Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’ve got a solid run coming up at Bells Beach – Bowl. This is a classic reef and point setup, exposed to the SW, and it’s going to be a tale of two halves. The first week is all about clean, manageable waves, but the real heavy hitters arrive in the second week.

The water temperature is sitting at 58°, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The action kicks off on Monday, July 6th. The morning is looking sweet with a 4ft SSW swell, a long 14-second period, and a light NNE cross-off breeze. The energy is solid (797), and the conditions are clean. This is a great start. The afternoon gets a bit messier with a cross-on breeze, so aim for the early session.

Tuesday, July 7th, is a standout. The morning is dead glassy with a NE wind at 0 mph. The swell is a clean 4ft from the SW, but look at that period – 17 seconds of proper groundswell. The energy is good (674). This is a perfect window for a point break like Bells, with long, lined-up waves and no wind to mess it up. The afternoon turns a bit onshore, so again, morning is the move.

Wednesday, July 8th, sees the swell building. We’re looking at 4ft in the morning and 5ft by the afternoon, both from the SW with a very long 18-second period. The energy jumps up to 1240 and 1447, indicating moderate to strong wave energy. The wind is a light cross-on, which keeps things reasonable but not perfect. These are still fun waves, but the glassy perfection of Tuesday is the real highlight.

Thursday, July 9th, through Saturday, July 11th, the surf drops off. Thursday morning has a clean 3ft, but the energy is lower (476). By Saturday, the swell is tiny (2ft) and the wind is howling from the north at 15-18 mph. It’s poor out there, and the energy is dropping to 200 and then 119. Sunday, July 12th, is a write-off with strong offshore winds and barely any swell.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. After a quiet spell, the real punch arrives on Monday, July 13th. This is the first big standout. The morning sees a 10ft SW swell, and by the afternoon it’s pumping at 12ft, with a 14-second period. The energy is massive – 4069 in the morning and a whopping 8045 in the afternoon. That is serious wave energy. The wind is a strong offshore from the WNW, keeping the faces clean. This is for experts only. Over 8ft, Bells turns into a proper beast. The offshore wind will be ripping, and it’ll be a challenge just to get in.

Tuesday, July 14th, is a drop-down but still excellent for experienced surfers. The swell is 5ft in the morning with a moderate offshore wind, and the energy is still high (1264). The afternoon has a 4ft, 17-second groundswell, also with a clean offshore wind.

The *second* standout, and the best of the whole forecast, lands on Thursday, July 16th. The morning is a perfect picture. A 12ft SW swell, 15-second period, and a light WSW cross-off breeze at just 3 mph. The energy is bonkers – 9434. The conditions are clean. This is a big, powerful swell hitting a world-class point with almost no wind. It’s a dream scenario for experts who can handle the size. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 13ft, but the wind shifts to a light cross-on, so the morning is the one to circle on your calendar.

The rest of the run into the second week holds more size and energy, but the wind picks up. Friday, July 17th, is back to a manageable 5ft with a clean cross-off, and Saturday, July 18th, holds 6ft waves but with a stronger north wind. By Sunday, July 19th, the wind is a strong 25 mph, making it a messy, windy day, even if the swell is still there. Monday, July 20th, drops off, and Tuesday, July 21st, brings another pulse of 6ft SSW swell with a fresh offshore wind, so the energy is back up (2301), but it’s a windy one.

The Verdict: If you’re an expert, the absolute best session is the morning of Thursday, July 16th. Big, clean, powerful Bells. For the rest of us, the dead-calm morning of Tuesday, July 7th is the pick of the first week, with long, clean lines.

Rusty.

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