
Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 12s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 16s period, SW swell with 9,782 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 21 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 14s 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 (Jul 21) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 14s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bells Beach - Bowl in the next 16 days are 4.5m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Tue 21st Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 12s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 15ft (4.5m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the Bells Bowl stretch.
Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands. The first few days are tiny, with clean but small waves around 2ft to 3ft on Tuesday and Wednesday. It’s surfable, sure, but nothing to get excited about. The real show starts to build on Thursday the 23rd. That’s when a solid pulse of SW groundswell rolls in, pushing 12ft in the morning with a period of 14 seconds. The wave energy is strong (6412), and while the wind is cross-off, it’s a fresh 16 mph, so it’ll be a bit lumpy. This is big, powerful stuff – definitely for experienced surfers only. The afternoon drops to 10ft but the wind picks up to 19 mph, making it a real handful.
Friday the 24th is a standout. The swell drops a touch to 8ft, but it’s swinging more south-southwest with a very long 16-second period. That’s proper groundswell, and at Bells, those long lines will wrap in beautifully. The wind is cross-off all day. The morning session is the pick, with moderate breeze but clean faces. The wave energy is still very strong (3392). This is the day for the advanced crew who know the Bowl.
Saturday the 25th sees another pulse, back up to 12ft, but the period drops to 12 seconds, making it a bit more raw and less refined. Still, with cross-off winds, it’ll be a beast of a day for the big-wave chargers. Sunday the 26th drops right back down to 4ft, so you’ll be hunting for the sets.
Looking further out, there’s an interesting window at the end of the month. On Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st of July, we’ve got glassy conditions with a light offshore breeze in the mornings. The swell is a consistent 5ft to 6ft from the SSW with a 14 to 15-second period. The wave energy is moderate (1038 to 1459). This is clean, lined-up surf that’s still got some push. It’s not the big stuff, but for a morning session with no wind, it’ll be worth the paddle.
The water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so don’t forget the booties.
The absolute standout is Friday the 24th of July. The combination of a solid 8ft SSW groundswell with a very long 16-second period and clean cross-off wind is about as good as it gets for Bells. The Bowl will be offering up some proper, long walls. For the second week, Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st of July mornings are the highlight, with glassy conditions and clean, fun-sized waves. It’s a promising run, but keep an eye on the wind closer to the day.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 7°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 13°C on Sat morning, min 9°C on Fri morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 10 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
317 | 246 | 108 | 144 | 202 | 1227 | 4912 | 2944 | 9524 | 3392 | 2207 | 1516 | 3207 | 2987 | 722 | 393 | 223 | 129 | 537 | 1163 | 4936 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 4:26PM1.92m | 5:13AM1.75m | 4:59PM1.82m | 6:00AM1.69m | 5:30PM1.72m | 6:48AM1.62m | 6:02PM1.61m | 7:41AM1.55m | 6:37PM1.52m | 8:44AM1.51m | 7:19PM1.43m | 9:57AM1.51m | 8:17PM1.36m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:20AM0.48m | 10:53PM0.23m | 11:01AM0.63m | 11:32PM0.26m | 11:41AM0.76m | 00:10AM0.32m | 12:23PM0.89m | 00:50AM0.38m | 1:11PM1.00m | 1:35AM0.44m | 2:12PM1.09m | 2:29AM0.49m | 3:35PM1.13m | 3:34AM0.51m | |||||||
7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | |
— | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | — | 5:27 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 11 |
Feels °C | 10 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 6 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 12 | SW 12 | SSW 11 | SW 10 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
317 | 246 | 108 | 144 | 202 | 988 | 1500 | 1811 | 3549 | 3392 | 2207 | 1516 | 1108 | 1039 | 722 | 393 | 223 | 129 | 537 | 1163 | 1559 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 11 | E 11 | SW 11 | SW 15 | E 10 | SW 18 | — | — | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 5 | — | — |
2 | 2 | 33 | 34 | 2 | 86 | — | — | 1303 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | 10 | 23 | 1 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | E 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | NW 2 | WNW 3 | WSW 3 | SW 11 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 15 | — | — | WNW 3 | SW 12 | SW 12 | — | NW 3 | NW 2 | NW 3 | NW 4 | NW 4 | SW 13 |
— | — | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1227 | 4912 | 2944 | 9524 | — | — | 8 | 3207 | 2987 | — | 2 | 1 | 5 | 21 | 13 | 4936 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 577 | 535 | 5 | 519 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 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.










