Surf Forecasts:
The Three Bears surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 15s period, WSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 17 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 15ft (4.5m), 15s period, W swell with 8,296 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 15s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Three Bears this week:
The surf forecast for The Three Bears over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 15s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Three Bears in the next 16 days are 4.5m 15s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 17) at 11PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (AWST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 11PM (Mon 17th Aug) | 15ft (4.5m) 15s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Three Bears over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.
Alright, the next week and a half is a bit of a mixed bag at The Three Bears. There’s a lot of swell around, but finding clean, rideable waves is going to take some patience. The swell direction is mainly from the WSW and W, which is a touch off the optimum SW, but it'll still wrap in at this spot. We’re looking at some powerful, very long-period groundswell, which is great for a reef setup like this – the waves will have serious push, energy values are often moderate to strong (7313, 7621), but the shape and the timing of sets will be key.
Monday the 17th is a complete no-go. The swell is huge at 12 ft to 16 ft, with a gale-force cross-onshore wind. That’s not surfable, it's a washing machine.
Tuesday the 18th is still messy. The wind is a moderate cross-onshore, so it's choppy. Swell is pulling a solid 12 ft to 13 ft, but it's too rough for a good time.
Wednesday the 19th improves a little. The swell drops to 10 ft. The wind is still cross-onshore, but it’s a gentler breeze. It’s marginal surf, but the energy is still strong (4471). You might find a few, but it’s not the pick of the trip.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Friday morning, August 21st. The wind goes completely dead, glassy. Zero wind, and the swell settles to a clean 8 ft from the WSW. The period is still a long 15 seconds, so there will be some nice lines but also longer lulls between sets. The water is currently a touch warmer than normal at 66°, which is a nice little bonus. This morning looks like the real standout for experienced surfers looking for clean, powerful reef waves. Conditions are excellent.
Saturday morning, August 22nd is another beauty. A slight breeze, glassy again, and a 7 ft WSW swell with a 16-second period. Another morning of clean, juicy waves. The crowds will likely be around, as this spot is known to get busy sometimes.
We get messy again Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th. Strong winds blow the place out.
Then, look ahead to Tuesday morning, August 25th. This is a different setup. The wind turns light and offshore from the East. That is the key. The swell drops to a more manageable 5 ft from the SW. It’s clean, and the conditions should be very good.
Avoid Wednesday and Thursday afternoons as the wind swings onshore. But Wednesday morning, August 26th is another cracker. Offshore wind again from the ENE, 8 ft WSW swell with a 16-second period. Clean, lined up, and powerful. This is another top pick for experienced folks.
Thursday morning, August 27th is also clean with an offshore breeze, though the swell size drops to 6 ft.
And then we get a bit of a wildcard for Saturday, August 29th. The swell jumps back up to 13 ft from the W with a very long 17-second period. The energy reading is massive (9730), meaning serious power. The wind is cross-shore, which will create some chop, but the scale of the swell is enormous. This is only for the experts, and it’s a "promising but less certain" call that far out. It could be a monster, or it could be messy.
The first week of September sees another pulse of strong swell (13 ft) and moderate cross-onshore winds, keeping things messy.
So, the top tip: Friday morning, August 21st, and Wednesday morning, August 26th. Clean, offshore or glassy wind, with solid, long-period groundswell. Saturday the 22nd morning is right there with them. For a tamer but still clean session, Tuesday morning, August 25th is your best bet. For the brave, watch for Saturday the 29th.
Signing off,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Mon morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Mon afternoon). Winds decreasing (near gales from the W on Mon afternoon, calm by Wed night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu morning. Very mild (max 16°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 16 | W 12 | W 15 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
8042 | 6465 | 7892 | 7685 | 6667 | 4301 | 4412 | 5959 | 5936 | 4161 | 3514 | 3158 | 2494 | 2200 | 1797 | 2447 | 1743 | 982 | 940 | 3865 | 3625 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | on | on | on |
High Tide | 8:48AM0.38m | 00:31AM0.53m | 00:45AM0.56m | 1:26AM0.58m | 3:50AM0.59m | 5:23AM0.61m | 6:25AM0.64m | ||||||||||||||
Low Tide | 4:24PM0.26m | 3:31PM0.21m | 3:07PM0.16m | 3:15PM0.12m | 3:33PM0.10m | 3:52PM0.08m | 4:12PM0.07m | ||||||||||||||
6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | |
— | 5:51 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:53 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | |
mm | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 7 |
Temp °C | 18 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 9 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 9 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 15 | W 16 | W 16 | W 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 | WSW 16 | — | — |
— | — | 7892 | 7685 | 6667 | 4301 | 4412 | 5959 | 5936 | 4161 | 3514 | 3158 | 2494 | 2200 | 1797 | 2447 | 1743 | 982 | 940 | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 24 | SW 22 | WSW 19 | — | WSW 22 | W 20 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 22 | 120 | 735 | — | 46 | 194 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 16 | W 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 3 | WNW 4 | WSW 8 | WSW 16 | WSW 14 |
8042 | 6465 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 38 | 891 | 3865 | 3625 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1305 | 755 | 5 | 224 | 224 | 269 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 189 | 269 | 33 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Margaret River | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Three Bears Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Three Bears provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Three Bears can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Three Bears 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 (The Three Bears) 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 The Three Bears 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.
The Three Bears is 64 km (40 miles) from the city of Bunbury. If you plan a holiday in Margaret River, look for hotels and other accommodation in Bunbury. Bunbury has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











