
Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 18s period, SW swell with 11,327 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 17s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Bells Beach - Bowl this week:
The surf forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 17s period with a secondary swell of 1.1m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bells Beach - Bowl in the next 16 days are 4.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 17s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. Alright, we’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead of us at Bells Beach – Bowl (reef and point). The water’s sitting at 57° with a small anomaly of 1° above average – pretty normal for this time of year, nothing wild.
The week starts slow. Tuesday morning, September 8, sees a clean little 1-foot SW groundswell with 18-second periods and light offshore wind (3 mph). The water’s glassy, and the energy’s moderate (1070). It’s a fun, tidy wave for the experienced crew, but honestly, the real standout this week is Wednesday morning, September 9. We get a jump in size to 8-feet from the SSW with a 16-second period, but the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-shore. That’s lumpy and messy – not the one. By Wednesday afternoon, the swell pushes to 12-feet SW with an 18-second period, and the energy is pumping (14475 – that’s strong wave energy). The wind’s still cross-shore, though, so it’s a bit of a mess. This size is for experts only – too big for beginners.
Thursday the 10th drops back a bit, and the cross-shore wind sticks around, making it rough. Friday the 11th has a moment: morning brings 5-foot SSW swell, 14-second period, and glassy conditions – dead calm. That’s your pick of the first week – clean, long lines, and the energy’s moderate (947). A real treat for a Friday morning session. Saturday the 12th is also worth a paddle: 5-foot SW swell, 15-second period, and clean offshore wind (6 mph) from the NNW. That’s a solid, punchy wave.
Sunday the 13th tapers off, and Monday the 14th drops to a tiny 2 feet – not worth getting wet for. We’ve got a bit of a lull through to Wednesday the 16th, with small, choppy surf.
Now, hold onto your board – the second week brings the real juice. Thursday the 17th has a clean 5-foot SW swell, 16-second period, and light offshore wind (6 mph) from the N. Energy’s moderate (1048). That’s a cracker morning. But the absolute standout of the whole forecast is Saturday morning, September 19. We’re looking at 8-foot SSW swell, 14-second period, and offshore wind (9 mph) from the WNW. The energy is strong (3472), and it’s glassy clean. This is excellent for experienced surfers – powerful, long rides. Too big for beginners, but for the crew who can handle it, this is the one. Monday the 21st is also a ripper: 8-foot SW swell, 17-second period, light offshore wind (6 mph) from the WNW, and energy at 4161. Another strong, clean day for the advanced surfers.
After that, the swell slowly fades through the end of the window, with a final clean morning on Wednesday the 23rd (4 feet, 15 seconds) but chopping up by afternoon. Crowds are “sometimes” a thing here, so you might see a few others, especially on those standout days, but with a point and reef setup, there’s room to spread out.
Keep an eye on that Saturday the 19th and Monday the 21st – that’s where the magic is. Long-range, but promising.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue afternoon, min 9°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Tue morning, fresh winds from the SSW by Wed morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
522 | 1073 | 5123 | 2850 | 11327 | 5555 | 3549 | 2583 | 1447 | 947 | 1441 | 1928 | 1118 | 993 | 929 | 620 | 435 | 255 | 151 | 113 | 86 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:58PM1.56m | 9:09AM1.59m | 8:32PM1.49m | 10:28AM1.62m | 10:16PM1.52m | 11:30AM1.68m | 11:38PM1.64m | 12:19PM1.75m | 00:41AM1.78m | 1:01PM1.80m | 1:32AM1.89m | 1:38PM1.84m | 2:15AM1.97m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:27PM0.98m | 2:00AM0.37m | 3:00PM0.97m | 3:26AM0.45m | 4:31PM0.86m | 4:50AM0.47m | 5:39PM0.68m | 5:58AM0.45m | 6:31PM0.49m | 6:52AM0.44m | 7:14PM0.33m | 7:38AM0.43m | 7:53PM0.21m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 20 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 9 |
346 | 1073 | 1449 | 1454 | 11327 | 5555 | 3549 | 2583 | 1447 | 947 | 1441 | 1928 | 1118 | 993 | 929 | 620 | 435 | 255 | 151 | 113 | 22 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | — | — | S 20 | S 19 | — | S 17 | — | — | — | S 18 | S 16 | SSW 16 | — | S 18 | S 16 | S 15 | NE 4 | SW 20 | SW 6 | SW 13 |
522 | — | — | 377 | 441 | — | 481 | — | — | — | 165 | 78 | 82 | — | 25 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 15 | 5 | 57 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 14 | — | SW 20 | SW 18 |
202 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 15 | 49 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NNW 3 | N 4 | — | WSW 6 | SW 7 |
— | — | 5123 | 2850 | 5296 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 7 | 3 | — | 34 | 86 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 6 | 6 | 630 | 1546 | 6 | 75 | 75 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Torquay | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Bells Beach - Bowl Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Bells Beach - Bowl provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Bells Beach - Bowl can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Bells Beach - Bowl) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Bells Beach - Bowl is 26 km (16 miles) from the city of Geelong. If you plan a holiday in Torquay, look for hotels and other accommodation in Geelong. Geelong has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










