
Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 16s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 11,271 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 7 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 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 Friday (Aug 07) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 7s. 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 5.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Fri 7th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 16ft (5.0m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here, let’s look at what’s ahead for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got one spot on the menu, and it’s a classic.
Right off the bat, the first real action kicks off this Friday, the 7th of August. The Bowl is looking clean with a nice 4ft SW groundswell rolling in. The period is a very long 16 seconds, and combined energy is moderate at 576. A light offshore breeze from the WNW is going to have those lines looking glassy. It’s a reef and point setup, so that long period will wrap in nicely. For the advanced crew, this is a solid session, though crowds are possible at Bells.
That quality holds into Friday afternoon with a 3ft SW swell (15-second period) and a cross-off breeze, keeping things clean. The energy bumps up a tick to 636.
Saturday morning gets a bit of a cross-off breeze from the north, and the swell drops a touch. It’s still clean on the surface, but the energy is dropping. The score is lower, so it’s not the standout.
The 9th and 10th are a write-off for quality surfing. The wind gets up, and the swell drops off. On Sunday, it’s a fresh breeze and small junky waves. Monday the 10th sees a big spike in energy (1147) with a 4ft SW swell at 19 seconds, but a fresh breeze is making it messy. That’s a lot of raw power, but not surfable for the average punter.
Now, look out for Thursday the 13th. Thursday morning sees a solid 8ft SW swell at 16 seconds. The energy is strong (2712), but it’s a cross-off breeze. That’s big surf – over 8ft, so this is strictly for experts. Thursday afternoon, the swell jumps to 15ft (WSW) with a staggering 11082 energy reading. That is massive. Even with a moderate breeze, that’s a serious, serious swell, but it’s a big-time window for the experienced crew only.
The following week, things settle down. Friday the 14th drops to 7ft, still a good size, with a gentle offshore. There’s a window for the experienced surfer again. The weekend gets smaller and picks up a cross-onshore wind, so it’s not as clean.
The real gem might be further out. On Monday the 17th, we’ve got a glassy morning with a 3ft SW swell. The energy is low (373), but it’s glassy. That’s the pick for a clean, cruisy session for the intermediate crowd.
Then, on Wednesday the 19th, the afternoon looks promising. A 5ft WSW swell at 17 seconds with a gentle offshore wind. The energy is strong at 1668. That’s a clean, powerful wave at Bells. Keep an eye on this one.
The final few days drop off in quality. The 22nd shows a glassy morning with a small 3ft SW swell, a nice way to finish the window if you’re looking for a clean, small-wave session.
Overall, the standout is undoubtedly Thursday the 13th afternoon for the absolute gun surfers. The size and energy are off the charts. For the rest of us, the glassy days on the 17th and the 19th afternoon are the ones to circle. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so you won’t need a steamer if you’re used to it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat morning, min 9°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri afternoon, strong winds from the NNE by Sun morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 14°C on Mon morning, min 8°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | ||||||||||||||
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 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
300 | 546 | 427 | 588 | 492 | 468 | 297 | 192 | 111 | 815 | 1147 | 1062 | 1552 | 623 | 346 | 173 | 728 | 939 | 1524 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:15AM1.81m | 4:48PM1.80m | 6:04AM1.79m | 5:24PM1.75m | 7:02AM1.74m | 6:09PM1.69m | 8:12AM1.69m | 7:06PM1.62m | 9:32AM1.68m | 8:25PM1.55m | 10:50AM1.72m | 9:59PM1.54m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:45PM0.19m | 11:02AM0.70m | 11:24PM0.14m | 11:46AM0.81m | 00:11AM0.13m | 12:38PM0.93m | 1:07AM0.16m | 1:45PM1.02m | 2:14AM0.21m | 3:11PM1.05m | 3:33AM0.25m | 4:42PM0.98m | |||||||
— | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | 7:13 | — | — | |
— | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | — | 5:42 | — | — | 5:43 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 11 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Feels °C | 8 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 21 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 |
300 | 546 | 427 | 588 | 492 | 468 | 297 | 192 | 111 | 815 | 1147 | 1062 | 1552 | 623 | 346 | 173 | 728 | 939 | 1201 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | — | S 16 | — | SW 18 | SW 17 | E 6 | ESE 9 | SE 10 | SW 16 | S 15 | — | SW 19 | — | SW 20 | — |
38 | 25 | 26 | 13 | — | 5 | — | 13 | 76 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 1179 | 17 | — | 89 | — | 373 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | S 16 | SW 19 | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | NNE 4 | N 5 | — | — | — | — | W 5 | — | S 16 | — |
73 | 5 | 183 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 47 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 7 | — | — | — | NE 3 | NE 4 | NE 4 | NE 5 | NE 5 | WNW 3 | WNW 3 | SW 5 | WSW 10 | NNW 3 | NNW 4 | N 5 | WNW 3 | WNW 4 | SW 12 |
75 | — | — | — | 6 | 5 | 17 | 41 | 71 | 3 | 5 | 46 | 1306 | 2 | 19 | 52 | 5 | 14 | 1524 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 185 | 29 | 9 | 236 | 535 | 0 | 329 | 329 | 394 | 521 | 519 | 6 |
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.











