The Well Surf Break

Lat Long: 38.61° S 142.87° E

The Well Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 9 am 07 Sep 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Well sea temperature is
14.1°C
0.7° 

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


The Well surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 19s period, SW swell with onshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 9 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 18ft (5.5m), 19s period, SW swell with 21,518 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 8 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 12s period with SW swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Well this week:

The surf forecast for The Well over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.3m and 12s period with a secondary swell of 1.4m and 19s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at The Well in the next 16 days are 5.5m 19s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 09) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 13) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (AEST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Tue 8th Sep)7.5ft (2.3m) 12s
Best Surf10AM (Wed 9th Sep)18ft (5.5m) 19s
Most Powerful10AM (Wed 9th Sep)18ft (5.5m) 19s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Well over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's break down what's on the menu for The Well. This reef setup is an advanced wave, and it's going to be a wild ride of a fortnight. The water is sitting at 57°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no need to dig out the extra thick steamer just yet.

The first few days are a write-off. Monday the 7th is a no-go with sou'ly winds blowing straight onshore and messy, weak swell. Tuesday morning the 8th, however, is our first real standout. The wind swings around to the northwest, going cross-offshore, and the breeze is light. That's clean wave faces. The swell comes in at 7ft from the SW, with a *very* long period of 18 seconds. This is groundswell, folks, and it's packing a punch – the combined energy is a solid 4135 (moderate). That long period means the sets will be better shaped, but at a reef break like The Well, that's a perfect match. It's a bit big for beginners, but for the advanced crew, this is a window of excellence. The morning is the pick.

The rest of the 8th turns ugly with strong westerly cross-onshore winds. Then things get wild. Wednesday the 9th sees a massive pulse of SW swell, 18ft to 20ft, with an insanely high energy reading of 21518 to 20594 (very strong). The wind is onshore, but the forecast notes it's simply too big. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it's a choice. That size continues through Thursday the 10th, with 15ft to 16ft swell and consistent onshore breezes, making it a messy, challenging proposition.

Friday the 11th offers a breather, but it's still a big day. The morning is a magic window: a 12ft SW swell, glassy conditions with zero wind. The energy is 4542 (moderate). Glassy conditions at The Well? That's a rare treat. The afternoon gets a touch of cross-onshore wind, but the morning is pure gold. Then Saturday the 12th morning is a beauty – 10ft SW swell, clean with a light NNW cross-offshore breeze. The energy is 4328 (moderate). Another solid session for the experienced.

After that, the quality drops. The swell hangs around at 7ft to 5ft, but the wind turns strong and inconsistent. There's a bit of a lull, with some cross-offshore days but the energy fading. By the 14th, we're looking at a junky 10ft W swell with a short period of 7 seconds and fresh onshore winds – that's more of a kitesurfing setup than a paddle session.

The second week is a story of big, powerful, but often messy swell. The water temp isn't given, but the patterns are clear. We see a solid run from the 15th to the 17th, with 12ft to 13ft SW swell, but the wind is mostly cross-onshore or messy. The 17th morning is a standout in this period: a 12ft SW swell, clean with a northerly cross-offshore breeze and moderate energy of 6368 (strong). It's a solid option for the crew who can handle it.

But the real highlight of the whole forecast is Monday the 21st of September. The morning session is an absolute barnstormer. The forecast calls it exceptional for experts. Swell is a big 16ft from the SW, period of 16 seconds, with a combined energy of 11721 (very strong). The wind is light and cross-offshore from the NW. That's 16ft of clean, powerful groundswell hitting a reef. It's a beast. The afternoon is still good, but a slight cross-onshore breeze creeps in. The 22nd also holds clean, big swell with cross-offshore winds, but the 21st is the one to circle on the calendar. It's a long-range call, so keep an eye on it, but it looks unbelievable.

So, for the best on offer: Tuesday morning the 8th for that clean, long-period, mid-size swell, and Monday morning the 21st of September for the truly big, clean, power session. The crowd at The Well can be there sometimes, so get in early for those windows.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 12°C on Mon morning, min 6°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Mon night, fresh winds from the SSW by Tue night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 10°C on Thu morning). Wind will be generally light.

Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wednesday
9
Thursday
10
Friday
11
Saturday
12
Sunday
13
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
1
5
5
0
0
!
!
!
6
6
6
5
5
7
5
4
4
2
3
2
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.5
WSW
13
2.4
SW
9
2.3
SW
12
2.1
SW
18
3
SW
16
4
SW
16
5.5
SW
19
6
SW
17
6
SW
17
5
SW
16
4.5
SW
16
4
SW
15
3.5
SW
14
3.5
SW
15
3.5
SW
16
3
SW
15
3
SW
15
2.1
SW
14
2.1
SW
16
1.8
SW
16
1.6
SW
15
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
749
890
1513
2552
4959
8414
21518
20594
20755
13337
9985
5922
4542
6106
6742
4328
3398
1812
2212
1622
1171
Wind (km/h)
25
S
20
S
5
E
10
NW
25
W
35
SSW
30
SSW
25
SSW
20
SSW
15
SW
15
SW
5
SSE
0
SSE
10
SSE
10
NNE
10
NNW
5
W
15
N
25
N
25
NNW
25
N
Wind State
on
on
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
on
on
on
on
on
on
glassy
glassy
cross-on
off
cross-off
cross
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
1:29PM0.68m
1:14PM0.68m
12:58PM0.68m
12:49PM0.66m
11:43PM0.43m
12:46PM0.64m
00:18AM0.53m
12:50PM0.63m
00:51AM0.62m
12:57PM0.62m
1:23AM0.69m
Low Tide
10:18PM0.12m
10:55PM0.21m
4:50AM0.22m
7:36PM0.35m
5:46AM0.19m
6:57PM0.30m
6:25AM0.18m
6:52PM0.23m
6:58AM0.19m
7:02PM0.15m
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:43
6:41
6:39
6:37
6:35
6:35
6:33
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
6:10
6:10
6:12
6:13
6:14
6:15
6:15
 mm
1
Temp °C
12
10
9
11
12
11
11
11
10
11
11
11
13
12
11
18
19
16
21
21
20
Feels °C
6
5
7
7
6
5
3
5
5
7
8
10
10
8
8
16
18
14
16
16
14
  • 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 The Well Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for The Well provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Well can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Well 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 Well) 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 Well 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.

Are you planning a holiday in Far West of Victoria? If you are looking for accommodation near The Well, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Far West of Victoria, consider staying in Warrnambool which is 42 km (26 miles) away.

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