Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach
May 18th - 28th

We're heading into the pointy end of the El Salvador Pro, with a long drawn out event again utilising the entire waiting period - keeping in mind a CT contest can run in four full days.

The reason for the lag is the forecast which started with a pumping pre-comp swell, a flurry early in the waiting period, before the swell dipped away, sometimes only allowing two heats a day to be run, with the organisers hoping, praying, for a swell to finish the comp in.

Yet we're here to read about the Rip Curl Pro so why the glance backwards..?

The reason is the Bells forecast is shaping up something similar.

This week, social media accounts were ablaze with clean corduroy lines following a series of swells across the Surf Coast, with the new week providing slightly more subdued surf but under continuing excellent conditions.

So it’s been a pretty good start to autumn, but just as the Rip Curl Pro approaches the forecast begins to dip away.

Pumping Bells this week (Scanlon)

As we move through next week, Southern Ocean storm activity will initally be restricted to the polar shelf before a better aligned frontal progression pushes up and under Western Australia. This is due to make landfall in Victoria on Day One of the waiting period - which is also Easter Friday.

Therefore, much like Punta Roca, the opening day at Bells will see fun-sized 3ft to possibly 4ft sets. It'll be a mid-period swell, angled west-southwest, with a morning offshore giving way to weak afternoon sea breezes after lunch.

We know how organisers like both a quick start and public holiday crowds so expect to hear AC/DC's 'Hell's Bells' playing on the PA that morning.

Same again Saturday morning as a morning low tide and easing 2-3 feet waves play out on the Bowl. We're currently looking at a light morning offshore again giving way to a sea breeze as the tide comes in and the waves move into Rincon.

It's from Sunday that things take a turn for the worse, with a strong high pressure system due to move slowly in from the west, bringing a run of southerly tending south-easterly winds and smaller surf, making Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday likely lay days.

Unlike El Salvador, organisers likely (read: hopefully) won't drip feed heats through the contest as the outlook through the back end of next week is much more promising. Currently, there's the potential for a strong, Southern Ocean frontal progression pushing up towards Victoria, bringing some better swell potential into the second half of the waiting period.

We can only hope the Rip Curl Pro, like the El Salvador Pro, is rescued late in the waiting period.

We’ll provide running updates in the comments below followed by an updated forecast next week.