Bells Beach - Rincon Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the 16-day surf outlook for Bells Beach – Rincon.

The overall pattern shows a big pulse of swell hitting this weekend, with a few smaller windows of quality surf scattered through the period. There’s a solid run of surf from now through Sunday, but don’t get too excited about the immediate picture – Saturday morning is a bit of a write-off.

Saturday the 22nd of August starts with a 8ft SW swell, and while the waves have plenty of power, the wind is howling cross-off at 25 km/h. The conditions are marginal, and the wave energy is strong (4119), but it’s not what you’d call clean. Saturday afternoon gets bigger though – 13ft from the SW with a period of 14 seconds and strong energy (8738) – but the cross wind makes it a bit of a mess. This is serious heft for advanced surfers only, and the wind won’t help.

Sunday the 23rd is the standout for the near term. Morning session sees a clean 5ft SW groundswell with a very good 14-second period and a light offshore wind from the NW at only 10 km/h. Wave energy is moderate (1218), but the conditions are glassy and clean. This is excellent quality for experienced surfers. The point break here handles the long period well, so that 14-second swell will shape up nicely. Afternoon keeps the vibe with a 5ft SW swell and a long 16-second period. Crowds are sometimes an issue here at Rincon, and on a Sunday like this you can expect plenty of company, but if you get that early window, you’re golden.

Monday the 24th drops back a notch. Morning has 4ft SW at 14 seconds with a cross-off breeze, and afternoon tapirs down to 3ft. The water temp anomaly is about average for the time of year, so nothing weird there.

Tuesday the 25th is a write-off – onshore wind, marginal surf, low scores. Same for Wednesday the 26th, with small 2ft to 3ft swell and onshore wind. Not worth paddling out.

Thursday the 27th of August shows signs of life. The afternoon looks glassy with light NW wind and a 3ft SW swell at 14 seconds. It’s small but clean, and the conditions are as good as you’ll get for a mellow session.

Friday the 28th brings a decent pulse. Morning has 4ft SW swell with a very long 17-second period and a gentle offshore wind from the WNW at 15 km/h. The wave energy is strong (1062), and the point break will be handling that long period beautifully. Expect clean, lined-up sets for experienced surfers. Afternoon stays clean with 4ft.

From Saturday the 29th of August through to Monday the 31st there’s a mix of conditions. Sunday the 30th sees a jump in size – 8ft SSW swell in the afternoon with an 18-second period – but cross-onshore wind spoils it. That’s expert territory in size, but the wind won’t help.

Now, the best run in the longer range lands on Monday the 31st of August morning. Absolutely glassy conditions, light SSW wind, and a clean 6ft SSW swell at a long 16-second period. Wave energy is strong (1356), and the point break will be handling it with poise. This is a proper stand-out if the forecast holds. Tide could be a factor, but with that wind, it’s worth the punt.

Tuesday the 1st of September has a solid 6ft SW swell in the morning with cross-off wind and moderate energy (1795), but the wind turns ugly in the afternoon. Wednesday and Thursday are small, with Thursday the 3rd afternoon looking clean again – 4ft SW at 15 seconds, light offshore. Friday the 4th of September delivers a standout long-range call: morning has 7ft SSW swell, 15-second period, clean cross-off wind and high energy (1648). This is for experienced surfers only – over 8ft is for experts, but 7ft is still serious on a point break. It’s promising but we’re over a week out, so keep an eye on it.

The final weekend – Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th – rounds out the period with small but clean offerings, nothing stand-out.

The first best opportunity is Sunday morning the 23rd of August. The second is Monday morning the 31st of August. If you’re chasing power and a long period point break, Friday the 4th of September could be the sleeper hit.

Rusty.

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