Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, the next couple of weeks are gonna be a bit of a mixed bag for us, with the real standout window looking like it's a little way off. The main event is definitely building towards the end of this week and into the start of the next, but we've got a few clean, smaller sessions to tide us over first.

We're starting off on Monday the 27th of July with the Bowl (Bells Beach - Bowl). It's a consistent reef and point set-up that handles a SW swell well. To kick things off, we've got a clean, glassy morning with a gentle offshore wind from the NW and a 3 ft SW swell at 11 seconds. Water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty average for this time of year, nothing unusual there. The energy is moderate at 241 units, so it's not gonna blow your socks off, but it's a clean little wave to get the week started. The afternoon sees the wind swing a bit, turning it cross-offshore and making things a little more marginal.

Moving into Tuesday, the swell drops a fraction to 3 ft but the period jumps to 16 seconds. Now that's a proper groundswell, and with a fresh 19 mph offshore from the NNW it'll be clean, but that long period can make the Bowl a bit too straight and fast, especially at this size. The energy is strong at 529. The afternoon builds to a 4 ft SSW swell with a 15-second period and a fresh offshore. Honestly, the forecast is a bit marginal, but it's still clean.

Here's where it gets interesting. Wednesday the 29th of July is the first real standout. The morning is messy with a strong cross-offshore wind, but come the afternoon, things crank up. We're looking at a solid 13 ft SW swell, which is a serious step up. Now, 13 ft is big, and this is an advanced wave on a good day. The period is 14 seconds, which is decent, but the combined swell energy rockets to 9125, which is very strong. The wind is a fresh cross-shore, so it's not going to be glassy, but it's clean enough for the crew who knows what they're doing. This is expert territory for sure, way too big for beginners.

Thursday the 30th of July is another good one. The morning delivers a clean 6 ft SSW swell with a 13-second period and a light cross-offshore breeze from the WNW. The energy is still strong at 952. This is a much more manageable size that still has plenty of punch. It's a great option for strong intermediates. The afternoon bumps up to 8 ft SW with a cleaner cross-off, but that's getting back up into the more challenging range.

After that, the surf settles down through Friday, the 31st and into Saturday and Sunday. We've got smaller 2 ft to 4 ft SW swells with long periods of 16 to 18 seconds. The winds are light and mostly cross-offshore, so the conditions are clean. The energy is moderate, ranging from 334 up to 966. It's not the epic stuff from earlier, but it's perfectly fun, clean surf for logging or a longboard. The long period means the sets will be well-spaced.

Looking ahead, we're onto Monday the 3rd of August and the forecast is pointing to another solid build. The morning has a clean 4 ft SW swell with a moderate offshore wind, feeling very good. But the afternoon is the next real standout of the window. A 10 ft WSW swell at 14 seconds rolls in, with a moderate cross-offshore breeze. The combined swell energy hits 4470, which is very strong. It's another big, powerful day that will have the experts frothing, but like Wednesday, it's not one for the learner crowd. This is a long-range standout, so keep an eye on it, but the signs are promising.

The tail end of the forecast from Tuesday the 4th of August onwards is a bit of a mixed story. There are a few clean morning sessions with 3 ft to 4 ft swells and offshore winds, but a lot of the afternoons get wrecked by onshore or cross-shore winds and the surf quality drops off. The only real blinder in that second week is Sunday the 9th of August. The afternoon session looks excellent for experienced surfers, with a 4 ft SW swell at an 18-second period and a clean cross-offshore breeze, giving strong energy of 1626. The long period will be best on the point here.

So overall, the best bets are the big Wednesday 29th and the big Monday 3rd for the experienced crew, and Thursday the 30th and the afternoon of Sunday the 9th for the well-rounded surfer. Keep an eye on the forecast for that Monday 3rd window; it's a long way out but it's got potential.

Later, Rusty.

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