Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 14s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 14s period, SW swell with 1,811 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 11s period with SSW 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m 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 2.1m 14s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sun 30th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 14s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty, and here’s the surf picture for Bells Beach – Bowl.
We’re starting off slow, but don’t let that fool you. From Thursday 27 August, we’ve got a bit of clean, small swell on offer. Thursday morning sees a 0.8m (3ft) SSW swell with an 11-second period, and light offshore northwesterlies keeping it glassy. The combined swell energy is moderate at 202, and water temp is sitting at 14° (56°F), which is about average for this time of year. Thursday afternoon stays clean with a 0.6m (2ft) swell and glassy side-offshore winds. Not big, but it’s a nice warm-up.
Friday 28 August has a bit more push – 0.8m (3ft) SW swell in the morning, but with a very long 18-second period (groundswell). That kind of period can make the waves a bit roly-poly and the sets more spread out, but it’s still clean with a cross-offshore breeze (681 energy). The afternoon turns messy with a cross-onshore wind, so don’t get too excited there.
Saturday 29 August is a solid morning – 1.1m (4ft) SW swell, 14-second period, clean with cross-offshore WNW winds (466 energy). The afternoon sees the swell jump to 2.1m (7ft), but the wind goes cross-onshore, so it’s not as clean. Still, the morning is worth a look.
Sunday 30 August has a nice 1.4m (5ft) SSW swell with a 13-second period, clean cross-offshore westerlies, and moderate energy at 745. This is a good, surfable day.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Monday 31 August is the standout. Morning: 1.5m (5ft) SSW swell, 14-second period, offshore NW wind, and a strong 1134 energy. The water’s still clean and the surf is excellent for experienced surfers. Afternoon: 1.6m (5ft) SW swell, 15-second period, and glassy conditions – that’s as good as it gets. The swell direction is perfect for this reef and point setup, and the wind is off or glassy all day. This is the best window in the first week.
Tuesday 1 September sees a drop in size and a stiff 30-35 km/h (18-22 mph) NNW wind. The morning is cross-off, the afternoon is offshore, but the swell is only 1-1.4m (4-5ft) and the energy is moderate. It’s clean but not as punchy.
Wednesday 2 September brings back 1-1.5m (5-5ft) SW swell with a 15-second period and moderate cross-offshore winds – clean and steady (925-1076 energy). Thursday 3 September has a bit more size: 2-1.9m (6-6ft) SW swell, 14-second period, and moderate offshore winds. It’s clean but the wind is a bit stronger.
Friday 4 September is another standout. Morning: 1.9m (6ft) SW swell, 15-second period, offshore NW wind at 25 km/h (16 mph), and 1486 energy – excellent for advanced surfers. The afternoon holds at 1.7m (6ft) with the same wind. This is a great run of clean, solid swell.
The second week has some promising moments but less certainty. Saturday 5 September is smaller (1-1.4m, 4-5ft) with fresh offshore winds. Sunday 6 September morning has gentle offshore winds and a 1.3m (4ft) SW swell – clean and fun (609 energy). But watch out for Sunday afternoon: a big 3.5m (12ft) SW swell hits with cross-onshore wind, and the energy is massive at 6995. That’s expert-only territory, and the wind isn’t helping.
Monday 7 September has a cross-onshore morning with 2.2m (7ft) swell, but the afternoon glassy with 2.1m (7ft) SW swell – a potential redemption if the wind stays calm. Tuesday 8 September is mostly windy and small, but the afternoon sees a huge 3.5m (12ft) SW swell with 7097 energy and cross-offshore winds – again, only for experts.
Wednesday 9 September is a serious day: 2.4m (8ft) SW swell, 17-second period, offshore winds, and 3156 energy. The afternoon is even better with 2.4m (8ft) and 16-second period, offshore winds, and 3019 energy – excellent for experienced surfers. Thursday 10 September continues with 2.1m (7ft) SW swell, 15-second period, and offshore winds – clean and strong (2146 energy). Friday 11 September wraps it up with 2-2.2m (7-7ft) SW swell, 16-second period, and gentle offshore winds – a solid finish.
Overall, the best waves are on Monday 31 August and Friday 4 September, with clean, offshore winds, good swell size, and perfect direction for Bells Beach – Bowl. The second week has some big, expert-level swell, but the wind is more variable. If you’re an experienced surfer, get ready for some epic sessions.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 8°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 7°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon morning, fresh winds from the NNW by Tue afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | SSW 11 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 133 | 90 | 234 | 442 | 907 | 480 | 466 | 1811 | 465 | 630 | 711 | 1162 | 961 | 1133 | 1239 | 860 | 558 | 677 | 1028 | 844 | 701 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | off | glassy | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 11:36AM1.55m | 10:46PM1.32m | 12:19PM1.63m | 11:57PM1.42m | 12:53PM1.70m | 00:50AM1.55m | 1:23PM1.76m | 1:34AM1.69m | 1:52PM1.81m | 2:14AM1.81m | 2:20PM1.83m | 2:52AM1.90m | 2:48PM1.85m | 3:31AM1.96m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:46PM1.00m | 5:20AM0.57m | 6:30PM0.86m | 6:15AM0.52m | 7:03PM0.71m | 7:00AM0.47m | 7:34PM0.55m | 7:40AM0.45m | 8:04PM0.40m | 8:17AM0.45m | 8:34PM0.26m | 8:53AM0.47m | 9:06PM0.15m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | — | 5:55 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:57 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:59 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:00 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
Feels °C | 11 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 133 | 90 | 181 | 235 | 907 | 480 | 466 | 469 | 465 | 630 | 711 | 1162 | 961 | 1133 | 1239 | 860 | 558 | 677 | 1028 | 844 | 701 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 19 | SW 18 | SE 10 | SSW 5 | — | E 9 | SW 22 | SW 20 | SW 19 | S 16 | SW 20 | SW 19 | S 16 | SSW 15 | W 5 | — | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | — |
| kJ | 54 | 69 | 234 | 442 | 4 | 17 | — | 2 | 18 | 60 | 95 | 76 | 138 | 361 | 43 | 76 | 2 | — | 48 | 81 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 12 | SW 21 | S 10 | SE 11 | — | — | — | S 23 | SW 22 | S 13 | — | — | S 14 | S 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 15 | 71 | 17 | 4 | — | — | — | 11 | 73 | 55 | — | — | 35 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | NW 4 | NNW 4 | WSW 6 | WNW 3 | NW 3 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1811 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 24 | 9 | 90 | 1 | 2 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 535 | 394 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 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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