Bird Rock Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.35° S 144.30° E

Bird Rock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 20 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Bird Rock sea temperature is
13.5° C
0.6° 

Bird Rock surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Bird Rock surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 14s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 15s period, SW swell with 5,771 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 16s 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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 16s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s. 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 3.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 4AM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Thu 20th Aug)2ft (0.6m) 16s
Best Surf 7PM (Sat 22nd Aug)6ft (1.9m) 14s
Most Powerful10AM (Sat 22nd Aug)11ft (3.5m) 15s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bird Rock over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s get into it. This is the full picture for Bird Rock, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there are definitely some moments to get excited about if you’re patient.

We’re starting off on Thursday, August 20th, with tiny, clean waves. The swell is only 1ft from the southwest, with a period of 18 seconds. That’s a long-period groundswell, which gives the wave some shape, but there’s just not enough size to do much on. The NW wind is offshore and light, so the surface is glassy. The water temp is sitting at 56°, which is pretty normal for this time of year. Energy is weak at 128. It’s a surfable but very ordinary day.

Friday, August 21st, the swell bumps up a little. Friday morning sees 3ft from the southwest, but the wind is cross-offshore from the WNW, and it’s clean. The energy is moderate at 396. Friday afternoon looks nicer though – the swell drops back to 2ft, but the wind turns offshore and light, making for clean, gentle conditions. Not a standout, but a nice session if you’re desperate.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Saturday, August 22nd, is a big spike. We’ve got 12ft of southwest swell rolling in. That’s a lot of water. The period is around 14-15 seconds, so it’s a proper groundswell. The wind is cross-offshore from the west, so it’ll be clean. But listen, with that size, this is for experts only. Over 8ft, and the power is serious. The combined energy is 7167 (very strong). The swell direction matches the optimum for this reef – straight out of the southwest. Bird Rock is a reef, so that long-period energy will really stand it up. This is your standout if you’ve got the skills and the nerve. Expect big, powerful sets.

Sunday, August 23rd, the swell drops back down to a much more manageable 5ft, still from the southwest. The period hangs around 14-16 seconds. The wind goes light offshore from the WNW, making for excellent conditions. The water will be clean and the waves will have proper shape. The combined energy is still moderate to strong at 1181-1563. This is a great day for competent surfers. For the afternoon session, it’s described as excellent for experienced surfers.

Monday, August 24th, we see 4ft southwest swell, with a moderate offshore wind from the NW. It’s clean, but the energy drops back to moderate (around 475). It’s a good day, but nothing to write home about after the weekend blast.

Tuesday, August 25th, things go a bit sideways. The morning has a cross-shore wind from the southwest, and the swell is 5ft, but the wave state is described as having a cross-chop. Not great. The afternoon gets worse with strong cross-onshore winds from the SSW, turning it choppy. Poor conditions.

Wednesday, August 26th, morning is a hidden gem. Look: 3ft southwest swell with glassy conditions! The wind is a light glass-off from the SSW. That is a rare and perfect clean window. The waves will be small, but if you have a log or a fish, paddle out first thing. That glass is a major positive.

The rest of the week into the end of August and early September is a bit of a lull. Waves are small, mostly under 3ft, with inconsistent conditions and some fresh winds. There’s a gap here with nothing recommendable.

But hold on. Look ahead to Friday, September 4th. Another solid spike. We see 6ft of southwest swell, period around 16 seconds, and a consistent offshore wind from the northwest. The combined energy is strong at 1552. This is the second standout of the forecast. The swell is big but not giant – over 5ft, so it might be too much for beginners, but for experienced surfers, this is going to be excellent. Good shape, good power, clean faces. That’s your best bet in the second week.

Crowds at Bird Rock are a potential issue, particularly if it’s this good. The crowd rating says “sometimes,” so be ready to share the peak.

Alright, overall: This isn’t a flat spell, but you’ve got to pick your windows. The absolute standout is Saturday, August 22nd for the big-wave experts. The best all-around session in terms of size and quality is Sunday, August 23rd. And for a sneaky, clean small-wave session, hit Wednesday, August 26th morning. The long-range Friday, September 4th looks promising too.

Stay safe out there.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 8°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 10°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
1
1
1
1
2
2
5
4
4
3
4
3
2
2
2
1
0
2
2
1
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SW
18
0.6
SW
16
0.6
SW
16
0.8
SW
15
0.6
SW
18
1.3
SW
16
3.5
SW
15
3.5
SW
14
1.8
SW
14
1.5
SW
14
1.5
SW
16
1.3
SSW
15
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
14
1.1
SW
13
1.4
SW
14
1.1
SW
12
1.4
SW
14
0.8
SW
14
1
SW
12
1
SW
13
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
78
163
163
273
194
854
5771
5156
1340
865
1115
791
476
456
424
754
348
754
238
306
347
Wind (km/h)
15
NW
20
NW
20
WNW
20
WNW
15
WNW
20
WNW
20
W
20
WSW
10
WNW
15
NW
10
WNW
10
NW
15
NW
20
NW
10
NW
15
SW
25
SSW
10
SW
5
SSW
10
SE
5
N
Wind State
off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
off
off
cross
cross-on
cross
glassy
on
cross-off
High Tide
4:21PM1.80m
5:20AM1.75m
4:50PM1.71m
6:00AM1.66m
5:19PM1.62m
6:47AM1.56m
5:50PM1.52m
7:46AM1.48m
6:27PM1.43m
9:06AM1.44m
7:25PM1.34m
10:33AM1.47m
9:05PM1.28m
Low Tide
10:31AM0.63m
10:50PM0.22m
11:06AM0.74m
11:24PM0.30m
11:40AM0.86m
00:01AM0.39m
12:19PM0.97m
00:44AM0.47m
1:11PM1.07m
1:38AM0.55m
2:36PM1.14m
2:51AM0.60m
4:31PM1.11m
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
7:03
7:01
7:00
6:58
6:56
6:56
6:54
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
5:50
5:50
5:51
5:52
5:52
5:53
5:54
 mm
6
2
Temp °C
15
15
9
14
13
12
14
15
11
14
15
12
16
16
12
13
12
11
11
12
10
Feels °C
11
11
5
11
9
8
9
10
8
11
11
9
12
12
10
7
6
6
9
9
8
  • Map Icons:
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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 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.

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