Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 19s period, SW swell with cross-onshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 19s period, SW swell with 10,009 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 14s 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 1.2m 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 4.0m 19s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) 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 Monday (Sep 07) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 19s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 13ft (4.0m) 19s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, mate, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s comin’ our way.
We’re lookin’ at a solid run of swell at the Bowl, but it’s a mixed bag of conditions. The combined energy of the swells is strong to very strong through the first week, with values hitting four and five digits, so there’s plenty of power in the water. Water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The first real standout is Sunday morning, the 6th of September. We’ve got a clean 3ft SW swell, with a gentle cross-off breeze. That’s a beautiful combo for the Bowl—clean lines, not too much juice, just a really fun session. The period is 14 seconds, so there’s some proper groundswell push behind it, but the size keeps it user-friendly. This is the pick of the early window.
Then things get serious. Wednesday the 9th of September morning sees a massive 8ft SSW swell, with a 16-second period and a fresh cross-shore breeze. The combined energy is a monstrous 5155—that’s a lot of ocean moving. This is for experts only. It’s big, powerful, and the wind is lumpy, so it’s gonna be a handful. The afternoon gets even bigger at 13ft SW with a 19-second period, generating 17113 energy. That’s a serious, serious swell, but the wind is cross-onshore and fresh, so it’ll be lumpy and choppy. Kite surfers might be eyeing this one off more than paddle surfers.
Tuesday the 8th of September morning is a sleeper. A 3ft SW groundswell with an 18-second period and a slight cross-off breeze—almost glassy. The combined energy is 1014, so it’s got some grunt for its size, and the clean conditions will make it a joy. That’s worth a paddle.
The second week sees the size drop right off. The highlight is Sunday the 13th of September morning: a clean 6ft SSW swell with a 14-second period and a light cross-off breeze. It’s got that long-period power, and the wind is perfect, so expect lined-up waves at the Bowl. Crowds are sometimes a thing here, so don’t be surprised if you’ve got company.
After that, the swell fades fast. By Tuesday the 15th of September, we’re down to 0.7ft and glassy—practically flat. The last few days of the window are small and mostly poor, with the odd clean 4ft pulse on Friday the 18th of September morning, but nothing to get excited about.
So, the standout: Sunday morning the 6th for the size and clean conditions. The big one: Wednesday the 9th for the massive swell, but only for the brave. And the second-week winner: Sunday the 13th morning for the clean, lined-up waves.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sat morning, light winds from the SW by Sun afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue afternoon, min 7°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, fresh winds from the SW by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 8 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1694 | 1203 | 1019 | 1701 | 248 | 447 | 310 | 364 | 159 | 306 | 522 | 1073 | 1356 | 3834 | 10009 | 6198 | 4530 | 3232 | 2023 |
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 | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:54AM1.92m | 4:24PM1.81m | 5:42AM1.84m | 5:04PM1.75m | 6:38AM1.73m | 5:53PM1.66m | 7:47AM1.64m | 6:58PM1.56m | 9:09AM1.59m | 8:32PM1.49m | 10:28AM1.62m | 10:16PM1.52m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:18PM0.05m | 10:44AM0.69m | 11:00PM0.07m | 11:26AM0.80m | 11:48PM0.15m | 12:18PM0.90m | 00:47AM0.26m | 1:27PM0.98m | 2:00AM0.37m | 3:00PM0.97m | 3:26AM0.45m | 4:31PM0.86m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — |
 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — |
mm | 4 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
Feels °C | 12 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | — | S 7 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 22 | SW 21 | SSW 9 | SSW 13 | SW 17 | SSW 16 | SW 21 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 |
| kJ | 1694 | 1203 | 1019 | — | 143 | 447 | 310 | 18 | 67 | 126 | 290 | 1073 | 1356 | 1031 | 6682 | 6198 | 4530 | 3232 | 2023 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | S 7 | S 7 | — | SW 21 | SW 12 | SW 18 | — | S 16 | S 17 | S 18 | — | S 18 | S 16 | S 15 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 248 | 82 | 15 | — | 69 | 116 | 522 | — | 46 | 290 | 422 | — | 221 | 133 | 161 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SW 12 | S 14 | E 9 | S 13 | S 21 | SW 20 | SW 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 137 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 306 | 202 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 4 | N 3 | WNW 4 | SW 12 | — | S 6 | SW 6 | SW 13 | SSW 8 | — | — | — | — | SSW 16 | SW 19 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 10 | 7 | 14 | 1701 | — | 57 | 95 | 364 | 159 | — | — | — | — | 3834 | 10009 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 2 | 403 | 524 | 294 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 373 | 68 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 630 | 1544 | 5 | 6 | 230 | 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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