Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.37° S 144.28° E

Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 pm 15 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Bells Beach - Bowl sea temperature is
14.0° C
0.4° 

Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 16 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 15s period, SSW swell with 1,571 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 16 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 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 Thursday (Jul 16) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 15s period. 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 1.9m 15s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) 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 0.4m 3s period and expected on Monday (Jul 20) at 7AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Thu 16th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 15s
Best Surf 1AM (Thu 16th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 15s
Most Powerful 1PM (Thu 16th Jul)6ft (1.9m) 15s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G'day, Rusty here, and I’ve got the outlook for our local stretch. The first week is looking pretty special, with a solid pulse of groundswell and mostly clean conditions, but things get a bit messy in the second week. Let’s get into it.

The action kicks off on Wednesday the 15th of July. Bells Beach – Bowl is the standout, and it’s the one to watch. We’ve got a solid SW groundswell running at 5.2 ft, with a long 14-second period—that’s proper energy, and it’s going to wrap in nicely here. The water temp is sitting at 57.2°, which is about average for this time of year. The wind is a light W at 9 mph, cross-off, keeping the waves clean. The combined swell energy is 1094, so there’s plenty of power. This is a reef and point setup and it’s consistent, so expect some proper lines. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so you might have a few out, but with this quality, it’s worth it. This is for advanced surfers only, though—at 5.2 ft, it’s got some push.

Moving into Thursday the 16th, the morning sees the swell bumping up to 6.2 ft from the SSW, with a 15-second period and a combined energy of 1692. The wind is a light WSW at 6 mph, cross-off, keeping it clean. Then in the afternoon, it drops slightly to 5.9 ft from the SW, but the wind goes glassy—S at 3 mph, which is a dream. The energy is still 1518. This is the best on offer for the week: clean, powerful, and long-period groundswell. The long period means it’s going to be a bit more selective at the point, but when it lines up, it’s world-class.

Friday the 17th is another cracker. Morning brings 5.2 ft from the SW at 16 seconds, with a NW offshore breeze at 6 mph, and combined energy of 1348. The afternoon is glassy again with a WNW breeze at 3 mph, and the swell sits at 4.9 ft with 16 seconds. This is prime, clean surf.

Saturday the 18th starts to drop off. The morning is 3.3 ft from the SW at 14 seconds, with a NW offshore at 6 mph, and energy of 387. It’s still surfable, but the size is down. The afternoon goes glassy with 2.6 ft, and the energy is 250.

Sunday the 19th through to Wednesday the 22nd is a quieter period, with swells hovering around 1.6 ft to 2.3 ft. The winds are mostly offshore, but the energy is low—dropping from 194 down to 111. It’s surfable on a longboard, but nothing to get excited about.

Then Thursday the 23rd shows a bit of a pulse. The morning has a 1.6 ft swell from the SW, but with a very long 18-second period and energy of 274. The offshore wind is NW at 12 mph, so it’s clean. The afternoon is where it picks up: 4.3 ft from the SW at 16 seconds, with a NW offshore at 9 mph, and energy jumping to 917. This is looking promising, but it’s a week away, so keep an eye on it.

Friday the 24th gets messy. The swell is 4.9 ft from the SW, but the wind swings to a cross-shore SW at 12 mph, bringing a cross-chop. The energy is still 924, but the quality is poor. This is more kite-surfing territory than paddle.

Saturday the 25th is a surprise. The swell jumps to 7.9 ft from the SSW, with a 16-second period and a massive energy of 2986. The wind is a cross-off WSW at 9 mph, and it’s clean. The afternoon holds at 7.5 ft with energy of 2798, and the wind is light. This is a big swell—well over 8 ft, so it’s only for experts. It’s going to be powerful and heavy, and with that long period, it’ll be breaking straight at the beach, so the point here will be the spot to handle it.

Sunday the 26th sees the swell drop to 4.9 ft, but the wind is a fresh offshore NW at 19 mph, which is strong. The energy is 1002, but the wind is howling, so it’s going to be choppy and hard to manage.

Monday the 27th brings another big pulse: 8.2 ft in the morning from the SSW, with a 16-second period and energy of 3273. But the wind is a cross-

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed night, min 10°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light.

Wed
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
Rating
(10 max)
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.6
SW
14
1.7
SW
15
1.9
SSW
15
1.8
SW
15
1.6
SW
15
1.6
SW
16
1.5
SW
16
1.2
SW
15
1
SW
14
0.8
SW
13
0.5
SW
13
0.6
SSW
11
0.5
SSW
11
0.4
SW
18
0.6
SW
16
0.5
SW
15
0.4
SW
14
0.5
SW
13
0.6
SW
13
0.7
SW
13
0.7
SW
12
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1094
1254
1550
1472
1059
1255
1101
606
387
250
84
97
68
109
161
107
74
88
111
166
146
Wind (km/h)
15
W
10
W
10
WSW
5
S
5
NW
10
NW
5
WNW
10
NW
10
NW
5
N
10
NNW
10
NNW
5
NNW
10
NNW
15
NNW
15
NNW
10
NNW
15
NNW
10
NW
15
NW
15
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
glassy
off
glassy
off
off
glassy
off
off
glassy
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
High Tide
11:25PM1.62m
1:04PM1.99m
00:38AM1.70m
1:51PM2.03m
1:42AM1.76m
2:34PM2.05m
2:41AM1.81m
3:14PM2.04m
3:35AM1.82m
3:51PM1.99m
4:25AM1.80m
4:26PM1.92m
5:13AM1.75m
Low Tide
6:08PM0.88m
6:06AM0.06m
7:07PM0.73m
7:06AM0.08m
7:59PM0.56m
8:01AM0.13m
8:47PM0.42m
8:50AM0.22m
9:31PM0.30m
9:36AM0.34m
10:13PM0.24m
10:20AM0.48m
10:53PM0.23m
11:01AM0.63m
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:35
7:35
7:35
7:35
7:33
7:33
7:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:20
5:21
5:21
5:22
5:22
5:23
5:23
5:24
 mm
Temp °C
13
14
13
13
13
12
13
12
12
14
12
13
14
13
14
15
12
15
17
13
14
Feels °C
10
12
11
12
12
10
12
10
10
13
10
11
13
10
10
12
9
12
14
10
11
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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