Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got one spot on the radar for this 16-day stretch, and it’s a beauty – Bells Beach – Bowl (reef and point). The water temp is sitting at 56.7°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year, no major surprises there.

The window starts off a bit ordinary. Friday the 11th is a write-off: 5.6ft SSW swell, but that cross-on wind from the south just messes it up – feels like a waste of some solid energy (1314 combined energy). By Saturday the 12th though, things flip. Morning brings 5.6ft SSW swell, with a light cross-off breeze from the north-northeast, and it’s clean. Afternoon gets even better – 4.6ft SW swell, glassy, light north wind, cross-off. That’s your early standout: Saturday afternoon, small but clean, the kind of session where you can relax into the rhythm.

Sunday the 13th has dropping swell – 3.6ft to 3.3ft – but the wind turns offshore from the northwest in the afternoon, so it’s clean if you’re after some fun little waves. Monday the 14th is tiny and ordinary, not worth the paddle.

Now, hold onto your board – Tuesday the 15th sees a big pulse of 9.8ft SW swell (5874 combined energy). That’s serious power. But the wind is cross-off from the west-southwest in the morning, and by afternoon it’s a cross-shore 18.6 mph from the southwest, making it lumpy. This is expert-only territory – the size is massive for Bells, and only those with real experience should be out there. Wednesday the 16th stays big at 6.9ft, but the south wind is cross-on, choppy, not great.

Thursday the 17th brings a sweet window: morning and afternoon both glassy, 4.9ft to 4.6ft SSW swell. That’s clean, workable, and the energy is moderate (961 to 827). If you’re looking for a calm, quality session mid-week, that’s your best bet in the first week.

The second week has a couple of blips. Monday the 21st is the real standout of the whole forecast: 8.2ft SW swell with a 19-second period (4575 combined energy), light north wind, cross-off, clean. That’s long-period groundswell, which at a reef and point like Bells means long, peeling walls – but the sets will be spaced out, so pick your moments. This is for experienced surfers only, given the size. Tuesday the 22nd has a smaller, clean 4.9ft SW swell with a light offshore from the west-northwest, still very good. Then Saturday the 26th rounds things out with 4.6ft to 5.2ft SW swell, offshore wind, clean – another solid option.

There’s a quiet patch around the 19th and 20th, and again late in the month, but overall Bells has a lot of life in this window. The Saturday the 12th afternoon glass-off and the Monday the 21st groundswell are your two true standouts. Crowds are possible here, so keep an eye on the lineup.

Stay safe, keep your wax warm.

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