Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next couple of weeks at Bells Beach – Bowl are looking like a proper mixed bag. There’s some solid groundswell on the way, but the wind and the tide are gonna pick their moments. The water’s sitting at 56°F, which is just about where you’d expect for this time of year, so nothing crazy there. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands for the good stuff, but it’s coming.

The first couple of days are pretty grim. Saturday the 8th has a small 3ft SW swell with a long 16 second period, but it’s just not doing much – weak energy (468) and the wind is cross-off. It’s not worth getting wet for. Sunday the 9th is even worse, dropping to under 3ft with fresh cross-off winds and light rain. We’re going to have to let that one slide completely.

Now, Monday the 10th is where things start to get interesting. We’ve got a jump in the swell to 4ft, but more importantly, the period jumps to 19 seconds. That’s proper groundswell energy, and the combined energy reads 1026 – that’s a solid, moderate push. The morning looks the go, with a gentle cross-off breeze keeping it clean. This is a standout window for the experienced crew. The Bowl loves that long-period SW groundswell, but keep in mind, with a period that long, it might be breaking a bit straight. It’s a reef and point set-up, so it should still have some shape to it, but you’ll want to know your line-up.

Tuesday the 11th sees the swell pick up a bit more, hitting 6ft on the Tuesday morning with a shorter 9 second period. The wind is offshore and moderate, so it should be a bit more powerful but less clean than Monday. This is more of a power session. The afternoon drops back down and gets average.

From Wednesday the 12th through Thursday the 13th, the swell really starts to build. We’re looking at 5ft to 8ft, with the energy climbing way up into the strong range (up to 3636). The period is back to a solid 16 seconds. However, the wind is cross-off and fresh, and the wave comment is calling it marginal due to tide. It’s going to be big and powerful, maybe a bit lumpy. This is for the experts only, no question. With swell over 8ft on Thursday afternoon, this is definitely not a beginner's playground.

Friday the 14th morning is a highlight. Swell holds at 8ft from the SSW, with a 16-second period. The wind drops to a gentle breeze, and it’s cross-off. The energy is still strong (2897), and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is your best window for a proper session on a solid, clean wave. The bowl should be absolutely firing. That’s the pick of the whole run.

After that, things start to taper off. Friday afternoon gets a bit cross and choppy. The weekend sees the swell drop back down to the 6-6ft range, but the wind turns cross-onshore, making it a bit messy. Not ideal.

Next week, from the 17th onwards, it goes small and weak. We’re looking at 2ft to 4ft with energy values dropping way down. The wind is mostly cross-off or offshore in the mornings, and it’s clean, but there’s just not enough push. The period stays long, but the size isn't there. There are a few fun little days, like the 21st and 23rd, where the swell picks up a touch with a very long 18-20 second period, but it’s still small. It’s more of a longboard or a grovel session than anything else.

So, to sum it up: don’t bother with the first few days. The real standouts are Monday the 10th morning for a clean, long-period groundswell, and Friday the 14th morning for the biggest, cleanest swell of the window. After that, it’s all about the smaller, cleaner morning sessions, but nothing that’s going to get your heart racing too much.

Signing off,

Rusty

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