Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.37° S 144.28° E

Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 05 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Bells Beach - Bowl sea temperature is
13.6° 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 4 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 18s period, SW swell with 2,125 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 13s 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 05) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 14s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 5s is also forecast. 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 18s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 4PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Wed 5th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 13s
Best Surf10PM (Thu 6th Aug)6ft (1.9m) 18s
Most Powerful10PM (Thu 6th Aug)6ft (1.9m) 18s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, it’s Rusty here.

Alright, let’s have a proper look at what’s on the cards for Bells. The first few days are pretty quiet, nothing worth paddling out for until we get toward the end of the week. We’ve got a bit of a gap to start with—Wednesday and Thursday are really just small, messy leftovers, not enough to get excited about. The ocean’s taking a breather, so don’t rush it.

Now, Friday the 7th is where things start to kick off. The Bowl (Bells Beach – Bowl) is your first real option. Early morning has a clean 4ft SW swell with a 16-second period, and that light cross-off breeze is going to have it looking tidy. It’s not huge, but it’s the first decent push we’ve seen. The afternoon glass-off is even better—flat calm winds, still around 3ft of clean swell. That’s your first little window, and it’s a good one if you can duck out on Friday.

The weekend is a bit average. Saturday’s got some swell but that northerly breeze messes with the shape a bit, and Sunday is just blown out with strong winds and small waves. Not worth the effort, to be honest.

Now, hold on because Monday the 10th things start to change. The energy jumps way up—we’re looking at 1362 and 1216 on the combined energy scale, which is solid, but the winds are cross-off and fresh, making conditions pretty rough and jumbly. It’s still mostly SW groundswell, around 4ft, but the quality isn't there. The following Tuesday and Wednesday stay in that same kind of pattern: more swell, but that fresh cross-off wind keeps things from being clean. It’s powerful but not smooth.

Here’s the big one, though. Thursday the 13th is where it gets seriously heavy. We’re looking at 10ft of SW/SSW swell with 16-second periods and the energy readings are huge—4090 and then 4838. That’s a serious groundswell, so the Bowl is going to be a grinding, powerful monster. This is expert-only territory; if you’re not confident in big, heavy reef surf, give it a miss. The Friday after that stays big, around 8ft, with a longer 18-second period, still a proper challenge. It’s going to be a wild couple of days.

By Saturday the 15th, the swell eases back to around 6ft, and while the winds are more gentle, it’s still cross-off. It’s still solid but a bit more manageable for strong surfers.

Now, if you’re after the real standout, keep your eye on Monday the 17th through to Wednesday the 19th. The swell isn’t massive—around 4ft to 5ft of that SW groundswell—but the periods are pumping, up to 19 seconds on Tuesday, and the winds are offshore and clean. That’s the kind of combination that makes Bells just light up. Smooth lines, proper bowls, and not too much water moving. Monday morning and Tuesday, in particular, look like the pick of the whole run for most surfers—classic Bells quality. The energy is still strong (over 1000), so there’s plenty of push, but it’s not overwhelming.

Crowds could be a bit of a factor on the standout days, as Bells is a well-known spot, so get out early if you can.

One thing to note: the water temp is running about 57°, which is pretty much average for this time of year—nothing weird there.

So, bottom line: if you’re after the heavy stuff, that Thursday/Friday window is the big event. But for the best all-around quality, mark Monday and Tuesday of the following week. That’s where my money’s going.

Later, Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 7°C on Mon night). Mainly near gales.

Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
2
2
0
3
3
3
3
2
1
0
0
0
2
1
2
4
1
0
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
SW
9
0.5
SW
18
0.5
SW
17
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.7
SW
18
1.1
SW
16
1
SW
15
1
SW
18
1.1
SW
16
1
SW
16
0.8
SW
14
0.7
SW
14
0.6
SW
13
0.8
SW
21
1.3
SW
19
1.3
SW
17
1.5
SW
16
1.1
SW
15
1
SW
14
1.3
WSW
18
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
287
167
147
203
198
300
546
432
588
567
462
297
195
113
522
1123
962
1115
472
387
1118
Wind (km/h)
20
WSW
15
WSW
10
NW
20
WNW
25
WNW
10
W
5
W
0
S
10
N
20
N
20
N
25
NNE
40
NNE
40
NNE
20
WNW
35
WSW
25
WSW
15
NNW
30
NW
30
W
35
NW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
off
High Tide
3:48PM1.85m
4:31AM1.80m
4:16PM1.83m
5:15AM1.81m
4:48PM1.80m
6:04AM1.79m
5:24PM1.75m
7:02AM1.74m
6:09PM1.69m
8:12AM1.69m
7:06PM1.62m
9:32AM1.68m
8:25PM1.55m
Low Tide
10:11PM0.26m
10:22AM0.60m
10:45PM0.19m
11:02AM0.70m
11:24PM0.14m
11:46AM0.81m
00:11AM0.13m
12:38PM0.93m
1:07AM0.16m
1:45PM1.02m
2:14AM0.21m
3:11PM1.05m
3:33AM0.25m
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
light rain
light rain
light rain
heavy rain
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:20
7:20
7:18
7:16
7:16
7:15
7:13
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:37
5:37
5:37
5:38
5:39
5:40
5:42
 mm
1
1
1
2
2
13
1
2
Temp °C
12
12
11
12
11
12
14
14
13
17
16
14
11
11
10
12
11
11
12
11
11
Feels °C
8
8
8
6
6
8
12
13
10
12
11
8
3
4
7
4
5
5
5
4
3
  • 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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