Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 1 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 2 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 3 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 14s period, SW swell with 7,092 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 2 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 15s 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 Wednesday (Sep 02) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 18s. 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 14s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 03) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 05) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Wed 2nd Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 16s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 3rd Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 14s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the pipe for the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a slow start. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd are looking pretty average – the swell is there, but the conditions are just marginal, with a stiff cross-off breeze making it tricky. Not the kind of thing you’d rush out for. The real action starts to build on Friday the 4th.
Friday morning at Bells Beach - Bowl is where things get interesting. We’ve got a solid 7ft SW groundswell pumping in with a long 16-second period, and the wind is swinging offshore from the NW. The energy is solid (2356), and it’s going to be clean with that offshore breeze. This is a standout for the experienced crew – that bowl is going to be reeling. The afternoon stays clean with a light offshore, still holding 7ft.
Saturday the 5th gets a bit wild. The wind picks up hard, and the swell gets lumpy. Sunday the 6th offers a nice reprieve though. The morning is clean with a light breeze and a 5ft SW swell, but the real gem is the afternoon. Glassy conditions, 4ft SW groundswell, and the energy is moderate (700). That’s the kind of session you dream about – clean, smooth, and a little bit of push.
Monday the 7th is a major drop-off. The swell fades, and by the afternoon it’s onshore and messy. Not worth a paddle.
Now, there’s a good window again on Tuesday the 8th. We’ve got a very long-period 18-second SW groundswell coming in at 4ft, with glassy conditions in the afternoon. The energy is building (841). The water temp is about average for this time of year, so a spring suit will be fine.
Wednesday the 9th and Thursday the 10th are a write-off. Strong onshore winds and big, messy swell. The 15ft stuff on Thursday is just dangerous and blown out – stay out of the water unless you’re a kite surfer. It’s a mess.
Friday the 11th is still a bit average, but by Saturday the 12th, we’re back in the game. The morning is glassy, with a 4ft SW groundswell and a 16-second period. The energy is moderate (1010), and it’s clean. That’s a solid morning session.
The following week shows a bit of promise. Tuesday the 15th is looking iffy, but Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th are where the long-range outlook gets interesting. Both days show clean conditions, a 5-6ft SW groundswell, and long periods (15-17 seconds). The energy is moderate to strong (1118-1784). This is a bit far out, so take it with a grain of salt, but it’s looking like a good finish to the run.
The standout of the whole 16 days is Friday the 4th – that’s your best bet for quality, size, and clean conditions. The Sunday afternoon glass-off on the 6th is a close second for pure clean fun. The long period swells at Bells are a good thing – that point and reef setup handles it beautifully.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 15°C on Wed morning, min 8°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 15°C on Fri night, min 9°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Sat afternoon, calm by Sun morning). | ||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | ||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 20 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||
293 | 1065 | 1135 | 1140 | 1500 | 7092 | 2794 | 2314 | 2270 | 1672 | 1297 | 4470 | 4865 | 928 | 639 | 323 | 167 | 103 | 309 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | off | glassy | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:52AM1.90m | 2:48PM1.85m | 3:31AM1.96m | 3:17PM1.85m | 4:11AM1.96m | 3:49PM1.84m | 4:54AM1.92m | 4:24PM1.81m | 5:42AM1.84m | 5:04PM1.75m | 6:38AM1.73m | 5:53PM1.66m | |||||||
Low Tide | 8:53AM0.47m | 9:06PM0.15m | 9:29AM0.52m | 9:40PM0.08m | 10:05AM0.60m | 10:18PM0.05m | 10:44AM0.69m | 11:00PM0.07m | 11:26AM0.80m | 11:48PM0.15m | 12:18PM0.90m | 00:47AM0.26m | |||||||
— | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
— | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:02 | — | — | 6:04 | — | — | 6:05 | — | |
mm | 4 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SE 6 |
293 | 1065 | 1135 | 1140 | 1500 | 2114 | 2794 | 2314 | 2270 | 1672 | 1297 | 2455 | 1338 | 928 | 639 | 323 | 167 | 103 | 67 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | S 16 | — | — | — | S 16 | — | NE 4 | — | — | — | — | WSW 18 | SW 12 | ESE 4 | SSW 21 | SW 20 |
150 | 96 | 85 | 122 | — | — | — | 42 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 61 | 37 | 10 | 43 | 309 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 7 | SW 14 |
4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 125 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 3 | — | — | NW 3 | W 3 | SW 14 | WNW 3 | — | — | NNW 3 | WNW 4 | SW 13 | WSW 13 | — | — | E 3 | E 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 |
1 | — | — | 6 | 6 | 7092 | 6 | — | — | 5 | 30 | 4470 | 4865 | — | — | 2 | 24 | 19 | 90 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 523 | 524 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 19 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Torquay | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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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.











