Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.37° S 144.28° E

Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 pm 04 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Bells Beach - Bowl sea temperature is
13.6° C
0.4° 

Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 10 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 17s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 10 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 17s period, WSW swell with 7,368 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 5 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 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 1.4m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 14s. Another secondary swell of 0.6m and 9s 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 3.5m 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 10) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 09) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Wed 5th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 13s
Best Surf 7PM (Mon 10th Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 17s
Most Powerful 4PM (Mon 10th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get stuck into what’s on the cards for the Bells Beach – Bowl.

We’re looking at a bit of a slow start, but don’t go anywhere, because this one builds into something seriously special. The early part of the week is a write-off, with messy, choppy conditions and onshore slop. Hold tight, because things start to turn around by Thursday morning, 6th August, when a clean, gentle offshore NW breeze meets a long-period 2ft SW groundswell. It’s small, but the conditions will be pristine. That gives way to a much better Friday morning, 7th August, with that same NW offshore wind, glassy as it gets, picking up a 3ft SW swell with a very long 16-second period. The energy is moderate (508). For the Bowl, those long-period SW swells wrapping in with offshore wind are what dreams are made of. It’s a prime moment for experienced surfers, though you might have some company – crowds are *sometimes* an issue here.

Now, the real standout. Mark your calendars for Monday afternoon, 10th August. This is the one. We see a jump to an 11ft WSW swell with a 17-second period. The combined energy is absolutely pumping (9082). The wind is a cross-offshore WNW breeze, so it’ll be clean and powerful. That’s big, punchy, expert-only territory. It’s too much for beginners, but for the crew who know how to handle the Bowl’s power, this is a session you won’t want to miss.

We get another pulse Wednesday morning, 12th August, with a huge 13ft SW swell (12,420 energy) and a fresh offshore NW wind. Again, expert-only, but the quality looks incredible. As we move into the second week, the swell settles but stays really consistent. Thursday afternoon, 13th August, offers an 8ft SW swell (3,916 energy) with a nice moderate offshore NW wind – excellent for those who find the 13ft a bit too heavy. Friday and Saturday (14th and 15th August) keep the clean offshore flows and 5ft to 7ft SW groundswells. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a 5mm out of the ordinary.

From the 16th onwards, the size drops back to a more manageable 3ft to 5ft, but the quality holds with offshore winds early on. The very end of the window gets a bit tricky with cross-shore breezes, but the core of the forecast is gold. The only true standouts are that 10th August pulse and the 12th August morning. Get on it.

- Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 13°C on Thu afternoon, min 8°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sun afternoon. 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).

Tue
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
2
1
2
2
1
3
3
3
3
3
2
0
0
0
0
3
8
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.4
SW
12
1.9
SW
10
1.5
SW
8
0.6
SW
14
0.5
SW
17
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.7
SW
18
1
SW
16
1
SW
15
1.1
SW
18
1.1
SW
16
1.1
SW
16
0.9
SW
15
0.7
SW
14
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
21
1.3
SW
19
3.5
WSW
17
1.8
SW
16
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
542
673
284
167
147
203
201
300
480
427
679
567
603
355
200
153
355
1281
7368
1513
Wind (km/h)
25
WSW
15
W
15
WSW
15
WSW
10
NW
15
NW
20
WNW
10
W
5
NW
10
W
10
N
15
N
20
N
30
NNE
40
NNE
40
N
35
WSW
30
WNW
25
WNW
30
NW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
High Tide
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
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
light rain
light rain
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
clear
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:20
7:20
7:18
7:16
7:16
7:15
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:36
5:37
5:37
5:37
5:38
5:39
5:40
 mm
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
3
3
1
2
Temp °C
12
10
12
12
11
11
13
11
13
14
12
17
17
14
11
11
11
11
12
10
Feels °C
7
6
8
8
8
6
9
8
10
11
9
13
13
7
3
2
3
4
6
3
  • Map Icons:
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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