Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.37° S 144.28° E

Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 pm 26 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Bells Beach - Bowl sea temperature is
13.5°C
0.5° 

Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 16s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 17s period, SSW swell with 1,626 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 27 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 10s period with SSW 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 Thursday (Aug 27) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 13s period with a secondary swell of 0.8m and 10s. 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 17s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Thu 27th Aug)2.5ft (0.8m) 10s
Best Surf10PM (Sun 30th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 16s
Most Powerful 4PM (Mon 31st Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 17s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Righto, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise and look at the next couple of weeks for our stretch of coast. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but there’s some serious juice further down the line. Don’t go getting your hopes up for tomorrow, but keep an eye on the back half of the run.

First up, the first real wave of the window is on Thursday the 27th. It's not big, with a clean 3ft on the face, but that light offshore NW wind is a beauty. It’s clean, but it’s small – more of a grovel than a glory day. The water is sitting at 56°F which is pretty much average for this time of year, so nothing special there.

Friday the 28th shows a bit more push, but that wind swings cross and it gets a bit lumpy. The swell is around 3ft in the morning and 4ft by the afternoon with a stronger SW pulse, but the conditions are marginal. Not the one.

The weekend is a mixed bag. Saturday morning is clean with a light cross-offshore breeze and 4ft of SW swell, but by lunch the seabreeze kicks in and ruins the party with cross-onshore wind. Sunday, the 30th, is the pick of the weekend. A clean 4ft, glassy morning with a light WNW offshore wind, and the energy is building. It’s still not massive, but the surface will be smooth.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. Monday the 31st is a standout. Overnight, a proper groundswell fills in, hitting 5ft with a long 15-second period from the SSW. The energy is jumping in the morning and holding in the arvo. With a light offshore breeze all day, this is the first real taste of what’s to come. It’s still a bit much for beginners, but for the experienced crew, this is where it starts to get fun. This is the one to circle early.

The middle of the following week gets a bit mushy. Tuesday the 1st has fresh offshore winds, but the swell drops back to the 4ft to 4ft range. It’s clean, but the power is down. Wednesday the 2nd is similar, small and clean, nothing to write home about.

Then we get the big push. From Thursday the 3rd into Friday the 4th, it gets proper serious. The swell jumps up to 7ft with a long 15-17 second period, and the energy readings are huge. It’s over the 8ft mark on Friday afternoon, and that’s a serious paddle. If you’re not confident, give it a miss. This is the big swells of the window, but it’s going to be a battle. Kite surfers will be frothing on this, too, given the wind and size.

The weekend of the 5th and 6th is a tale of two halves. Saturday the 5th is excellent – 6ft of SSW swell, with a clean and gentle offshore wind. The energy is still very strong. Sunday the 6th, though, is a write-off. The swell hits 12ft, with the energy going ballistic, but the wind howls at 28-31 mph. It’s just a stormy mess, even if the wind is offshore. Not a surf day for the sane.

Monday the 7th cleans up nicely – 6ft with a moderate offshore breeze and excellent conditions. Solid, powerful, and clean. But the real standout of the second week is Tuesday the 8th. This is the best on offer. We’ve got 8ft to 8ft of long-period SW groundswell, a 16-second period, and a light to moderate offshore wind all day. The energy is massive, but the wind keeps it clean. This is big, powerful, perfect point-break surf. The Bowl (Bells Beach - Bowl) will be handling this beautifully. It's pushing the limits of what’s safe, but for the experts, this is a day to remember.

Wednesday the 9th has another bout of solid swell, around 7ft with some good offshore wind, but it’s a bit more average. Then we start to fade. The 10th is a drop-off back to small, clean conditions. It’s all over by then.

So to sum it up: the window starts slow, gets good on Monday the 31st, then the real muscle shows up from Thursday the 3rd through to Tuesday the 8th. The standout days to book off work are Monday the 31st and especially Tuesday the 8th. That Tuesday is the one where all the elements line up – size, period, wind, and that solid southwest groundswell. It’s going to be firing. The gap after the 10th looks quiet, but the forecasts can change, and they usually do.

Keep it salty.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 14°C on Thu afternoon, min 8°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 9°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the NW by Tue morning).

Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
2
2
3
1
3
2
1
2
3
2
4
4
4
3
2
3
3
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
SSW
10
0.8
SSW
11
0.6
SSW
11
0.6
SW
19
0.8
SW
18
1.2
SW
17
1.1
SW
16
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1
SSW
13
1.3
SSW
13
1.4
SSW
13
1.6
SSW
15
1.5
SSW
15
1.7
SSW
17
1.6
SW
16
1.2
SW
16
1.1
SW
15
1.5
SW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
134
133
88
234
442
812
635
466
476
346
512
610
1209
987
1626
1208
702
574
949
Wind (km/h)
10
WNW
10
NW
5
W
15
WNW
15
W
15
SSW
10
W
10
W
15
S
5
WNW
10
WNW
10
SSE
5
WNW
10
NNW
5
NNW
15
NNW
35
NW
25
NW
20
NW
Wind State
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
on
off
off
glassy
cross-off
off
off
off
High Tide
11:36AM1.55m
10:46PM1.32m
12:19PM1.63m
11:57PM1.42m
12:53PM1.70m
00:50AM1.55m
1:23PM1.76m
1:34AM1.69m
1:52PM1.81m
2:14AM1.81m
2:20PM1.83m
2:52AM1.90m
Low Tide
4:11AM0.61m
5:46PM1.00m
5:20AM0.57m
6:30PM0.86m
6:15AM0.52m
7:03PM0.71m
7:00AM0.47m
7:34PM0.55m
7:40AM0.45m
8:04PM0.40m
8:17AM0.45m
8:34PM0.26m
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:52
6:52
6:50
6:48
6:47
6:46
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:55
5:57
5:57
5:58
5:59
6:00
 mm
1
1
Temp °C
11
13
14
12
13
12
11
12
12
10
13
13
11
16
18
14
20
20
19
Feels °C
9
11
12
10
10
9
9
10
9
8
12
11
10
14
17
11
14
15
13
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  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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