
Surf Forecasts:
Bells Beach - Bowl surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 18s period, SW swell with cross-shore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 18s period, SW swell with 11,327 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 16s 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 (Sep 08) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 5s. 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 4.5m 18s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Tue 8th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 16s |
| Best Surf | 4PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 18s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 15ft (4.5m) 18s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bells Beach - Bowl over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, grab a coffee and settle in, ‘cause I’ve got the full run-down on what’s coming for Bells Beach. This is a solid 16-day window, and there’s plenty to get excited about for the experienced crew.
The biggest story here is the groundswell that’s gonna push through mid-week, starting Wednesday the 9th. It’s a proper pulse of energy from the SW, with a long period, so Bells Bowl is going to be firing. The water temp is sitting at 57°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.
Alright, let’s run through it. Tuesday morning the 8th kicks off with a clean 3ft SW groundswell – 18-second period, cross-off wind, and the wave energy is moderate (1070). It’s a nice, clean start for the experienced surfer, but the real juice is still to come. Tuesday afternoon gets a little lumpy as the wind swings cross-shore.
Wednesday the 9th is where things get serious. The morning is already a solid 8ft from the SSW with a 16-second period, but the wind is a strong cross-shore at 19 mph, so it’s lumpy. The wave energy is strong (4681). But the real standout is Wednesday afternoon: a massive 15ft SW groundswell with an 18-second period. The combined energy is very strong (17064). This is a serious, expert-only swell. The wind is still cross-shore, so it’s not going to be glassy, but for a big wave charger, this is a peak. The size alone makes it only for the experts.
Thursday the 10th hangs on with a solid 8ft SSW swell in the morning, but the wind is cross-shore and it’s not clean. The afternoon gets worse with a cross-onshore wind making it choppy. Not the day to get excited.
Friday the 11th morning is a real gift. The swell has dropped to a very manageable 5ft from the SSW, but the wind is glassy – absolute perfection. The wave energy is still moderate (947). This is a standout session for the experienced surfer who wants the power without the chaos. The afternoon turns onshore from the SE, so get out early.
Saturday the 12th is another beauty. Clear skies, 5ft SW groundswell in the morning and a light cross-off wind. It’s clean. The afternoon is even better: glassy, 5ft SW, and a very clean surface. The combined energy is moderate (993). This is one of the best windows of the whole forecast.
Sunday the 13th is a bit of a comedown – 4ft SW, clean but a bit weaker. The swell drops off through Monday the 14th, with small 2ft waves. The second week starts to build again.
From Tuesday the 15th to Wednesday the 16th, there’s a messy, lumpy cross-shore swell, not worth paddling out for. But then Thursday the 17th morning brings a clean, offshore wind with a 5ft SW groundswell – 15-second period. The wave energy is moderate (848). It’s clean and fun. That pattern continues into Friday the 18th and Saturday the 19th with clean offshore winds and building 4ft to 4ft SW groundswells, all with moderate energy.
The real standout in the second week is Monday the 21st. The morning is glassy, with a 6ft SW groundswell (16-second period) and the wave energy is strong (1631). This is a premium session for experienced surfers. The wind is perfect, the swell is solid. The afternoon goes cross-onshore, so again, the morning is the pick.
Tuesday the 22nd is another clean, offshore morning with a 5ft SW groundswell, 17-second period. Excellent conditions. The rest of the week eases off, with the last entry on Wednesday the 23rd showing a cross-off wind and a 5ft SW groundswell, but the wind is a bit stronger.
So, to wrap it up: If you’re an experienced surfer, the absolute standouts are:
- Friday morning the 11th – glassy, 5ft SSW. Perfect.
- Saturday the 12th – all day, especially the glassy afternoon.
- Monday the 21st morning – glassy, 6ft SW groundswell. That’s a proper session.
For the big wave crew, Wednesday afternoon the 9th is a monster, but only for the brave. The crowds at Bells can be a problem sometimes, so keep that in mind.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 13°C on Tue afternoon, min 9°C on Tue morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Tue morning, fresh winds from the SSW by Wed morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sun morning, min 10°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
522 | 1073 | 5123 | 2850 | 11327 | 5555 | 3549 | 2583 | 1447 | 947 | 1441 | 1928 | 1118 | 993 | 929 | 620 | 435 | 255 | 151 | 113 | 86 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | on | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:58PM1.56m | 9:09AM1.59m | 8:32PM1.49m | 10:28AM1.62m | 10:16PM1.52m | 11:30AM1.68m | 11:38PM1.64m | 12:19PM1.75m | 00:41AM1.78m | 1:01PM1.80m | 1:32AM1.89m | 1:38PM1.84m | 2:15AM1.97m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:27PM0.98m | 2:00AM0.37m | 3:00PM0.97m | 3:26AM0.45m | 4:31PM0.86m | 4:50AM0.47m | 5:39PM0.68m | 5:58AM0.45m | 6:31PM0.49m | 6:52AM0.44m | 7:14PM0.33m | 7:38AM0.43m | 7:53PM0.21m | ||||||||
6:35 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | 6:06 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:08 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 12 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 12 |
Feels °C | 10 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 19 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 20 | SW 18 | SSW 18 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 9 |
346 | 1073 | 1449 | 1454 | 11327 | 5555 | 3549 | 2583 | 1447 | 947 | 1441 | 1928 | 1118 | 993 | 929 | 620 | 435 | 255 | 151 | 113 | 22 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 18 | — | — | S 20 | S 19 | — | S 17 | — | — | — | S 18 | S 16 | SSW 16 | — | S 18 | S 16 | S 15 | NE 4 | SW 20 | SW 6 | SW 13 |
522 | — | — | 377 | 441 | — | 481 | — | — | — | 165 | 78 | 82 | — | 25 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 15 | 5 | 57 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 14 | — | SW 20 | SW 18 |
202 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 15 | 49 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | NNW 3 | N 4 | — | WSW 6 | SW 7 |
— | — | 5123 | 2850 | 5296 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 7 | 3 | — | 34 | 86 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 6 | 6 | 630 | 1546 | 6 | 75 | 75 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
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.










