Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty. We've got a solid run of surf on the table here, so let's get straight into it. The standout is the Sunday the 30th of August, but there's plenty to keep you busy before and after.

The forecast kicks off this Sunday the 23rd of August with a beauty. Bells Beach – Bowl (reef and point) is waking up to a clean 5ft SW swell with a long 14-second period. The wind is light and offshore from the NW, so you're looking at clean, lined-up waves. The water's sitting at 56°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. The combined energy is pumping at 1218, so there's real grunt behind it. This is an advanced wave, and it's consistent, so expect a few others out there but it's far from crowded. That afternoon, the swell bumps up a touch to 5ft, the period stretches to a very long 16 seconds, and the wind stays offshore from the WNW. The energy jumps to 1735. This is a true groundswell, and at a point like Bells, those long lines will reel down the point beautifully. Sunday is the best early call.

Monday the 24th sees a drop in size. The morning is 4ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, and a cross-offshore breeze keeps it clean. The afternoon is similar at 4ft from the SW. There's a bit of cloud around, but the surf is still very good. Tuesday the 25th is a mixed bag. The morning brings onshore SE wind and rain, making it marginal. The afternoon looks better, with a cross-offshore W breeze and light rain, cleaning up the 4ft SW swell. Wednesday the 26th is a big one. The swell jumps to 8ft from the SW with a 14-second period, and energy is a massive 2508. That's a lot of water moving. But the wind is a cross-offshore 12 mph, creating a bit of a cross-chop by the afternoon. This is only for the experienced crew; beginners will be in over their heads. Thursday the 27th drops right back to a tiny 3ft, but with a clean offshore NW wind, it'll be a fun little wave for a longboard.

Now, the real standout is Sunday the 30th of August. The morning session is firing. 8ft of SSW groundswell with a very long 18-second period, and the energy is a staggering 4617. The wind is a light cross-offshore breeze from the W. This is big, powerful, and clean. It's a proper expert-only day. That afternoon, the size holds at 8ft, but the wind swings onshore, putting a bit of chop on the face. The Monday the 31st is still a ripper, with a 6ft SSW swell and a 15-second period under a moderate offshore NW wind. The energy is 1288, and it's clean. The first week is a solid run.

The second week is a bit more unsettled. Tuesday the 1st of September brings a 4ft to 6ft SW swell with a moderate cross-offshore breeze. It's still surfable. Wednesday the 2nd is smaller, around 3ft, with a clean offshore wind. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th of September look promising again. Thursday afternoon has 7ft from the SW with a 15-second period and a clean offshore WNW wind, giving us 1971 energy. The Friday morning is 6ft from the SW with a 17-second period, also under a clean offshore breeze. That's a solid end to the run. Saturday the 5th of September has a 6ft SSW swell but with a fresh 22 mph offshore wind, which will have some serious power. The final days, the 6th and 7th, drop off with onshore or cross-shore winds and smaller swell, so the quality fades.

The absolute best of the lot is the Sunday the 30th of August morning. The swell is big and powerful, the period is very long, and the wind is light. It's a true stand-out session. The next best is that Sunday the 23rd of August afternoon, with the long period groundswell and clean conditions. Keep an eye on Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th of September – those are promising but still a bit further out, so less certain.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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