Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Well, the Bells Beach Bowl is shaping up as the spot to watch over the next couple of weeks. It’s a classic reef and point that fires on a solid SW groundswell, and we’ve got a run of decent energy coming through.

The water temp’s sitting at the usual for this time of year – nothing wild there. We kick things off on Tuesday the 1st with some smaller stuff. Tuesday morning sees a clean 4ft SW swell with a 16-second period, but the cross-off wind is a solid 16 mph, so it’s a bit raw. The afternoon cleans up with offshore winds on that 3ft SW swell, making for a fun, if not epic, session. The combined energy’s moderate at 448.

Wednesday the 2nd is where it starts to get interesting. Morning brings a clean 5ft SW, with a longer 16-second period and a gentle cross-off. The afternoon bumps up to 5ft, still from the SW, with a 15-second period and clean offshore winds. The energy is solidly moderate – 1065 and 1218 – and the bowl will be offering up some proper lines for the experienced crew. This is the first real standout, with the waves having that long-period grunt and the wind playing ball.

Thursday the 3rd is a different beast. We get a massive pulse of 13ft SW in the morning, a 14-second period, and the combined energy is a powerful 7401. The wind is a fresh cross-off, so it’s going to be big and heavy. This is expert territory only, and even then, it could be a battle. The afternoon drops to a still-juicy 8ft, but the cross-off is still on it. Definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Friday the 4th is a better bet for the advanced crew. A clean 7ft SW with a 15-second period and offshore winds in the morning – the energy is at 1969, and the bowl will be holding that size well. The afternoon gets a bit messy with the cross-off wind coming back in.

Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th have a bit of a wildcard feel. Saturday is blown out by strong cross-off winds as the swell hangs around the 7-8ft mark. Sunday the 6th is the real highlight of this run. Glassy, clean conditions with a gentle offshore wind hitting that 6ft SW groundswell with a 16-second period. The energy is solid at 1787, and the bowl will be offering up consistent, well-shaped walls for the experienced surfer. This is the second standout – a day when it all lines up.

Monday the 7th drops right off to a 2ft glassy morning, but the afternoon is a write-off with strong onshore winds.

Then we get into the next proper swell pulse. Tuesday the 8th sees a big jump to a 7ft SW in the morning, building to a solid 10ft SSW in the afternoon. The swell period jumps to a very long 18 seconds, sending plenty of energy (5410) into the point. This is a serious swell, and with cross-off winds, the Bowl will be a beast for experts. The long period will make it a dream on the point, but the beachies will be breaking straight.

Wednesday the 9th continues the theme with a clean 8ft SW and a 17-second period – excellent conditions for those who know what they’re doing. Thursday the 10th keeps the size at 7ft with clean morning winds, and the energy is still strong at over 3000. Friday the 11th brings another run of clean, offshore conditions on a 7ft SW with a 17-second period.

From Saturday the 12th, the swell starts to ease back. You’ll get clean, offshore conditions on dropping 4ft swell, making for some fun, mellow sessions. Sunday the 13th is a mix: a small 3ft morning with offshore wind, then a messy 10ft pulse in the afternoon with rain.

The second week starts to fizzle. Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are mostly poor, with strong, lumpy cross-shore winds and small, disorganised swell. The run of proper waves is definitely in the first 10 days. For the best on offer, lock in Wednesday morning the 2nd and Sunday morning the 6th – those are the ones to get excited about.

Rusty.

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