Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 1PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 15s period, SSW swell with 1,571 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s 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 (Jul 15) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s. 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 1.9m 15s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 1PM. 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 (Jul 20) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Thu 16th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. I’ve been looking over the local charts, and it’s a bit of a slow burn, but there’s a big ol’ pulse coming that’s got me frothing. We’ll have to wait a few days, but it’ll be worth it.
The main spot is Bells Beach – Bowl. It’s a reef and point break, exposed to the south-west, and it’s consistent. This is an advanced wave, so don’t even think about it with a soft top. The water temp is 57°, which is pretty average for this time of year.
We kick off on Wednesday the 15th. The morning is a bit messy with a 6ft SW swell, but the afternoon is better. A 5ft SW swell with a 14-second period and a cross-off breeze will have some nice lines. The energy is moderate.
Thursday the 16th is when it gets good. The morning is clean with a 6ft SSW swell, 15-second period, and light cross-off wind. The energy is solid. Then Thursday afternoon is magic. Glassy conditions, a 6ft SW groundswell with a 15-second period, and the wind goes dead calm. The energy is strong. That’s a session you’ll remember.
Friday the 17th keeps the quality high. Offshore winds in the morning with a 5ft SW swell, 16-second period, and then glassy again in the afternoon. The energy is still strong. This is top-shelf Bells.
The weekend drops off. Saturday the 18th has a 3ft SW swell, Sunday the 19th is tiny at 2ft, and the whole of the following week is small and ordinary. There’s a real gap here until the next Thursday.
Now, here’s the standout. Thursday the 23rd sees a new pulse—a 4ft SW swell with a 16-second period in the morning, building to 6ft in the afternoon. The energy is moderate to strong. It’s good, but the real gem is Friday the 24th. The morning is excellent with a 6ft SW swell, but the afternoon? Holy moly. A 13ft SW groundswell, 15-second period, with a clean cross-off breeze. The combined energy is massive—way over 5000. This is for experts only. That’s serious, heavy water. If you’re not solid, watch from the cliffs.
Saturday the 25th is still pumping with an 8ft SSW swell in the morning, offshore winds, and strong energy. Another expert-only window. The rest of the period fades out with some messy, cross-shore winds and smaller swells, finishing with a glassy 4ft SW swell on Tuesday the 29th and a tiny 1ft long-period swell on the 30th.
Bottom line: the absolute best is the afternoon of Friday the 24th of July. It’s a monster. Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are your cleaner, more manageable standouts for the first week. The second week has one big, powerful pulse, but it’s for the experienced crew only.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Wed night, min 9°C on Wed morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 10°C on Sat morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1237 | 1094 | 1377 | 1550 | 1492 | 1059 | 1255 | 1101 | 606 | 387 | 250 | 83 | 95 | 93 | 109 | 161 | 77 | 103 | 89 | 173 | 89 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | glassy | off | glassy | off | off | glassy | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:09PM1.92m | 11:25PM1.62m | 1:04PM1.99m | 00:38AM1.70m | 1:51PM2.03m | 1:42AM1.76m | 2:34PM2.05m | 2:41AM1.81m | 3:14PM2.04m | 3:35AM1.82m | 3:51PM1.99m | 4:25AM1.80m | 4:26PM1.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:08PM0.88m | 6:06AM0.06m | 7:07PM0.73m | 7:06AM0.08m | 7:59PM0.56m | 8:01AM0.13m | 8:47PM0.42m | 8:50AM0.22m | 9:31PM0.30m | 9:36AM0.34m | 10:13PM0.24m | 10:20AM0.48m | 10:53PM0.23m | ||||||||
 | |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — |
 | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 17 | 13 |
Feels °C | 9 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 14 |
| kJ | 1237 | 1094 | 1377 | 1550 | 1492 | 1059 | 1255 | 1101 | 606 | 387 | 250 | 83 | 95 | 93 | 64 | 161 | 77 | 103 | 89 | 173 | 89 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 17 | S 16 | S 15 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | S 15 | — | — | SSW 12 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | S 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 12 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 142 | 46 | 17 | 92 | 83 | 4 | — | — | 79 | 42 | 39 | 109 | 20 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 69 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 20 | SSW 19 | WSW 12 | S 16 | WSW 12 | E 10 | — | S 14 | E 10 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 37 | 14 | 5 | 14 | 2 | — | 4 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 2 | NW 2 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.
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