Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.37° S 144.28° E

Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 15 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Bells Beach - Bowl sea temperature is
14.0° C
0.5° 

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: Wednesday 15 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 (Jul 15) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m 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 0.5m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 21) at 10AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1PM (Wed 15th Jul)5ft (1.6m) 15s
Best Surf 1PM (Wed 15th Jul)5ft (1.6m) 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. We’ve got a solid run of swell coming through the Bells Bowl, so get ready. The first few days are the real deal, then it tapers off into smaller, cleaner—but much weaker—conditions.

The main event kicks off Wednesday, July 15, with a decent SW groundswell. The Bowl is seeing 6ft to 6ft of swell, with a 15-second period, which gives it proper power and shape. The water temp is 57°, which is about average for this time of year. The combined energy is strong (1237), and you’ve got a cross-off wind that’s keeping it clean. This is the pick of the first few days. It’s a solid, clean wave for experienced surfers, and the crowds will be there *sometimes*, but it’s worth it.

Thursday, July 16, is a real standout. The morning has a 6ft SW swell at 15 seconds, with a light cross-off from the W. The energy is pumping (1692). Then Thursday afternoon, the wind drops to glassy conditions with a 6ft SW swell. That’s as good as it gets. Perfect lines, clean faces, and plenty of grunt. This is the best session on offer.

Friday, July 17, stays strong. Offshore NW wind in the morning with 5ft, 16-second swell, and the energy is still high (1331). The afternoon is a bit lighter, but still clean and solid. The combined energy for the whole Thursday-to-Friday block is in the strong range, so expect proper waves.

Saturday, July 18, the swell drops back to 3ft and 3ft, with much lower energy (387 and 250). It’s still clean, but it’s a big step down. The glassy conditions Saturday afternoon are nice, but the waves are small.

From Sunday, July 19, through to the end of the month, the swell is tiny. Mostly 1ft to 2ft, with energy values dropping into the 100 to 250 range. The winds are often offshore or clean, but the waves are just too small for a proper session. The period stays long, but there’s no juice. The water temp stays around average.

There’s a slight uptick on Thursday, July 23, with a 6ft SW swell in the afternoon, but the winds are cross-off and the forecast flags it as marginal. Then on Friday, July 24, we get a 7ft SW swell with a 17-second period—that’s a very long period groundswell, and the energy spikes to 2826. But the wind is cross-shore, so the quality is questionable. It’s a big, powerful swell, but it’s not going to be clean. For the experienced crew, it could be raw, but it’s not the standout.

The run from Wednesday, July 15, to Friday, July 17, is where it’s at. Thursday afternoon is the absolute gem. After that, it’s a long, slow fade into small, clean, but weak surf.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed afternoon, min 9°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

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

Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.7
SW
15
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
0.6
SW
15
0.6
SW
14
0.8
SW
14
0.7
SW
13
0.7
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1237
1094
1254
1550
1492
1059
1239
1101
606
387
250
84
95
68
79
161
137
132
241
173
161
Wind (km/h)
15
WNW
15
W
10
W
10
W
5
SSW
5
NW
10
NW
5
W
5
NW
5
NW
5
NE
10
N
10
NNW
5
NNW
10
NNW
15
NNW
10
NNW
10
N
15
NNW
10
NW
15
NNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
off
off
cross-off
off
off
glassy
cross-off
off
glassy
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
High Tide
12:09PM1.92m
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
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
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:37
7:35
7:35
7:35
7:35
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
 mm
Temp °C
12
13
13
13
13
12
12
13
11
13
14
12
13
15
13
14
15
12
16
17
13
Feels °C
9
10
11
11
12
11
10
11
10
12
13
11
10
13
10
10
12
9
13
14
10
  • 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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