Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, looking at the Bells Beach – Bowl forecast for the next couple of weeks. Honestly, it’s a bit of a slow burn for the first week, but there’s a proper pulse of energy building for the second week that’s got my attention.

Alright, let’s start with the big picture. The first few days are pretty quiet. Friday the 17th offers a 5ft swell from the SW, but it’s cross-shore and a bit messy, with that combined wave energy sitting at 1202 (moderate to strong). Not really worth getting excited about. Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th are tiny, with waves dropping to 3ft and 2ft. Saturday morning goes offshore with a light WNW breeze, so it’ll be clean, but the swell’s weak. The whole first week is a bit of a waiting game – there’s a clear gap of small, ordinary surf from Saturday the 18th right through to Tuesday the 22nd.

Now, the standout. Thursday the 23rd is your best bet. The swell jumps to 6ft from the SW, with a period of 14 seconds, and the combined energy cranks up to 1203 (strong). Morning winds are a gentle W breeze, cross-off but clean. This is a proper groundswell – that long period means good shape and energy, but it’s a point and reef break, so it’ll handle it well. That said, at 6ft it’s getting a bit serious for beginners, but for experienced surfers, it’s excellent. The Bowl is a consistent spot, so you’ll get waves, but crowds are possible – it’s a classic break, so expect company.

Friday the 24th gets even bigger, with 7ft from the SSW and a combined energy of 2298 (strong). That’s expert territory, but the wind turns cross-on, making it a bit sloppy. The swell’s power is there, but the quality’s not as good. If you’re a kite surfer, this setup might look more interesting than paddle surfing.

The second week from Saturday the 25th sees a drop back to 5ft with clean offshore NW winds, but it’s not as powerful. Tuesday the 28th has a 4ft SW swell with a long 16-second period and combined energy of 1289, but the wind is a fresh 35 km/h offshore – strong, clean, but hard to paddle into. Thursday the 30th pushes a 8ft swell from the SW, but it’s cross-shore and messy, with combined energy hitting 2773 (very strong). That’s only for experts, and the wind’s ruining it.

The best of the second week? Saturday the 31st morning brings it back nicely: 4ft from the SW, 12-second period, combined energy of 524 (moderate), and a light W cross-off wind. Clean, surfable, and more manageable. The water temp is 57°F, which is about average for this time of year – nothing unusual.

So, overall, Thursday the 23rd is the clear standout – a solid 6ft SW groundswell at a long period, clean cross-off wind, all happening at Bells Beach – Bowl. It’s an advanced spot, but for the crew who know it, it’s going to be a cracker. After that, the 31st offers a decent second option, but nothing beats that Thursday pulse.

Rusty.

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