Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead, but it’s a bit of a slow starter. The first real action kicks off on Friday the 4th of September, so there’s a bit of a wait from now. Let’s get into it.

The main event is Bells Beach - Bowl, a reef and point setup that’s known for handling the big stuff. On Friday afternoon the 4th, we’re looking at a solid 7ft swell from the SW, with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, and with a light NNW offshore breeze at 9 mph, the conditions are clean and lined up. The combined swell energy is strong at 2299, and water temp is 57° – about average for this time of year. This is the standout of the whole period, and it’s a ripper for experienced surfers.

Saturday morning the 5th brings a drop to 5ft, still SW, but that NW wind is howling at 22 mph – it’s offshore but fresh, making it tricky. Not the best. By Sunday the 6th, the swell is down to 4ft, but the wind is light and cross-offshore, keeping things clean. It’s smaller but still fun.

There’s a lull mid-week, with Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th seeing smaller, messy conditions. But Tuesday morning the 8th throws up a surprise: 3ft with a 18-second period, NW offshore at just 3 mph – glassy, clean, and the combined energy is 1014. That’s a sneaky good session.

Wednesday the 9th gets big – 12ft from the SW with a 19-second period. That’s a massive groundswell, and while the wind is cross-onshore, the energy is off the charts at 16752. This is strictly for experts only, and it might be too big even for the Bowl. The swell is predicted to be too big for the break.

Thursday the 10th and Friday the 11th see dropping swell, but the wind is cross-onshore and choppy, so not worth paddling out.

Then, on Saturday the 12th – a real highlight. Glassy conditions with ESE wind at 3 mph, and a 6ft SSW swell with a 16-second period. Combined energy is 1367. This is clean, powerful, and perfect for experienced surfers. The wind is light and glassy, so it’s going to be smooth.

Sunday the 13th offers more clean 4ft SW swell with a 16-second period, and light cross-offshore winds. Good, consistent waves.

The second week tails off. From Monday the 14th through to Thursday the 17th, the swell drops below 3ft, with onshore winds and choppy conditions. Not much to get excited about.

But then, Saturday the 19th – the last day of the forecast – gives us a bonus. Glassy conditions with a 6ft SW swell and a 19-second period, combined energy at 3643. That’s a long-period groundswell with clean, glassy surface. It’s promising, but it’s far out, so don’t set your watch by it.

The best of the bunch is Friday the 4th at Bells Beach - Bowl – that 7ft SW groundswell with offshore winds is a no-brainer. Saturday the 12th is a close second with that glassy perfection.

Rusty.

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