Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at this forecast for the next couple of weeks. At first glance, it’s a bit of a slow burner, but there’s a ripper hiding in the second week. The early days are small and pretty ordinary, but we’ve got a solid window of clean, offshore swell coming up that’s worth getting excited about.

The first real surf we’ve got on offer is at Bells Beach - Bowl (reef and point). It’s looking a bit average for the first few days. July 25th, Saturday morning, there’s a 12 ft swell from the SW, but it’s messy with a 12 mph cross-offshore wind and a period of 12 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (5132). Water temp is 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so no need to stress about that. The afternoon drops right off to 6 ft, and the wind stays cross-off. It’s a real struggle to get stoked on this.

Sunday July 26th stays small, with 4 ft and 4 ft swells from the SSW and SW. The wind turns light offshore on the Sunday afternoon, with 3 mph from the NNW, which is glassy, but the swell is tiny. Combined energy is weak (274). It’s clean, but there’s not much to ride.

Monday through to Thursday (July 27th to 30th) is a mixed bag. The swell barely cracks 4 ft, and the wind is mostly cross-off or offshore, but the energy is low (under 500). The highlight of this early stretch is Thursday July 30th: a 5 ft swell from the SSW with a 13-second period and a gentle 9 mph cross-offshore breeze. It’s clean, and the guidance says “expect very good surf conditions.” Combined energy is still low (649), but it’s the best of the first week.

Now, Friday July 31st gets interesting. The swell drops to 3 ft from the SSW, but the wind goes glassy (3 mph from the WSW) in the afternoon. Combined energy is low (480). It’s tiny but glassy perfection.

The real standout is Saturday August 1st. This is the one. We’ve got a 5 ft to 6 ft SW groundswell, with a long period of 17 to 18 seconds, and a clean 12 mph offshore breeze from the NW. The combined energy jumps to strong (1219 to 2175). This is what you wait for: clean, offshore, solid groundswell cranking into that famous reef and point. It’s only for experienced surfers due to the size and power, but if you’ve got the skills, this is the morning to be out there. Crowds are possible, so get in early.

The next few days after that drop off hard. Sunday August 2nd gets messy with a cross-onshore wind and poor surf. Monday through Wednesday (August 3rd to 5th) is small and mostly poor, with swells under 3 ft and winds that are either cross-on or offshore but too light. The energy is weak, under 300.

Thursday August 6th to Friday August 7th shows a slow return of clean, offshore swell. Friday August 7th afternoon is a second standout: a 3 ft SW swell with a 16-second period and a gentle 9 mph offshore breeze. The combined energy is moderate (1233). It’s clean, glassy, and the guidance says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is a solid, long-period groundswell that will shape up nicely on the reef.

Saturday August 8th holds some clean, offshore 4 ft SSW swell, but it’s not as punchy. Then Sunday August 9th turns ugly with rain and strong cross-onshore winds, so it’s best to stay home.

Overall, don’t bother with the first week. The two true standouts are Saturday August 1st and Friday August 7th afternoon. Both have clean offshore wind, solid groundswell, and good energy. If you’re an experienced surfer, those are your days.

Rusty.

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