
Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 5 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 17s period, SW swell with 1,774 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 13s 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 (Aug 05) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.3m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 14s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s is also forecast. 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 1.8m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 13s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Mon 10th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, it’s Rusty. Mixed bag coming up, but some serious windows if you’re patient. Water temp is around 57°F, which is about average for the time of year.
We start slow. Tuesday the 4th is average, a couple of weak clean ones. Wednesday the 5th has a touch more size but the period drops – it’s jumbled. Thursday the 6th is tiny. Save your energy.
Things move on Friday the 7th. Morning is clean, but the arvo is the one: glassy, no wind, and a solid 3ft of long-period SW groundswell. That’s a nice session. Saturday the 8th follows up clean. Sunday the 9th is a washout – strong winds, numbers drop. Monday the 10th picks back up, and the afternoon sees a solid 6ft pulse. Tuesday the 11th stays in the mix, but wind picks up again.
Now for the good stuff. Wednesday the 12th sees the swell jump to nearly 7ft. It’s getting big. But Thursday the 13th morning is huge – a massive 16ft of SW swell. Too big even here. The afternoon backs off to a still-chunky 8ft, the perfect size for the experienced crew. That afternoon, and Friday the 14th – with 7ft and light offshore winds – are your best bets. Swell direction is spot on for Bells-Beach-Bowl, the period is a long 16 seconds, and it’ll be clean as a whistle.
Saturday the 15th keeps the quality with 8ft in the morning, still one for the experts. The second week eases off – the 16th, 17th and 18th are smaller but still clean, and the 19th ends with another 4ft pulse. Beginners should wait until it drops below 5ft; the big days are not for the faint-hearted.
Overall, the standouts are Thursday the 13th afternoon and Friday the 14th. Big, clean, and proper.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 13°C on Wed morning, min 8°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 18mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 9°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri afternoon, strong winds from the NNE by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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 12 | SW 12 | SW 10 | SW 8 | SW 14 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
409 | 542 | 624 | 291 | 1048 | 147 | 203 | 201 | 209 | 480 | 427 | 588 | 574 | 603 | 415 | 248 | 121 | 326 | 1159 | 1722 | 1297 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | off | off | off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 3:22PM1.87m | 3:50AM1.75m | 3:48PM1.85m | 4:31AM1.80m | 4:16PM1.83m | 5:15AM1.81m | 4:48PM1.80m | 6:04AM1.79m | 5:24PM1.75m | 7:02AM1.74m | 6:09PM1.69m | 8:12AM1.69m | 7:06PM1.62m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:40PM0.35m | 9:45AM0.51m | 10:11PM0.26m | 10:22AM0.60m | 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 | ||||||||
7:22 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:20 | — | — | 7:18 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:16 | — | — | 7:15 | — | — | |
— | 5:36 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:38 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:40 | — | |
mm | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 2 | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 7 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 4 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 16 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 19 | SW 17 | SW 16 |
409 | 119 | 192 | 145 | 50 | 37 | 203 | 201 | 209 | 480 | 427 | 588 | 574 | 603 | 415 | 248 | 121 | 326 | 1159 | 1710 | 1297 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | S 16 | SW 12 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | S 8 | S 7 | SW 18 | SW 6 | SW 19 | WSW 5 | — | SE 16 | — | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 21 | WSW 11 | SW 17 | S 16 |
67 | 5 | 50 | 107 | 167 | 106 | 12 | 3 | 197 | 9 | 183 | 2 | — | 10 | — | 12 | 96 | 160 | 335 | 1722 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 16 | — | SW 15 | SW 20 | S 5 | SW 17 | SW 7 | S 8 | E 10 | S 8 | SW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 25 | NE 5 | — | S 18 | — |
5 | — | 55 | 98 | 17 | 147 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | 4 | — | 55 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 3 | SW 12 | SW 10 | SW 8 | SW 14 | — | — | WNW 3 | WNW 2 | NW 3 | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | NNE 4 | NNE 6 | NW 4 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | NNE 4 |
3 | 542 | 624 | 291 | 1048 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 32 | 138 | 12 | 23 | 8 | 13 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 29 | 103 | 103 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Torquay | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
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.











