Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 17s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 16s period, SW swell with 1,384 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 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 (Aug 19) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 20s. 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 1.7m 16s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 17s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, Rusty here. The next couple of weeks have some real interest for those who know how to handle a proper reef and point set-up. We’re talking about the Bowl at Bells Beach, and while there’s a bit of a slow start, the back half of the forecast starts to fire.
Overall Pattern:
We’ve got a long period SW groundswell pushing in, with the energy really building from the 22nd onward. The first few days are small and only worth a paddle if you’re desperate, but don’t bother. The real action kicks off next weekend and carries through into the start of September. The water temp is sitting at 56.1°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
Breakdown:
The early part of the week is a write-off from the 18th through the 20th – tiny swell, gusty cross-off winds from the NNE and the water is flat. Don’t bother paddling out, you’ll just get frustrated.
Thursday the 20th sees a tiny 1.3 ft SW swell but with a nice offshore NW breeze in the morning, so it’s glassy and clean. Still, the combined energy is only 135, so it’s weak. You might get a longboard session in, but that’s about it.
Friday the 21st is similar – 2.3 ft to 2.0 ft SW swell, clean but weak energy (302 to 383). It’s surfable but nothing to get excited about.
Now, Saturday the 22nd is where the chart starts to get interesting. The swell jumps to 5.6 ft in the morning from the SW, period of 16 seconds, and the energy rockets up to 1428 – that’s a solid, moderate-to-strong push. The wind is light WNW, and while it’s cross-off, the afternoon conditions get the nod with a 5.2 ft swell, light W wind, and 1167 energy. This is proper reef-swell territory. The Bowl will be handling that long period groundswell beautifully, but keep in mind that with a 16-second period, the sets are widely spaced and it’s going to break a bit straight on a beach, but on that point and reef, it’ll line up clean. This is for experienced surfers only – it’s pushing 5.6 ft, so it’s too big for beginners.
Sunday the 23rd is the standout. Morning sees a 4.6 ft SW swell with a 14-second period, offshore WNW wind at 9 mph, and a combined energy of 1140. That offshore breeze will have the Bowl’s faces smooth, and the afternoon is even better with the same 4.6 ft swell, 16-second period, and a massive 1520 energy. This is excellent, clean surf for experienced surfers. Crowds are sometimes an issue at Bells, so you’ll want to get out early for the dawn patrol.
Monday the 24th is still very good. A morning 3.6 ft SW swell with a moderate offshore NW breeze at 12 mph, energy at 510. The afternoon drops to 3.3 ft but stays clean with a WNW offshore. Not quite as punchy as the weekend, but still a solid session.
From Tuesday the 25th, things get a bit messy. A southerly change brings cross-onshore winds and a lumpy 3.0 ft to 7.2 ft swell, but the wind is off for paddle surfing. The 7.2 ft afternoon on the 25th is big but with a 12-second period and onshore wind, it’s a choppy mess. Kite surfers might have a field day, but it’s not for us paddle guys.
Wednesday the 26th sees a drop back to 3.0 ft SSW swell with cross-off NNE winds, energy low at 315. Dribbly.
Thursday the 27th is a write-off with fresh onshore winds and rain, small swell.
Friday the 28th is poor – south-southwest cross-onshore wind, 3.9 ft swell but choppy and lumpy. Don’t bother.
Now, Saturday the 29th is a beast but tricky. A massive 11.5 ft SW swell rolls in with the period backed to 13 seconds, and the energy is a whopping 5697 – that’s very strong. But the wind is onshore from the SE at only 6 mph, so it’s light but onshore. This is strictly for experts only, and even then, that size at the Bowl with an onshore wind will be a washing machine. Only the
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon morning, min 9°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 12 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
310 | 196 | 109 | 85 | 54 | 78 | 163 | 163 | 224 | 194 | 1042 | 1384 | 1149 | 1254 | 799 | 1001 | 773 | 476 | 390 | 346 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 4:01AM1.89m | 3:51PM1.88m | 4:41AM1.83m | 4:21PM1.80m | 5:20AM1.75m | 4:50PM1.71m | 6:00AM1.66m | 5:19PM1.62m | 6:47AM1.56m | 5:50PM1.52m | 7:46AM1.48m | 6:27PM1.43m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:40PM0.15m | 9:56AM0.52m | 10:16PM0.17m | 10:31AM0.63m | 10:50PM0.22m | 11:06AM0.74m | 11:24PM0.30m | 11:40AM0.86m | 00:01AM0.39m | 12:19PM0.97m | 00:44AM0.47m | 1:11PM1.07m | 1:38AM0.55m | |||||||
— | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:03 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
5:47 | — | — | 5:49 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 12 |
Feels °C | 12 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 12 |
310 | 196 | 109 | 85 | 54 | 50 | 163 | 163 | 224 | 167 | 1042 | 1384 | 1149 | 1254 | 799 | 1001 | 773 | 476 | 390 | 346 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 5 | SE 4 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 7 | SW 18 | S 18 | SW 24 | SW 22 | SW 20 | SW 18 | SW 16 | — | SW 21 | SW 20 | SW 19 |
11 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 54 | 78 | 6 | 6 | 18 | 194 | 6 | 22 | 18 | 97 | 316 | 498 | — | 18 | 16 | 55 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 5 | S 16 | — | — | SE 7 | WSW 9 | E 8 | SW 7 | SW 20 | SW 7 | — | SW 24 | — | — | S 18 | S 16 | — | S 14 | — | — |
7 | 5 | — | — | 2 | 7 | 1 | 17 | 60 | 22 | — | 22 | — | — | 25 | 21 | — | 16 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 3 | NE 3 | NE 5 | NNE 5 | NNW 2 | NW 2 | — | NW 2 | WNW 2 | — | NW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 3 | N 3 | NW 3 | NW 2 |
5 | 7 | 41 | 31 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 19 | 20 | 155 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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.











