
Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 30 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 30 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 13s period, SW swell with 1,448 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 30 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 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 Thursday (Jul 30) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 13s. 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 2.1m 13s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 30) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 03) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Thu 30th Jul) | 7ft (2.1m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s a proper monster lurking in the second week that’s got my heart racing. Let’s get into it.
We kick off on Thursday, July 30th, with a solid pulse of SSW groundswell at Bells Beach – Bowl. The morning sees a 5 ft swell, period a meaty 13 seconds, with a west wind keeping it cross-off and clean. The energy’s moderate at 837, and the water’s sitting at 57°F, which is pretty average for this time of year. It’s a solid, rippable wave for the advanced crew, but crowds are possible here, so pick your peak. The afternoon drops a touch to 5 ft, still clean, but the tide might get a bit tricky.
Friday, July 31st, is a real treat for the early session. Morning brings 4 ft of SW swell with a cross-off breeze, nice and clean. Then the afternoon goes glassy, with a 3 ft SSW swell and a 5 km/h SSE wind – that’s as good as it gets for a Friday session. The period is 12 seconds, so there’s a bit of shape to play with.
Saturday, August 1st, is where things get interesting. The morning is small, only 2 ft, but the period is a very long 17 seconds – that’s a proper groundswell. The break can feel a bit straight with that kind of period, but it will push through. The afternoon, though, is a standout. The swell jumps to 5 ft, still from the SW with that 17-second period, and the combined energy goes through the roof to 1724 (strong). It’s clean, and the wind is a light cross-off. This is one of the best windows of the whole run: excellent conditions for experienced surfers.
Sunday and Monday, August 2nd and 3rd, are a bit of a mixed bag. The swell hangs around 4 ft to 5 ft, but the wind picks up to 20-25 km/h, making it less clean. Monday morning has a light offshore, but the rain and moderate breeze take the shine off. Not a write-off, but you’ll be hunting for the cleanest corners.
From Tuesday, August 4th, through to the 10th, the surf drops off. We’re looking at waist-to-chest high waves, mostly 2 ft to 3 ft, with periods all over the place. The wind is a constant cross-off or offshore, so it’s clean, but the energy is weak (around 300-600). There’s a nice moment on the afternoon of August 5th – a 2 ft swell with an 18-second period, very long, and clean. It’s a rights point wave, so that long period will wrap in nicely. Also, the morning of Friday, August 7th, is glassy: 4 ft, 14 seconds, and a dead east wind at 5 km/h. That’s a cracking little session.
Now, here’s the one you’ve been waiting for. Tuesday, August 11th. The morning shows a 6 ft SW swell, period 17 seconds, with a light offshore wind from the NW. That’s excellent. But the afternoon… the afternoon is a beast. 12 ft of SW groundswell, period 16 seconds, and the combined energy is a staggering 8951 (very strong). The wind is a glassy offshore from the NNW at just 5 km/h. This is for experts only – over 8 ft means it’s big and powerful. If you’re looking for a life-changing session, this is it. The setup is a reef and point, which will handle that long period beautifully.
Wednesday, August 12th, the swell backs off a bit but still has some punch. Morning is 4 ft, clean, but the afternoon brings 8 ft with a cross-on wind, making it a bit messy. The rest of the week into August 14th sees dropping swell, but with some very long period energy (18-21 seconds) and light cross-on winds. It’s clean, but the swell direction is a bit off and the size is inconsistent. Not a total loss, but you’ll need to be picky.
Overall, the standout is the afternoon of August 11th – that’s your big, clean, expert-level swell. The afternoon of August 1st is another top pick, with strong energy and clean conditions. Everything else is a mix of fun, clean waves, but nothing that’ll blow your mind.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat afternoon, min 9°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Mon morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 8°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 10 | SW 21 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 17 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
837 | 649 | 417 | 341 | 299 | 255 | 309 | 1179 | 1318 | 929 | 612 | 424 | 459 | 327 | 386 | 505 | 175 | 212 | 321 | 263 | 459 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 12:51PM1.71m | 00:08AM1.38m | 1:28PM1.78m | 1:02AM1.46m | 2:00PM1.83m | 1:49AM1.54m | 2:29PM1.87m | 2:31AM1.62m | 2:56PM1.88m | 3:11AM1.69m | 3:22PM1.87m | 3:50AM1.75m | 3:48PM1.85m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:02PM0.92m | 6:32AM0.42m | 7:40PM0.80m | 7:16AM0.40m | 8:13PM0.68m | 7:56AM0.39m | 8:43PM0.56m | 8:34AM0.41m | 9:12PM0.45m | 9:09AM0.45m | 9:40PM0.35m | 9:45AM0.51m | 10:11PM0.26m | ||||||||
7:26 | — | — | 7:26 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | |
— | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:32 | — | — | 5:34 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 10 |
Feels °C | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 17 |
837 | 649 | 417 | 341 | 299 | 255 | 309 | 1179 | 1318 | 929 | 612 | 424 | 459 | 327 | 386 | 505 | 112 | 155 | 321 | 261 | 459 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 8 | S 23 | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 | SW 12 | SW 13 | S 16 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | SW 18 | SW 20 | WSW 13 | SW 16 | SW 16 | S 6 | SSW 19 | SW 18 | S 9 |
— | 35 | 11 | 18 | 98 | 91 | 144 | 545 | 48 | 47 | 75 | 18 | 80 | 15 | 120 | 67 | 87 | 23 | 251 | 263 | 14 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 17 | — | — | — | — | — | S 14 | — | SW 17 | S 16 | — | SW 21 | S 19 | S 18 | S 17 |
— | — | — | 12 | 12 | 12 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | — | 148 | 5 | — | 212 | 29 | 26 | 22 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | N 3 | NNW 3 | WNW 4 | WSW 7 | WNW 3 | — | SSW 10 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 3 | 6 | 15 | 29 | 3 | — | 175 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Torquay | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










