Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on offer for the next couple of weeks.

Overall, we’ve got a solid run of surf coming up, but it’s not all smooth sailing. The first few days are a bit of a write-off, with some messy conditions and onshore winds that’ll have you hating life. But don’t stress, the real action kicks off next week.

Saturday morning (August 8th) we’re starting with some clean, 4ft SW groundswell at 16 seconds. This is proper long-period energy, and with the wind being a light offshore from the NNE, it’s going to be glassy. The water is sitting at 56°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there. The combined energy is moderate (567). It’s a decent start, but the swell is small.

Sunday (August 9th) is a total bust. The swell drops right off, and the wind is howling from the NNE at 22 mph. It’s going to be a mess. Forget it.

Monday morning (August 10th) is where things get interesting. We’ve got a 4ft SW groundswell, but the period is a massive 19 seconds. That’s very long-period energy, and the combined energy is strong (1026). The wind is offshore from the NNW at 12 mph, so it’s clean. This is a standout for experienced surfers only. Bells Beach - Bowl (Victoria) is a reef and point setup, so that long period won’t be a problem; it’ll actually wrap in beautifully. The crowds are sometimes an issue here, so heads up. This is likely the best call of the whole period.

Tuesday (August 11th) has a 3ft SW swell with a 15-second period, and the wind is offshore again in the morning. It’s clean, but the size is smaller. It’ll be fun, but not a standout.

Wednesday (August 12th) sees the swell jump to 5ft at 16 seconds, with a strong offshore wind from the WNW at 19 mph in the morning. The combined energy is strong (1225). The wind is fresh, but the waves will be clean. The afternoon gets a bit messy with a cross-shore wind, so get it in the morning.

Thursday and Friday (August 13th & 14th) are for the big boys. The swell hits 8ft on Thursday morning, and 8ft again on Friday afternoon, with a 17-second period. These are big, powerful SW groundswells. The combined energy is very strong (3279 and 4725). The wind is offshore on Thursday morning, and only a gentle breeze on Friday. This is expert territory. Over 8ft, it’s not for beginners. The 17-second period on Friday is very long, so again, the reef and point at Bells will handle it better than a beach break.

Saturday morning (August 15th) still has a solid 7ft SSW swell, with a 16-second period. The wind is almost nothing at 3 mph, so it’s clean. The combined energy is strong (2199). Another good one for the experienced crew.

From Sunday (August 16th) onwards, the swell drops back down to 3ft – 6ft, and the winds become more cross-onshore or onshore, making it a bit scratchy. There are still some clean windows on Tuesday morning (August 18th) with a small 3ft swell, and Wednesday morning (August 19th) with a 3ft, 16-second swell and offshore winds. These are smaller, fun days.

The best on offer is clearly Monday morning (August 10th) for the combination of clean, long-period groundswell and offshore wind, and the Thursday (August 13th) and Friday (August 14th) for the serious size and power, but only for experts.

Rusty.

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