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🇦🇺 Torquay, Victoria

Bells Beach Surf Report

Live conditions · Updated every 30 minutes · Always free

Last updated: 1:30 PM AEST · Data may be delayed
7 /10
Great Conditions
Tuesday, April 7, 2026

Great surf today. head high waves (3.8ft), glassy conditions, incoming tide. Consistent and clean — well worth the session.

⏱ Best time to paddle out
3PM – 5PM
Score 8/10 · Great

Current Conditions

🌊
Wave Height
3.8ft
1.16m open ocean · 0.5m swell
Breaking waves typically 60–80% of this
📡
Swell Period
8s
Mixed swell
💨
Wind
Glassy
N · Perfect surface ✓
🌡️
Water Temp
68°F
20°C · Spring suit or boardshorts
🌊
Current Tide
2ft
↑ Rising · MLLW
Best Window Today
3PM–5PM
Score 8/10 · Great

Today's Surf Timeline

Hourly surf score from 5am to 9pm. Taller bar = better conditions. Best window highlighted in teal.

5AM
7
2.2ft
6AM
7
2.2ft
7AM
7
2.3ft
8AM
7
2.6ft
9AM
7
2.9ft
10AM
7
3.1ft
11AM
6
3.3ft
12PM
7
3.6ft
1PM
7
3.8ft
2PM
7
4ft
3PM
8
4.1ft
4PM
8
4.3ft
5PM
7
4.3ft
6PM
7
4.3ft
7PM
7
4.3ft
8PM
7
4.4ft
9PM
7
4.4ft
Epic/Great   Good   Fair   Poor

Bells Beach Surf Guide

Break type Reef Break
Skill level Intermediate to Advanced
Best season March – September
Best swell SW to SSW, 6–12 ft, 14+ second period
Best wind Offshore NE/N
Best tide Low to mid tide
Crowds Moderate — surprisingly manageable for its fame
Parking Free at Bells Beach car park — easy year-round access.

Bells Beach is Australia's most legendary surf break — a powerful reef point on Victoria's Surf Coast that has hosted the Rip Curl Pro Easter Classic continuously since 1973, making it the world's longest-running professional surfing event.

Southern Ocean swells generated by intense low-pressure systems arrive at Bells with tremendous power. The wave responds best to groundswells in the 6–12 foot range with a 14-second or longer period. Water temperatures drop to around 13°C in winter — a 4/3mm wetsuit is the smart choice for extended sessions.

Written & reviewed by

Adam Moore

Surf Journalist & Ocean Data Specialist

Adam Moore has been surfing coastlines from Cornwall to California for over 15 years. A former marine science graduate from the University of Exeter and contributing writer for several surf publications, Adam built SurfTidal to solve a simple problem: surf forecast tools designed for data scientists, not for surfers. He believes anyone heading to the beach deserves accurate, honest, plain-English conditions — free of charge. When he's not in the water, he's analysing swell models, testing forecast accuracy, and writing the beach guides you'll find across this site.