are likely to be thick because everyone knows Bells on a day like this is special. That’s your absolute best option. The afternoon holds at 8 ft but the rating drops a bit with light rain.

After that, the wind goes bad. Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th are completely stuffed by strong onshores, dropping the swell back down. We get a slight recovery on Friday the 17th afternoon with a 5 ft SW swell and light cross-onshore wind, but it’s only marginal. Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th see a sweet little clean-up with light offshores, but the swell is small – around 3 to 4 ft. Sunday afternoon the 19th is a sneaky good one: 4 ft at 19 seconds – that’s very long period – with glassy conditions. For a smaller day, that’s a treat for a point break like Bells.

The last few days into the 22nd and 23rd are mostly small and marginal with a bit of poor wind. The 22nd has some moderate offshores and a 4 ft swell that’s worth a look for the afternoon, but nothing compares to that Tuesday the 14th.

So, bottom line: if you’re looking for the best, it’s Tuesday the 14th. That’s the standout. Sunday the 12th morning is a solid second option. The rest is either small or chopped up.

Rusty

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