
Surf Forecasts:
Bird Rock surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 22 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 13s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 24 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 16s period, SW swell with 2,497 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 18 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 15s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Bird Rock this week:
The surf forecast for Bird Rock over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 18) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 15s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bird Rock in the next 16 days are 2.3m 16s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 24) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Friday (Jul 24) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (AEST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sat 18th Jul) | 4ft (1.2m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 5ft (1.6m) 13s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Fri 24th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 16s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bird Rock over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get straight into the outlook for this spot.
Bird Rock is a reef break that needs a decent swell from the southwest to light up, and we’ve got a bit of a waiting game on our hands. The first week is pretty quiet with small, weak waves, but the good news is the wind looks fantastic almost every day – light offshores or even glassy conditions. The water is sitting at 57°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The whole first week, from Friday the 17th through to Wednesday the 23rd, is a bit of a tease. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3ft, with combined energy levels that are pretty weak (under 400). You’ll get clean, glassy conditions on Saturday afternoon the 18th with a 3ft SW swell and absolutely zero wind – that’s a beautiful, quiet session for a longboard or a fun board, but it’s not going to get your heart pumping. The wind stays light and offshore for most of this period, which is a major positive, but the lack of size holds it back.
The real standout, and the one you want to circle on your calendar, is Thursday the 23rd of July. The morning and afternoon both serve up a solid 6ft swell from the southwest, with a nice long period of 14-15 seconds. The combined energy jumps right up to 1200-1250, so you’re getting proper groundswell power. The wind is a light cross-offshore, which will keep the face clean. This is the best of the window by a long shot. Just be aware, with a 6ft swell at a reef break, this is one for the experienced crew; beginners might find it a bit much.
After that, things get messy. Friday the 24th sees a bigger 7-8ft swell but it’s from the south-southwest with onshore wind, making for choppy, marginal conditions. Saturday the 25th bounces back with a clean 5ft SW swell and moderate offshore wind, giving us another very good day, but the energy isn’t quite as high as Thursday.
The second week runs into stronger winds and a lot of poor surf. Monday the 27th through to Wednesday the 30th of July looks pretty average, with a lot of cross-shore wind and choppy, messy conditions. There’s a big spike in energy on the 30th (over 2700) but it’s 8ft of SW swell with cross-shore wind – that’s a big, bumpy, expert-only situation, and the quality is poor.
The window closes out with a couple of promising sessions on Friday the 31st of July and Saturday the 1st of August. The 31st has a 4ft SW swell in the morning with light cross-offshore wind, and by the afternoon, the wind goes completely glassy for a 4ft swell. That’s a lovely, clean end to the run. The 1st of August is similar but with a bit more wind.
So, to sum it up: Thursday the 23rd of July is the clear winner – proper size, good period, clean wind. If you can’t make that, the glassy afternoon on Friday the 31st is a great second choice. The rest is a mix of small clean waves or bigger, messy ones.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 14°C on Sun afternoon, min 10°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Tue afternoon, min 10°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 18 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
1115 | 606 | 382 | 250 | 83 | 111 | 93 | 109 | 161 | 107 | 132 | 293 | 250 | 153 | 118 | 198 | 2346 | 1203 | 1254 | 1916 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | off | off | glassy | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 1:42AM1.76m | 2:34PM2.05m | 2:41AM1.81m | 3:14PM2.04m | 3:35AM1.82m | 3:51PM1.99m | 4:25AM1.80m | 4:26PM1.92m | 5:13AM1.75m | 4:59PM1.82m | 6:00AM1.69m | 5:30PM1.72m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:59PM0.56m | 8:01AM0.13m | 8:47PM0.42m | 8:50AM0.22m | 9:31PM0.30m | 9:36AM0.34m | 10:13PM0.24m | 10:20AM0.48m | 10:53PM0.23m | 11:01AM0.63m | 11:32PM0.26m | 11:41AM0.76m | 00:10AM0.32m | |||||||
— | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:33 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | |
5:21 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:23 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:25 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
Feels °C | 11 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 5 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SSW 12 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SSW 11 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 14 | SSW 12 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SW 16 |
1115 | 606 | 382 | 250 | 81 | 111 | 93 | 64 | 161 | 107 | 132 | 293 | 250 | 153 | 118 | 198 | 835 | 1203 | 1254 | 1916 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | S 15 | — | — | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 18 | SSW 10 | SSW 10 | E 11 | SSW 10 | E 10 | E 10 | SW 8 | E 10 | — | — | — | S 17 |
87 | 4 | — | — | 83 | 44 | 39 | 109 | 19 | 19 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 2 | — | — | — | 90 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | SW 20 | SSW 19 | WSW 12 | — | E 11 | S 14 | E 10 | — | S 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 15 | 37 | 14 | — | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 12 | — | — | — | NW 3 | W 3 | WSW 3 | SW 12 | — | — | WNW 3 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2346 | — | — | 6 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 327 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Torquay | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Bird Rock Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Bird Rock provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Bird Rock can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Bird Rock 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 (Bird Rock) 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 Bird Rock 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.
Bird Rock is 23 km (14 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.










