Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Bells Beach over the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a solid run of swell on the way, but the first few days are where you want to be paying attention. Tuesday morning the 25th of August is looking unreal – glassy conditions with a light NNW breeze and a clean 4 ft SW groundswell, period a solid 13 seconds. The energy’s sitting at 509 (moderate wave energy) and the water’s 56 °F, which is pretty much average for this time of year. That’s the standout for the early part of the forecast. Tuesday afternoon stays okay but picks up a light cross-shore breeze, so morning is definitely the call there.

Wednesday the 26th gets a bit messy with a cross-shore breeze and some chop, so I’d give it a miss. Thursday morning the 27th sees the wind swing WNW offshore, dropping the swell to 3 ft but it’ll be clean. Thursday afternoon turns glassy with a 2 ft SSW groundswell – small but tidy. Friday the 28th has a bigger, longer period SW groundswell – 18 seconds – but the wind is cross and then cross-on, so it’s not as clean. The energy ramps up to 767 (moderate to strong) but the quality’s not there.

Saturday morning the 29th is clean again with a 3 ft SW groundswell and light cross-off wind – nice little session. Then Sunday morning the 30th of August is another beauty – glassy, 4 ft SSW groundswell at 14 seconds, energy at 995 (moderate to strong). That’s a ripper. Sunday afternoon spikes to 7 ft with a 19-second period, but the wind goes cross-on and the energy jumps to 4129 (very strong), so that’s more for experienced crew only.

Monday the 31st is excellent for advanced surfers – 6 ft to 6 ft SW groundswell with a 16-second period and gentle offshore NW wind. Clean, solid, and holding. Energy’s around 1322 to 1699 (strong). That’s another standout window. Tuesday the 1st of September sees the swell dropping but still manageable, though the wind picks up to 19 mph offshore, so it’s a bit fresh.

Wednesday the 2nd of September morning is glassy again with a 5 ft SW groundswell at 14 seconds – clean fun. Thursday the 3rd has bigger swell, 5 ft SSW with 15-second period, but the wind is cross-off and moderate, so still rideable. Friday the 4th of September morning picks up a 6 ft SW swell with a shorter 9-second period, but it’s clean with light wind – good for experienced surfers. Friday afternoon turns glassy again with a 3 ft SW groundswell.

Saturday the 5th holds 6 ft SSW groundswell at 18 seconds – long period, so it’ll be better at the point than the beach. Wind is cross-off, so it’s clean but moderate. That goes into Sunday the 6th, which drops off and gets choppy with cross and cross-on wind. Monday the 7th is clean but small.

Then things get interesting again early in the second week – Tuesday the 8th of September morning sees a massive 13 ft SW groundswell, 15-second period, energy at 9232 (very strong). That’s a big, powerful ocean. Wind is cross-off fresh, so it’s clean but only for experienced surfers. Wednesday the 9th holds at 8 ft to 16 ft SW – the afternoon skyrockets to 16 ft with energy at 12142 (very strong). That’s expert-only territory. Bells will be absolutely thumping, but you’ll want to pick your moment. Crowds are possible here sometimes, and it’s a reef and point setup that loves SW groundswell.

Overall, the standout mornings to lock in are Tuesday 25th August glassy session, Sunday 30th August glassy session, and the Monday 31st offshore clean swell. The long-range stuff in the second week is promising but less certain, though the size is undeniable. For most of us, the first two weeks deliver the best clean windows.

Rusty.

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