Bells Beach

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Bells Beach

Surfing is indeed one of the most popular beach and fun activities today. Whether people surf for recreational purposes only or as a sport, surfers are truly devoted to their art. Good surfing depends heavily on the waves—on the wave size and the wind direction, among others. Though there are lots of good beaches in the world, it is an irrefutable fact that there are only quite a few good beaches fit for surfing. And because surfing is enjoying popularity today, surfing beaches are a thriving economy. People all over the world come to surf and unwind on the most famous surf beaches. Among the best surfing beaches is the Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia. Bells Beach is internationally renowned for its beauty and potential for good surfing, not to mention world-class accommodations.

The beach

Making waves near Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, Bells Beach is known around the world as one of the best surfing beaches there is. The main break of Bells Beach is called the Bowl section or the “Bell’s Bowl.” The Bowl is a point break that works on any tide. It is said that the best wind on the area comes from the northwest direction, with the surf coming from groundswells. They say that it is best to surf in Bells Beach when the tide is rising at mid tide. Other close breaks in Bells Beach are Winkipop, Bird Rock, Jan Juc, Steps, and Boobs.

Bells Beach is said to have been named after the first pastoralist family who took care of the land in the middle of the 1800s. It is said that surfers were already coming to surf at Bells Beach as early as 1939. However, these surfers were having problems going to Bells Beach as there was no good road that goes to the beach. These changed in 1960s when Bells Beach became more accessible to the surfers through private and community efforts. Developments and many testimonials from surfers later, Bells Beach is now the internationally renowned surfing beach in the world. Avid surfers both from Australia and abroad have been coming to enjoy the waves of Bells Beach for years—and they are always satisfied.

Surfs up!

A testament of the reputation of Beach Bell as one of the best surfing beaches in the world is its annual hosting of the “Rip Curl Pro Surf and Music Festival.” As the world’s longest running surfing competition, it is also one of the world’s premier surfing competitions. First started in 1961, the completion has been attracting professional surfers around the world to vie for the honor of being champions. Whether you are a participant or a spectator, both the competition and the music festival are good ways to enjoy your holidays at Bells Beach.

At one with the waves

The Spirit of Surfing is a concept developed by surfer Peter Cuming in 1995 as an initiative of the Spirit of Surfing Trust. As the influx of surfers increase in Bells Beach, it was deemed necessary that the surfing community follow a set of code to guide them towards harmony in the beach. It is known that surfing is a fun and yet a potentially dangerous activity and safety will be ensured only if the people display acceptable behavior expected from a surfer. The Spirit of Surfing encourages harmony among the surfing community and the beach trough respect to the environment and the culture of the people and through the traditions of surfing. The surfing community of Bells Beach has summarized the Spirit of Surfing into three statements, which are “Respect the Ocean,” Respect the Land,” and “Respect Each Other.” Every surfer in Bells Beach is expected to adhere to the codes and principles of the Spirit of Surfing.

Adam Namatjira is an expert on travel,tourism, and environmental issues. He is a businessman and a water sportsenthusiast. He lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife and two children.