Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Right, we’ve got one spot on the radar for this forecast, and it’s a classic. Bells Beach – Bowl is the only game in town for the next couple of weeks, and it looks like it’s going to offer up a solid run of waves. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We kick things off on Sunday the 12th, but honestly, it’s a bit of a slow start. The morning has a fresh offshore breeze from the WNW, and we’ve got a 4ft SW swell, but the combined energy is only moderate (528), and the call is marginal. It’s surfable, but not worth jumping out of bed for. By Sunday arvo, the swell pushes up to 6ft SW with a 12-second period, and the energy climbs a bit (901), but the wind goes cross-off. Still a bit average.

Monday the 13th is where things start to get interesting. The morning brings a clean 8ft SW swell with a long 16-second period, and the energy jumps right up (2481). That's a proper groundswell, and with a fresh NW offshore, Bells will have some serious shape and power. This is a standout session for experienced surfers – it’s pushing over 8ft, so this is expert territory. The afternoon holds similar size at 8ft (2796 energy), just a touch cross-off.

Tuesday the 14th is another good day. The morning has a cross-off breeze with a 8ft SW swell and that same long 16-second period (2692). The wind is a gentle breeze from the W, so it’s clean and punchy. The energy is still strong.

Wednesday the 15th is a real highlight. We’ve got a 6ft SW swell (1358 energy) with a 15-second period, and a light WNW breeze in the morning. The wave comment says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is a top pick – slightly smaller than Monday, but still packing plenty of grunt and that long-period power. Bells loves a SW groundswell, and the direction matches the optimum. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

Thursday the 16th is another cracker. The morning has a 5ft SW swell (874) with a light offshore NW breeze. But the real beauty is the afternoon: glassy conditions, a 5ft SW swell with a 15-second period (1168), and the comment says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” Glassy Bells is a dream.

Friday the 17th keeps the good times rolling. A clean 5ft SW swell (1210) with a 16-second period and a light cross-off breeze in the morning. The afternoon is a touch smaller at 5ft (939) but still clean.

Into the second week, we see the swell drop off. Saturday the 18th sees the size fade to around 3ft SW (267 energy) with a light offshore. It’s clean but small – more of a longboard or funboard kind of day.

From Sunday the 19th through to Thursday the 24th, it’s mostly quiet. There’s a couple of days with tiny 1.0-1ft SW swell and periods that are long but weak. The energy is low (152-173), and a few of those days are marked as poor conditions. It’s a proper lull. The morning of Monday the 20th has a little bump to 3ft (314) with gentle offshore wind, but it’s nothing to get excited about.

Then we get a flicker of life on Saturday the 25th. The morning is glassy with a 4ft SW swell and a long 17-second period (901). The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s a promising long-range tease, but it’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th both offer clean, small-to-moderate SW swells in the 4ft to 5ft range, with glassy or light offshore winds. The energy is moderate (492-856), and the comments are “good” to “very good.” It won’t be the pumping Bells of the first week, but there’ll be waves to be had.

So, bottom line: the standout is Wednesday the 15th and Thursday the 16th. That’s your window for the best quality. The Monday and Tuesday before that are also pumping but bigger and more for experts. The second week has a big gap of tiny waves, with a potential revival around the 25th. Keep an eye on the forecasts for that one.

Rusty.

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