
Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 9 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 14 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 17s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s period, SW swell with 6,104 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 10 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 19s 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 (Aug 10) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 19s period. 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 3.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 10PM. 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 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 10) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Mon 10th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 19s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Fri 14th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty. Right, we’ve got a bit of a slow burn here at Bells Beach - Bowl. The next week or so starts off pretty average, but there’s a solid window of proper, clean groundswell coming in the middle of the week, followed by a real standout for the more experienced crew. Let’s walk through it day by day.
Sunday afternoon is a write-off – just 2ft of weak SW swell with a fresh NNE cross-off wind making it messy. Not worth the drive.
Monday morning is where it starts to get interesting. We’ve got 4ft of SW groundswell with a long 19-second period, and a clean NW offshore wind. The combined energy is (1026), which is moderate to strong. Water temp is sitting at 56°, which is about average for this time of year. This is solid, lined-up surf for advanced surfers. Monday afternoon turns ugly with a SSW cross-wind, so get in early.
Tuesday looks promising all day. Morning brings 3ft SW at 15 seconds with offshore NW winds and (476) energy – clean and fun. Afternoon bumps to 4ft with a NNW offshore and (628) energy – very good conditions shaping up. The point setup at Bells loves these long-period SW swells, and with offshore winds, you’re getting clean faces.
Wednesday is for the big kids. We’ve got 5ft to 6ft SW swell, with a strong 16-second period. Energy is heavy – (1228) in the morning jumping to (1782) by the afternoon. Winds are cross-off from the W, which keeps it manageable but it’s still pushing 6ft. This is expert territory, especially with that long-period groundswell wanting to jack up. Keep an eye on the tide.
Thursday offers another solid window. Morning sees 6ft SW at 16 seconds with light cross-off WNW winds – energy at (1694). The standout moment, and the best on offer for the week, is Thursday afternoon. You’ve got 6ft SW, 16-second period, light W cross-off breeze, and energy roaring at (1819). This is the pick. Expect excellent, powerful waves for experienced surfers, and with crowds being only “sometimes” an issue, you could score some clean ones.
Friday morning is the real standout of the whole forecast. 8ft SSW groundswell, 17-second period, and a gentle offshore WNW breeze. Energy is massive at (3276). This is heavy, powerful, expert-only stuff. The long period means Bells, being a reef-and-point, will handle it beautifully, but beach breaks will be tricky. If you’re not comfortable in big, clean, lumpy groundswell, sit this one out. Friday afternoon drops to 7ft with SW cross-off wind, still excellent.
Saturday sees a drop-off. 5ft SW with a SW cross-wind in the morning – (1103) energy, but the wind starts to mess with it. By afternoon it’s a 5ft SSW chop-fest with onshore winds. Sunday is marginal at best – 4ft with light onshore winds, not great.
Monday, 18th August, has a brief return of clean 3ft SW at 15 seconds with a light NNW cross-off – (448) energy and clean faces. But it’s short-lived. Tuesday and Wednesday drop to 3ft or less, with weak energy (under 500) and light onshore or cross-shore winds. Not worth planning around.
From the 20th onwards, it’s tiny – mostly 2ft, with strong N winds or onshore slop. The 23rd sees a spike to 5ft with a cross-onshore howling S wind and (1440) energy, but it’s just messy. The final days (24th) are choppy onshore trash.
So, to sum up: the best windows are Thursday afternoon (19th August) and Friday morning (20th August) – both offer excellent, powerful SW groundswell with light offshore or cross-off winds. Friday morning (8ft, 17 seconds) is the true standout for the experts. Everything else is either small or onshore. Bells is your spot, but don’t expect much after that second week.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 13°C on Mon afternoon, min 8°C on Mon morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Fri morning, min 9°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | ||||||||||||||
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 21 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
111 | 815 | 1026 | 861 | 553 | 418 | 489 | 805 | 1129 | 1737 | 1591 | 1651 | 1776 | 1641 | 3074 | 2320 | 1472 | 1103 | 987 | 834 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | off | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 6:09PM1.69m | 8:12AM1.69m | 7:06PM1.62m | 9:32AM1.68m | 8:25PM1.55m | 10:50AM1.72m | 9:59PM1.54m | 11:54AM1.79m | 11:28PM1.60m | 12:46PM1.87m | 00:40AM1.71m | 1:30PM1.93m | 1:40AM1.81m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:07AM0.16m | 1:45PM1.02m | 2:14AM0.21m | 3:11PM1.05m | 3:33AM0.25m | 4:42PM0.98m | 4:51AM0.25m | 5:55PM0.82m | 6:01AM0.25m | 6:53PM0.63m | 7:00AM0.25m | 7:41PM0.44m | ||||||||
— | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:11 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | |
5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:44 | — | — | 5:45 | — | |
mm | 1 | 13 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 6 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 |
111 | 815 | 1026 | 861 | 553 | 418 | 489 | 805 | 1129 | 1737 | 1591 | 1651 | 1776 | 1641 | 3074 | 2320 | 1472 | 1103 | 987 | 834 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | ESE 5 | E 4 | ESE 9 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 19 | S 17 | — | S 16 | — | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | S 17 | S 16 | — | — | S 18 | — |
76 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 66 | 26 | 139 | 52 | — | 45 | — | 43 | 43 | 73 | 202 | 79 | — | — | 6 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | ESE 5 | ESE 8 | S 17 | SE 10 | SW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
3 | 9 | 13 | 24 | 4 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 5 | NE 4 | NNW 3 | SSW 4 | SW 7 | NW 2 | NNW 3 | N 3 | SW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
41 | 9 | 1 | 32 | 77 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 99 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 29 | 2 | 0 | 358 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 329 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 33 |
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.











