Bells Beach - Bowl Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid run of swell coming through the Bells Bowl, so get ready. The first few days are the real deal, then it tapers off into smaller, cleaner—but much weaker—conditions.

The main event kicks off Wednesday, July 15, with a decent SW groundswell. The Bowl is seeing 6ft to 6ft of swell, with a 15-second period, which gives it proper power and shape. The water temp is 57°, which is about average for this time of year. The combined energy is strong (1237), and you’ve got a cross-off wind that’s keeping it clean. This is the pick of the first few days. It’s a solid, clean wave for experienced surfers, and the crowds will be there *sometimes*, but it’s worth it.

Thursday, July 16, is a real standout. The morning has a 6ft SW swell at 15 seconds, with a light cross-off from the W. The energy is pumping (1692). Then Thursday afternoon, the wind drops to glassy conditions with a 6ft SW swell. That’s as good as it gets. Perfect lines, clean faces, and plenty of grunt. This is the best session on offer.

Friday, July 17, stays strong. Offshore NW wind in the morning with 5ft, 16-second swell, and the energy is still high (1331). The afternoon is a bit lighter, but still clean and solid. The combined energy for the whole Thursday-to-Friday block is in the strong range, so expect proper waves.

Saturday, July 18, the swell drops back to 3ft and 3ft, with much lower energy (387 and 250). It’s still clean, but it’s a big step down. The glassy conditions Saturday afternoon are nice, but the waves are small.

From Sunday, July 19, through to the end of the month, the swell is tiny. Mostly 1ft to 2ft, with energy values dropping into the 100 to 250 range. The winds are often offshore or clean, but the waves are just too small for a proper session. The period stays long, but there’s no juice. The water temp stays around average.

There’s a slight uptick on Thursday, July 23, with a 6ft SW swell in the afternoon, but the winds are cross-off and the forecast flags it as marginal. Then on Friday, July 24, we get a 7ft SW swell with a 17-second period—that’s a very long period groundswell, and the energy spikes to 2826. But the wind is cross-shore, so the quality is questionable. It’s a big, powerful swell, but it’s not going to be clean. For the experienced crew, it could be raw, but it’s not the standout.

The run from Wednesday, July 15, to Friday, July 17, is where it’s at. Thursday afternoon is the absolute gem. After that, it’s a long, slow fade into small, clean, but weak surf.

Rusty.

Read more