Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.37° S 144.28° E

Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 09 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Bells Beach - Bowl sea temperature is
14.3° C
0.7° 

Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 9 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 14 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 15s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 15s period, SW swell with 6,817 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 9 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 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 Thursday (Jul 09) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 18s. 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 4.0m 15s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 11) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Thu 9th Jul)3ft (0.9m) 15s
Best Surf 7AM (Tue 14th Jul)8ft (2.5m) 15s
Most Powerful 1AM (Wed 15th Jul)13ft (4.0m) 15s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.


Alright, Rusty here again, but this time in old-school numbers.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a wait. The first real chance for a paddle comes Thursday morning, July 9th, at the Bowl. It’s not a huge day, but it’s clean. We’re looking at a 3ft SW groundswell with a long 16-second period, and the water is sitting at 58°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. The combined energy is moderate at 471, and with a light N wind keeping it cross-off, the surface will be clean. Friday morning, July 10th, is a similar story—3ft SW, 15 seconds, and a light N cross-off breeze. These are solid, clean, workable waves for the advanced crew.

Now, Saturday and Sunday are a write-off. Saturday, July 11th, the swell drops to 2ft, and though the wind is good, the energy is a weak 134. Sunday, July 12th, the swell jumps up to 6ft, even hitting 12ft in the afternoon, but the wind is howling from the WNW and W at 25 mph. The energy spikes to 5980 in the afternoon, but that’s just raw power with no control. It’s too big and too messy for a standard paddle. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Monday, July 13th, through Tuesday, July 14th, sees the swell drop back to a still-juicy 6ft to 8ft range, with clean offshore winds from the NW on Monday, switching to a solid cross-off from the WNW on Tuesday. The period is a very long 16 seconds, and the energy is strong, between 1478 and 2808. This is expert territory—waves over 8ft, long-period groundswell that will be closing out the beach sections but offering some proper, lined-up walls at the point and reef. The wind is fresh, but it’s offshore, so it’ll be clean.

By Wednesday, July 15th, the wind shifts onshore from the SE, and the quality drops. Thursday, July 16th, is a mess with onshore wind and fading swell.

The real standout is Friday, July 17th. The morning session is the pick of the entire forecast. The wind is glassy, completely calm from the NNE, and the swell is a clean 4ft from the SW with a 16-second period. The combined energy is a solid 717. It’s going to be as clean as it gets, with those long-period lines wrapping in perfectly. The crowd profile says "sometimes" at the Bowl, so for a Friday morning with these conditions, expect a few others with the same idea.

Saturday, July 18th, is another good one. The wind is offshore from the NNW at 6 mph, with a 5ft SW swell and 15-second period. The energy is 856. This is a proper, fun weekend day—clean, punchy, and not as big as the Monday-Tuesday spike.

The following week, from July 20th onward, the swell drops and the wind gets messy. There’s a brief window on Friday, July 24th, with a 3ft SSW swell and a moderate offshore wind from the NNW, but it’s small and inconsistent. Not a standout.

To wrap it up: the best on offer is hands-down Friday morning, July 17th, for the glassy conditions and solid, long-period swell. The second-best is Saturday, July 18th, with clean offshore wind and a similar size. Don’t bother with the huge, windy Sunday or the small, onshore days after.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat morning, min 7°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the NW by Sat night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sun morning, light winds from the SSE by Tue night).

Thursday
9
Friday
10
Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
1
3
2
2
2
0
0
1
0
4
3
3
3
4
3
3
6
2
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1
SW
16
0.9
SW
15
1.1
SW
16
1
SW
15
0.8
SW
15
0.7
SW
14
0.6
SW
15
0.6
SW
14
0.9
SW
12
1.7
SW
13
3.5
SW
13
1.8
SW
14
1.8
SW
16
1.7
SW
15
2.5
SW
15
2.4
SW
16
2.3
SW
16
4
SW
15
1.6
SW
15
1.4
SW
15
1.3
SSW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
471
355
661
421
313
206
134
125
220
897
3984
1215
1552
1262
2938
2692
2578
6817
1235
879
691
Wind (km/h)
5
N
10
ENE
5
NNW
10
N
5
NNE
15
N
25
N
35
NW
30
WNW
40
WNW
30
W
30
WNW
30
NW
30
NW
20
W
15
WNW
15
WSW
20
S
15
SE
10
SE
10
SE
Wind State
cross-off
cross
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
on
on
on
High Tide
5:18PM1.75m
6:28AM1.69m
5:54PM1.70m
7:30AM1.71m
6:39PM1.65m
8:40AM1.74m
7:35PM1.61m
9:55AM1.78m
8:45PM1.58m
11:07AM1.84m
10:05PM1.58m
12:09PM1.92m
11:25PM1.62m
Low Tide
11:21AM0.70m
11:54PM0.30m
12:10PM0.81m
00:39AM0.22m
1:09PM0.92m
1:34AM0.17m
2:18PM1.01m
2:38AM0.14m
3:38PM1.04m
3:48AM0.11m
4:58PM0.99m
4:59AM0.08m
6:08PM0.88m
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
light rain
clear
light rain
cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:39
7:39
7:37
7:37
7:37
7:37
7:37
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:15
5:16
5:16
5:17
5:19
5:19
5:20
 mm
5
3
2
3
1
1
Temp °C
11
12
11
12
14
11
15
13
9
11
12
13
13
14
11
9
10
11
11
10
9
Feels °C
9
9
9
9
12
8
8
6
1
5
6
6
7
8
5
5
6
6
7
7
6
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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