
Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 12s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 7,698 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 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 Monday (Jul 20) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bells Beach - Bowl in the next 16 days are 4.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 20th Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 10ft (3.0m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 13ft (4.0m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks.
We’ve got a slow start, but patience is going to pay off big time. The real fireworks are a long way off, but if you can wait, there’s a monster of a session waiting for us.
The first few days are pretty quiet. Monday the 20th is a write-off – tiny 2ft to 2ft SW swell with a long period of 15 to 16 seconds, but the wind is all over the place. The energy is weak (185), so it’s not worth paddling out for. Tuesday the 21st is a step up with a bit more size, 3ft from the SW, and the wind turns offshore. The energy picks up to a moderate 317, and it’s clean. That’s the first real window for a cruise. Wednesday the 22nd holds similar small waves, but the wind gets stronger so it’s less appealing.
Thursday the 23rd is where things get interesting, but maybe too interesting. The swell jumps up to 12ft from the SW, with a strong 14 second period. The combined energy is massive at 6200. That’s stout, expert-only territory, and the cross-off wind will keep it clean but powerful. Friday the 24th stays big, around 8ft to 8ft from the SSW, with a long 16 second period. The energy is still very strong (4101), but the wind is a fresh 22 mph on the afternoon, making it gnarly. Saturday the 25th is more of the same, with an 12ft pulse from the SW again, and the energy is even bigger at 4548. This whole stretch from the 23rd to the 25th is only for the highly skilled.
Sunday the 26th eases off a touch, back to 4ft to 5ft, but the energy is still moderate (578). The cross-off wind keeps it clean, but it’s a bit of a drop-off from the big stuff.
Now, here’s the standout. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, July 29th. The morning looks absolutely perfect. We’re looking at a clean 6ft SSW swell with a very long 16 second period. The wind is glassy – absolutely zero, just a slight air. The energy is strong at 1962, and the conditions are rated as excellent for experienced surfers. This is a proper groundswell, so it’s going to wrap into Bells Beach – Bowl (Victoria, Australia) with power and shape. The crowd can be *sometimes* an issue here, but on a Wednesday morning with a bit of size, you might get lucky.
Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are still very good, with 4ft to 5ft SSW swell and glassy to light offshore winds. The energy stays moderate to strong (545 to 1015), making for clean, fun sessions.
The second week is where the forecast gets a bit wild, but less certain. Saturday, August 1st, sees the swell kick up again to 8ft to 8ft SSW with a 16 second period, and the energy jumps to 5312. That’s big and powerful. Then Sunday, August 2nd, is the real beast. The forecast shows a massive 13ft to 15ft SW swell with a 17 second period, and the combined energy is an off-the-charts 19006. That’s huge, dangerous, and only for the absolute elite. The wind is light and offshore in the morning, so it would be a sight to see, but it’s too big for most. Monday, August 3rd, settles a bit to a still heavy 7ft to 8ft.
Water temp is sitting at 57° at Bells, which is about 1° above normal – so pretty average for this time of year, nothing crazy.
The absolute best bet on offer is that Wednesday, July 29th. The combo of a solid 6ft groundswell, glassy wind, and that long 16 second period is going to produce some classic Bells lines. Get out there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 6°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 8°C on Thu morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
161 | 107 | 134 | 317 | 246 | 108 | 144 | 286 | 2413 | 4574 | 3487 | 7698 | 3614 | 2650 | 2313 | 1520 | 3440 | 918 | 578 | 407 | 298 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:51PM1.99m | 4:25AM1.80m | 4:26PM1.92m | 5:13AM1.75m | 4:59PM1.82m | 6:00AM1.69m | 5:30PM1.72m | 6:48AM1.62m | 6:02PM1.61m | 7:41AM1.55m | 6:37PM1.52m | 8:44AM1.51m | 7:19PM1.43m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:13PM0.24m | 10:20AM0.48m | 10:53PM0.23m | 11:01AM0.63m | 11:32PM0.26m | 11:41AM0.76m | 00:10AM0.32m | 12:23PM0.89m | 00:50AM0.38m | 1:11PM1.00m | 1:35AM0.44m | 2:12PM1.09m | 2:29AM0.49m | ||||||||
7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | |
— | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 |
Feels °C | 9 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 |
161 | 107 | 134 | 317 | 246 | 108 | 144 | 286 | 808 | 1626 | 2032 | 2529 | 3614 | 2650 | 2313 | 1520 | 1108 | 918 | 578 | 407 | 298 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 10 | WSW 12 | SSW 10 | E 11 | E 11 | SW 11 | SW 15 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | S 17 | — | S 15 | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | — |
19 | 28 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 63 | 34 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 487 | — | 107 | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | SSW 10 | E 11 | — | — | E 11 | E 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
5 | 10 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 3 | — | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | WNW 3 | W 3 | WNW 4 | — | SW 13 | — | WNW 3 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 2413 | 4574 | 3487 | 7698 | 5 | 5 | 7 | — | 3440 | — | 3 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 520 | 517 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Torquay | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










