Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 15s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 14s period, SW swell with 6,249 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 21s. 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here, let's look at what's on the table for Bells Beach – the Bowl.
This is a classic reef and point setup, exposed to the SW, and over the next 16 days it's offering up some proper groundswell windows. The water’s sitting at about 56.3°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so you’re not getting any weird temperature tricks.
Saturday 22 August kicks off with solid energy. The morning brings a 8.2ft SW swell, but that 15.5 mph WSW cross-off is gonna put a bit of a bump on it. The energy reading is a strong 4119, but the conditions are just marginal. Saturday afternoon is the first real standout: the swell jumps to a meaty 13.1ft from the SW, period 14 seconds, and the energy is massive at 8482. The wind is straight cross from the SW at 12.4 mph, so it’ll have a bit of a chop on it, but for an experienced surfer, that’s a serious session on offer.
Sunday 23 August is the other big moment. The morning shows a clean 4.9ft SW swell with a 6.2 mph NW offshore wind and a period of 14 seconds. That's clean, lined-up water (energy 1218). Sunday afternoon is a dream: 5.2ft SW swell with a 16-second period – that's a long-period groundswell – and only a 3.1 mph WNW cross-off breeze. The energy is 1735 and it’s described as excellent for experienced surfers. For the Bowl, that long period will really wrap in and give you those deep, hollow bowls. Because it's a reef and point, that long period is a blessing, not a curse. Get on it.
Monday 24 August sees the swell drop away. A 3.6ft SW swell on Monday morning with a NNW cross-off is clean but weak (478 energy), and it’s barely worth paddling out for. The rest of the week into Thursday 27 August is a write-off for quality. Tiny swells, poor winds, and onshore junk. Not worth your time. There’s a hole in the good surf here from Monday 24th through Thursday 27th.
Friday 28 August brings the swell back to life. The morning session is a standout: 4.6ft SW swell, 17-second period – very long period groundswell – with a 12.4 mph WNW offshore wind. That’s 1174 energy and it’s clean. This will be another proper session for the experienced crew.
Saturday 29 August through Monday 31 August offers a run of solid but not perfect conditions. The swell hangs around 4.6ft to 5.6ft from the SW/SSW, with decent cross-off winds. Nothing is quite perfect, but there’s enough swell to get wet. The 31st Monday morning brings a 5.2ft SW with a 12.4 mph WNW offshore, 14-second period, and 1480 energy – that’s clean and punchy.
Tuesday 1 September is a rare gem. The afternoon session goes glassy. Literally: a 3.1 mph SSW glass-off, 4.9ft SW, 15-second period, energy 1006. Described as excellent for experienced surfers. That’s the kind of session you dream about – no wind, solid groundswell, perfect lines.
The middle of the first week of September (2nd and 3rd) is still surfable, with 4.9ft to 5.2ft SSW swells and clean offshores, but the wind picks up on Thursday 3rd to 18.6 mph, so it gets marginal.
Now, looking further out, Saturday 6 September is a monster. The morning shows a 19.7ft SW swell with a 16-second period and an insane 24613 energy reading. That is a huge, dangerous swell. The wind is a 9.3 mph N cross-off, so it’s clean, but this is only for absolute experts and is actually predicted to be too big for this break. The afternoon drops to a still-massive 9.8ft SW with a 17-second period and 4300 energy, with a light NNW cross-off. If you are a pro-level charger and you know the Bowl, that afternoon might just be the best on offer for the whole outlook, but that morning will be washing over the carpark.
Overall, the true standouts are Sunday 23rd afternoon for that perfect long-period, glass-off feel, and Tuesday 1st September afternoon for the glassy, clean perfection. The big Saturday 6 September is for the brave. For the average surfer, stick to the Sunday 23rd.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 7°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu afternoon, min 8°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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 13 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SSW 12 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 11 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
2121 | 6249 | 1576 | 877 | 1224 | 770 | 469 | 268 | 376 | 572 | 382 | 255 | 203 | 408 | 104 | 105 | 183 | 1295 | 1174 | 834 | 546 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:19PM1.62m | 6:47AM1.56m | 5:50PM1.52m | 7:46AM1.48m | 6:27PM1.43m | 9:06AM1.44m | 7:25PM1.34m | 10:33AM1.47m | 9:05PM1.28m | 11:36AM1.55m | 10:46PM1.32m | 12:19PM1.63m | 11:57PM1.42m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:40AM0.86m | 00:01AM0.39m | 12:19PM0.97m | 00:44AM0.47m | 1:11PM1.07m | 1:38AM0.55m | 2:36PM1.14m | 2:51AM0.60m | 4:31PM1.11m | 4:11AM0.61m | 5:46PM1.00m | 5:20AM0.57m | 6:30PM0.86m | ||||||||
7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | |
— | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 11 |
Feels °C | 9 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 12 | SW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 11 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 10 | SSW 11 | SW 13 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 |
1976 | 2215 | 1576 | 877 | 1224 | 770 | 469 | 268 | 376 | 572 | 382 | 163 | 167 | 408 | 102 | 105 | 183 | 1295 | 1174 | 834 | 546 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 24 | SW 22 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 16 | S 15 | W 21 | SW 15 | SW 18 | WSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 18 | — | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 22 | SW 11 | — | S 17 | SW 4 |
22 | 18 | 134 | 316 | 511 | 17 | 9 | 104 | 12 | 373 | 129 | 255 | 12 | — | 104 | 54 | 118 | 229 | — | 23 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 19 | S 18 | — | — | — | SW 20 | S 14 | S 14 | — | ESE 3 | — | — | SW 16 | SW 12 | — | SW 14 | — | — | — |
— | — | 184 | 25 | — | — | — | 15 | 32 | 33 | — | 1 | — | — | 41 | 6 | — | 218 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NNE 4 | — | — | E 4 | — | SSW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2121 | 6249 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 4 | — | 203 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 6 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 11 | 11 | 68 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 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.











