Surf trips in Bells Beach and Torquay
Bells Beach, Winkipop, and the Torquay zone, host to the WSL Rip Curl Pro every Easter, peak season March to May and September to November.
Bells Beach and the surrounding Torquay zone on Victoria's Surf Coast cluster the most historically significant break in Australian surfing within a 10-minute drive.
Bells Beach itself is a right-hand reef break with a distinctive natural bowl shape that holds size cleanly: it works from 4ft up to 15ft+ on a SW groundswell with N-NW winds. Winkipop sits 200m east of Bells in the same bay and breaks faster, longer, and more hollow on the same swell.
Both breaks face SW and demand a wetsuit even in summer (water 13-19C year-round). The WSL Rip Curl Pro has been held at Bells the Easter long weekend (typically late March to mid-April) since 1962, making it the longest-running surf competition on Earth.
Jan Juc and Bird Rock offer beach break alternatives close to Torquay town when the main reefs are crowded or maxed. Base in Torquay (90 minutes from Melbourne Airport).
Bring a 4/3 wetsuit.
Where should I surf in Bells Beach and Torquay?
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Bells Beach and Torquay, the long version
Waves
Bells Beach is the headline. A right-hand reef break inside a natural amphitheater of cliffs, breaking over a deep reef setup that holds up to 15ft+ on a clean SW groundswell with N-NW winds.
The wave runs as the Bowl on bigger days (a heavier, more hollow take-off section near the cliffs) or breaks more gently as Rincon further down the bay on smaller days. Bells is famously deceptive in size: a "Bells 6ft" feels closer to 8-10ft on the wave face.
Winkipop sits 200m east of Bells in the same bay and breaks faster, longer, and more hollow on the same swell. It has multiple sections including a hollow inside slab.
Jan Juc, on the Torquay side of the headland, is a beach break that works on a similar SW swell with offshore winds, offering a less crowded alternative to Bells on busy days. Bird Rock is a powerful right-hand reef just east of Jan Juc.
Point Addis, 5 minutes west of Bells, picks up extra swell and offers more exposed beach break peaks. 13th Beach further west holds size on the biggest SW swells.
When to go
March through May (autumn) and September through November (spring) are peak. The Easter long weekend in March or April is the WSL Rip Curl Pro window.
Winter (June through August) brings the largest, most powerful swells of the year but also the coldest water (13-14C) and most volatile weather. Summer (December through February) is the lightest swell season but still produces rideable days.
Conditions can change quickly: a clean morning can blow out by noon when a southerly change hits.
Where to stay
Torquay is the natural base: 10 minutes from Bells, 5 minutes from Jan Juc, with a strong cafe and food scene. Surf shops are abundant.
Bells Beach itself has no accommodation (it sits within a protected surfing reserve). Anglesea, 15 minutes west, offers quieter accommodation away from peak summer crowds in Torquay.
Geelong (30 minutes inland) has more budget options.
Logistics
Melbourne Airport (MEL) is 90 minutes drive west to Torquay via the Princes Freeway and Surf Coast Highway. Avalon Airport (AVV), an hour from Torquay, serves limited domestic routes.
Rental car is essential. Public transport to Bells Beach itself is limited.
Bring a 4/3 wetsuit minimum in spring and autumn, 5/4 with boots in winter.
The questions we get asked most
March through May and September through November for clean SW groundswells with offshore winds. The Easter long weekend (late March to mid-April) is the WSL Rip Curl Pro window which produces classic Bells conditions but also the most crowded lineups of the year.
Bells holds up to 15ft+ on the biggest SW groundswells. The wave is famously deceptive in size: a Bells 6ft feels closer to 8-10ft on the face. On the largest days, the Bowl section near the cliffs becomes the marquee take-off zone.
4/3 fullsuit minimum for autumn and spring (water 14-19C). 5/4 with boots for winter (water 13-14C). 3/2 in summer when air temperatures are warm but water still cools to 16-18C. Cold water year-round, no escape from a wetsuit.