Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.37° S 144.28° E

Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 am 02 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Bells Beach - Bowl sea temperature is
13.8°C
0.9° 

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 1 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 4 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 16s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 6,996 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s 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 Wednesday (Sep 02) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 16s 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 4.5m 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1PM (Wed 2nd Sep)5ft (1.6m) 16s
Best Surf 4AM (Fri 4th Sep)8ft (2.5m) 16s
Most Powerful 1PM (Thu 3rd Sep)15ft (4.5m) 14s

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


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for the next couple of weeks. There’s a solid run of swell on the way, but you’ve gotta pick your windows. The standout is going to be Bells Beach – Bowl, no surprise there. It’s a reef and point setup, so it’ll handle the size and direction beautifully. Water’s sitting at 57°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year.

Alright, let’s get into it. The first good action kicks off on Wednesday, September 2nd. The morning’s a bit marginal with a 5 ft SW swell and a cross-off breeze, but by the afternoon, the wind swings offshore at 12 mph, the swell bumps up to 5 ft from the SW with a 15-second period, and the energy is pumping at 1220 (moderate). That’s clean and lined up for experienced surfers.

Thursday, September 3rd, is a big one. The morning brings a solid 13 ft SW swell with a 14-second period, and the energy is massive at 8340 (very strong). That’s a serious groundswell, but the wind is cross-off at 16 mph. It’s clean, but at 13 ft, this is strictly for experts. The afternoon drops to 8 ft, still with cross-off wind, but the energy is still strong at 2114.

Friday, September 4th, is the pick of the first week. Morning sees a 8 ft SW swell with a 16-second period, offshore wind at 12 mph, and energy at 2523 (strong). The afternoon is even better – still 7 ft, 16-second period, but the wind drops to 9 mph offshore, making it glassy. That’s your sweet spot for experienced surfers looking for power and shape.

Saturday, September 5th, gets messy. Morning has a 5 ft swell but the wind is howling at 22 mph offshore – that’s fresh and clean, but the energy is only 1118, and the score is weak. By afternoon, it’s cross-off and still 22 mph, with a 6 ft swell. It’s a write-off for paddling, honestly. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Sunday, September 6th, calms right down. Morning has a 3 ft SW swell, but the wind is light cross-off – clean but small. The afternoon is glassy with a 4 ft swell, 14-second period, and energy at 649. It’s a fun, easy session for anyone.

Monday, September 7th, is tiny. Morning has a 3 ft swell, and by afternoon it’s cross-on with a 2 ft swell and energy down to 173. Not worth the paddle. Expect a gap of a couple of days here.

Tuesday, September 8th, brings a surprise. Morning has a 4 ft SW swell, but the period is a very long 18 seconds, with offshore wind and energy at 1271. That’s a groundswell that’ll hold up well at the point, giving long, clean lines. Afternoon gets cross-shore and messy.

Thursday, September 10th, is the next true standout. Morning has a 8 ft SSW swell with a 17-second period, glassy wind, and energy at 4794 (strong). That’s a big, clean groundswell, perfect for the Bowl. The afternoon sees the swell hit 10 ft, still from the SSW, but with a light cross-onshore wind. Still good for experts, but the morning is the window.

Friday, September 11th, is a solid follow-up. Morning has a 5 ft SSW swell, 14-second period, cross-off wind, and energy at 1032. Clean and fun.

The second week settles into smaller, cleaner surf. Saturday, September 12th, has a 5 ft SW swell with offshore wind in the morning. Sunday, September 13th, is glassy with a 3 ft swell – a nice recovery session. The rest of the week features 3 ft to 5 ft swells with good periods, but the wind gets tricky. Wednesday, September 16th, is a write-off with fresh cross-onshore winds and lumpy conditions.

Thursday, September 17th, sees a 8 ft SW swell with a 16-second period and energy at 3725 (strong), but the wind is cross-onshore and choppy. That’s a shame – there’s plenty of power, but the onshore wind ruins it.

Overall, the best sessions are Friday, September 4th, and Thursday, September 10th morning. Both pack size, period, and clean wind. The Bowl is a consistent spot, and it doesn’t stay quiet for long.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Fri afternoon, min 7°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WNW on Sat morning, calm by Sun night).

Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4
Saturday
5
Sunday
6
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
3
4
4
7
3
4
4
4
2
2
1
5
3
3
2
2
0
3
4
2
1
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
SW
16
1.6
SW
15
1.6
SW
15
4
SW
14
2.3
SW
14
2.5
SW
15
2.3
SW
16
2.1
SW
16
1.9
SW
16
1.6
SW
15
1.8
SW
15
3.5
SW
13
1.1
SSW
11
1.2
SW
14
1
SW
13
0.8
SW
13
0.6
SW
13
0.6
SW
20
1.2
SW
18
1.3
SW
17
1.2
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
1065
1135
1140
6628
2114
2794
2481
2299
1672
1118
1418
3997
297
564
311
193
130
309
891
951
710
Wind (km/h)
15
WNW
20
WNW
25
NW
25
W
20
W
15
NW
20
NW
15
NW
25
NNW
35
NW
35
W
20
WSW
10
W
5
SSW
0
W
5
W
15
SSW
5
SSE
5
NW
10
SW
25
SW
Wind State
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
glassy
off
cross
cross
High Tide
2:48PM1.85m
3:31AM1.96m
3:17PM1.85m
4:11AM1.96m
3:49PM1.84m
4:54AM1.92m
4:24PM1.81m
5:42AM1.84m
5:04PM1.75m
6:38AM1.73m
5:53PM1.66m
7:47AM1.64m
6:58PM1.56m
Low Tide
9:06PM0.15m
9:29AM0.52m
9:40PM0.08m
10:05AM0.60m
10:18PM0.05m
10:44AM0.69m
11:00PM0.07m
11:26AM0.80m
11:48PM0.15m
12:18PM0.90m
00:47AM0.26m
1:27PM0.98m
2:00AM0.37m
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
cloud
clear
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
light rain
rain showers
cloud
cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:43
6:43
6:41
6:39
6:37
6:37
6:35
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:00
6:01
6:02
6:02
6:04
6:05
6:06
 mm
1
14
2
2
Temp °C
15
14
13
13
13
11
15
16
15
14
13
13
14
14
12
14
14
12
15
14
11
Feels °C
11
9
7
6
7
7
10
12
10
7
7
9
12
12
10
11
11
10
13
12
7
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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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