Dangerous Surf Forecasted at the Bells Beach Tournament

The Bells Beach tournament will have surfers riding high as forecasters warn of a storm surge bringing waves of up to 15 meters high in open waters off the Victoria coast this afternoon. Some of the world's biggest names have brought larger boards to Bells Beach for the competition today to battle a forecast described by seven-time surfing world champion Stephanie Gilmore as 'terrifying'. There is speculation among riders that the surf could be the biggest since the now-legendary massive waves at Bells Beach in 1981.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster, Chris Godfred said a strong cold front was expected to move across Bass Strait to create large waves. Godfred forecasted combined seas and swell rising eight to nine meters out in the open water in western Bass Strait, and in the range of five to seven meters in central Bass Strait, which is between Cape Otway and Wilsons Promontory. "You might get the odd wave out in the open water that could be well above 10 m or even getting pretty close to 14 or 15 m during the afternoon and in the evening." Godfred said the waves would not be that big close to the shore, but would still provide some spectacular conditions at Bells Beach for the World Surf League event. "You would be seeing waves three or four meters pretty close to the shore and we are sort of looking at more exposed coastline in western Victoria, which is more going to be facing towards the west or south-west, so there would be plenty of those sorts of areas west of Cape Otway."