Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 19s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 5,819 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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 Sunday (Aug 16) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bells Beach - Bowl in the next 16 days are 3.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) 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 1.0m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty here.
Alright, let’s cut to it. The next couple of weeks are a real mixed bag for the Bowl. We’ve got a proper dry spell on the surf front for the first few days, so don’t bother paddling out Sunday through Tuesday – it’s gutless and the wind’s all wrong. You’ll be fighting for scraps. We’re looking at waves down around 2ft to 4ft, with weak to moderate energy (657 down to 108) and a cross-onshore breeze messing things up. It’s not your day.
The first real glimmer of hope comes Thursday the 20th. The swell’s still small, but the wind cleans right up to a moderate offshore, and the energy ticks up a bit (206). Friday the 21st is where it starts to get interesting. We’ve got a proper pulse of groundswell coming in from the WSW at 3ft, but the period jumps to a solid 19 seconds. That’s a long-period swell, so the wave shape will be good but the sets will be a bit spread out. Still, the offshore wind is moderate and clean, and the energy is pumping at 1137. It’s clean, it’s hollow, and it’s got some push. This is the one to get excited about before the weekend.
Now, Saturday the 22nd sees the swell jump up to 6ft, but the wind swings around to a cross-shore and the energy is strong (1493). It’s going to be a bit lumpy and not as clean as Friday. But Sunday the 23rd is a real standout. We’ve got 6ft of SW swell, a moderate offshore wind, and the energy is at its peak for the window (1520). The Bowl (Bells-Beach-Bowl) will be handling this nicely – the reef and point setup will focus that long-period energy. This is your best, cleanest, biggest day of the first week. Get amongst it.
After that, it drops off again. Monday the 24th has a bit of energy with 4ft and light winds, but it’s a bit messy. From Tuesday the 25th through Wednesday the 26th, it gets blown out and becomes a real kite-surfing show with strong winds and lumpy conditions. The swell jumps to 10ft on Wednesday afternoon, but the cross-shore wind ruins it for paddle surfing.
The following week has a more relaxed vibe. There are pockets of fun surf with lighter winds and smaller swells. Saturday the 29th looks like the pick of the second week – 4ft of SW swell, clean with light offshore winds, and solid energy (925). It’ll be worth a look. The weekend after that, the 30th and 31st, have similar waves around 3ft to 4ft with clean conditions and light winds. Not huge, but fun and consistent – a good way to finish the run.
So, mark your calendar for Sunday the 23rd. That’s the big one. Friday the 21st is the one for the purists if you want the longest period. Everything else is just filler.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue morning, min 10°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 8°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 19 | SW 18 | WSW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
621 | 545 | 450 | 574 | 661 | 485 | 238 | 310 | 196 | 107 | 85 | 54 | 107 | 206 | 149 | 590 | 455 | 4295 | 1493 | 1123 | 1420 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off |
High Tide | 2:09PM1.97m | 2:32AM1.88m | 2:45PM1.97m | 3:19AM1.91m | 3:19PM1.94m | 4:01AM1.89m | 3:51PM1.88m | 4:41AM1.83m | 4:21PM1.80m | 5:20AM1.75m | 4:50PM1.71m | 6:00AM1.66m | 5:19PM1.62m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:24PM0.29m | 8:36AM0.34m | 9:03PM0.19m | 9:18AM0.42m | 9:40PM0.15m | 9:56AM0.52m | 10:16PM0.17m | 10:31AM0.63m | 10:50PM0.22m | 11:06AM0.74m | 11:24PM0.30m | 11:40AM0.86m | 00:01AM0.39m | ||||||||
7:07 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | |
— | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 |
621 | 545 | 450 | 574 | 661 | 485 | 238 | 310 | 196 | 107 | 85 | 54 | 107 | 206 | 149 | 313 | 341 | 1532 | 1493 | 1123 | 1420 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | — | SE 5 | ESE 5 | S 17 | ESE 6 | SW 14 | ESE 5 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 7 | SW 19 | SW 13 | E 7 | SW 7 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 16 | — | — | — |
36 | — | 5 | 8 | 5 | 55 | 149 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 54 | 44 | 1 | 12 | 234 | 252 | 596 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 5 | SE 5 | S 16 | — | — | ENE 4 | E 6 | E 8 | SW 22 | WSW 19 | SW 18 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 7 | 5 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 590 | 455 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | ESE 4 | — | ESE 5 | — | E 5 | NE 3 | NE 3 | NE 4 | NNE 4 | NW 2 | NW 2 | NW 2 | NW 2 | WNW 3 | W 3 | WSW 14 | — | — | — |
— | — | 16 | — | 8 | — | 37 | 5 | 3 | 26 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4295 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 19 | 33 | 0 | 19 | 33 | 9 | 19 | 19 | 14 | 29 | 29 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 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.











