Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.37° S 144.28° E

Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 3 pm 24 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Bells Beach - Bowl sea temperature is
13.8° C
0.4° 

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 24 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 29 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 16s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 29 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 16ft (5.0m), 16s period, SW swell with 13,412 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 26 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 11s 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 Sunday (Jul 26) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m 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 5.0m 16s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 29) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 28) at 1AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7AM (Sun 26th Jul)4.5ft (1.4m) 11s
Best Surf 4AM (Wed 29th Jul)16ft (5.0m) 16s
Most Powerful 4AM (Wed 29th Jul)16ft (5.0m) 16s

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


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s comin’ our way. We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the back half of this forecast is where the magic is gonna happen. The first few days are a bit of a write-off unless you’re desperate for a paddle, but then things really start to fire up.

The first real chance to get wet is on Saturday, July 26th. The swell is small at 4.3ft from the SSW, but with a light, clean offshore wind from the WNW on Sunday morning, it’ll be glassy. It’s not going to be a day for heroics, more of a longboard and cruise session.

The real standout in this whole run is Bells Beach – Bowl (reef and point). The consistent, exposed aspect means it’ll soak up the energy. The first big highlight is the morning of Saturday, August 1st. We’ve got a solid 4.3ft SSW groundswell with a period of 16 seconds, which is a long period. That means nice, lined-up waves with plenty of power. The wind is a clean offshore from the NW, so it’ll be smooth and peeling. The combined energy is strong (1307), telling you there’s plenty of grunt behind it. This is for the experienced crew, as the period and power will make it a handful.

The next ripper is Sunday, August 2nd. The swell is a touch bigger at 5.2ft from the SW, and the period stretches to 17 seconds – that’s very long period groundswell. The energy is even stronger (1505 in the morning, 1707 in the afternoon). The wind is offshore in the morning and light cross-off in the afternoon, so it’s going to be clean all day. For a point and reef setup like Bells, this is as good as it gets. The long period will push in some serious, lined-up sets, but it’s definitely for the experts.

Later in the window, there’s a late-breaking possibility on Thursday, August 6th. The morning shows a 3ft swell from the SW with a ridiculously long period of 23 seconds. The combined energy is strong (1451). That’s a very low, long, powerful groundswell. It’ll be incredibly clean with a moderate offshore wind, but it’s a very weird kind of swell. It’s a gamble, but if it lines up, could be a special session.

The water temp is about 57°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so a good 4/3 is your friend.

The first week is a bit of a wait, but the second week has some absolute crackers. The 1st and 2nd of August are the clear standouts. Don’t miss them.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Fri afternoon, light winds from the NW by Sun afternoon).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Mon afternoon, min 9°C on Tue afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Tue afternoon, light winds from the W by Thu morning).

Fri
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
Monday
27
Tuesday
28
Wednesday
29
Thursday
30
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
2
2
4
4
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
5
2
1
4
3
2
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
2.4
SSW
15
2.1
SSW
14
3.5
SW
13
3
SW
12
1.5
SSW
12
1.3
SSW
11
1.1
SW
11
1
SW
10
0.9
SW
11
0.8
SW
11
1
SW
14
1.2
SW
13
1.1
SW
12
3
SW
16
2.5
SSW
16
2.1
SSW
15
1.7
SSW
14
1.4
SSW
13
1.2
SSW
13
1.1
SSW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2479
1710
3586
2386
636
403
263
216
179
153
390
495
319
3970
3245
1860
1048
640
430
421
Wind (km/h)
25
W
25
WNW
20
WSW
20
W
20
W
15
WNW
10
WNW
10
NW
15
N
25
NNW
30
NNW
25
NW
30
WNW
30
SW
20
SSW
15
SSW
10
WSW
10
W
10
W
15
WNW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
High Tide
6:02PM1.61m
7:41AM1.55m
6:37PM1.52m
8:44AM1.51m
7:19PM1.43m
9:57AM1.51m
8:17PM1.36m
11:09AM1.55m
9:38PM1.32m
12:07PM1.63m
11:00PM1.33m
12:51PM1.71m
00:08AM1.38m
Low Tide
00:50AM0.38m
1:11PM1.00m
1:35AM0.44m
2:12PM1.09m
2:29AM0.49m
3:35PM1.13m
3:34AM0.51m
5:06PM1.10m
4:41AM0.50m
6:14PM1.02m
5:41AM0.46m
7:02PM0.92m
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:31
7:30
7:28
7:28
7:26
7:26
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:27
5:28
5:28
5:29
5:30
5:30
5:31
 mm
2
1
2
1
Temp °C
12
12
13
14
11
14
14
13
16
15
13
12
12
11
12
12
11
12
12
11
Feels °C
6
9
7
10
7
11
12
11
11
10
6
6
5
4
7
7
7
9
9
7
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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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