Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Bells Beach - Bowl.

We’ve got a slow start, but don’t walk away just yet. The first few days are small and quiet, but the pulse that builds towards the end of the month is the real story. The real standout action is going to be from the 29th of July onwards, with some serious size and power.

Monday the 20th is tiny, with a 2ft SW swell at a long 15 seconds. The combined energy is weak (145), so you’re not getting much push. It’s clean enough with a light offshore breeze, but it’s really just a paddle.

Tuesday the 21st picks up a touch. Morning sees a 3ft SW swell (14 seconds, 317 energy) and clean conditions with a light offshore – it’s surfable, but still small. The afternoon holds similar size with a 3ft SW swell.

Wednesday the 22nd is a write-off. The wind picks up strong in the morning from the WNW at 16 mph, and though it’s offshore, it’s messy. The afternoon has rain and cross-off winds.

Thursday the 23rd is where it starts to get interesting, but it’s not perfect. The morning swell jumps to 6ft from the SW (14 seconds, 1387 energy – moderate energy) with a cross-off wind. The afternoon gets bigger at 8ft from the SW (4322 energy – strong energy), but still with a cross-off wind. The conditions are marginal, but the size is building.

Friday the 24th is a big day for size. The morning delivers a 10ft SSW swell with a 16-second period – that’s a proper groundswell – and strong energy (4579). The wind is cross-off. This is expert territory, the size is well over 8ft. The afternoon holds at 8ft.

Saturday the 25th is the peak of this first pulse. Both morning and afternoon see a solid 12ft SW swell. The energy is very strong (5906 in the morning, 4927 in the afternoon). The wind is a cross-off, so the waves will be big and clean, but only for the experienced crew.

Now, the real standout. Sunday the 26th sees the size drop back to a much more manageable 4ft SSW swell (12 seconds) in the morning, with a clean offshore wind from the WNW. The combined energy is 482 – moderate. This is a nice, clean window for the more average surfer.

The next big build starts on Monday the 27th: 4ft SW swell (13 seconds) in the afternoon with a gentle offshore wind from the WNW. The energy is 511 and the conditions are very good – a solid option.

Tuesday the 28th is the build-up to the main event. The morning has a 6ft SW swell (15 seconds, 1456 energy) with a clean offshore breeze. The afternoon is a huge step up: 8ft SW swell, 16-second period, and a massive 6565 combined energy. The wind is clean offshore from the NW. This is exceptional for experts.

Wednesday the 29th of July – this is the absolute best on offer. The morning sees a 15ft SW swell with a 15-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 12481. The wind is offshore. The afternoon is a 13ft SW swell (14 seconds, 8672 energy). The wind stays offshore. This is big, powerful, and for experts only. The water temperature is about 57°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

Thursday the 30th drops back a bit. The morning has a 6ft SSW swell (13 seconds, 1002 energy) with a clean offshore. The afternoon holds at 5ft SSW. Both are good for experienced surfers.

After that, from Friday the 31st through to Monday the 3rd of August, the wind turns onshore or cross-onshore, the swell drops to between 3ft and 5ft, and the quality is marginal. Nothing worth chasing.

Tuesday the 4th of August finishes the run with a return to clean conditions. The morning has a 3ft SSW swell (11 seconds) with a gentle offshore, and the afternoon has a 3ft SSW swell with a light offshore breeze. Small, but clean.

The standout for the whole period is absolutely Wednesday the 29th of July. That’s a massive, powerful SW groundswell with clean offshore winds – a true big-wave day for the experts. The second best is Tuesday the 28th of July, especially the afternoon session, which is also a cracker.

Stay safe out there, and see you in the water.

Rusty.

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