Surfing Waves

Hi forum,

Thanks in advance for any useful information or advice I can get on this question.

A conference is putting me in Melbourne through the middle of April. I wanted to get down to Torquay to surf Bells, Winki, and any good nearby breaks. Unfortunately, the Rip Curl Pro is going on during the time I'll be there.

Dates I'll be able to surf: April 10 - 17, 2017
Dates of contest: April 12 - 24, 2017

(1) Is Bells and/or Winki open to public surfing during the contest?
(2) How are the crowds, both in and out of the water?
(3) How is the traffic on the great ocean road during the contest?
(4) Is the contest worth sticking around to watch? (I 100% would rather surf myself if there are good waves open nearby.)

Big ask , the site of the contest may change to get better surf at any particular day.
Wherever will be ridiculously crowded on the beach, the water will crowded with the Pros warming up and the whole associated event structure.
Junior Bells, water patrol , then the fro there who want to surf where the pros have surfed.
Bells is also on during the Easter period so all the holiday omit too

Ridiculous crowds. Lots of good breaks all along that coast and I would seriously look at the whole swag of other spots, you might snag a less crowded surf, but again holidays may fill out the number everywhere.

@Jaffa1949: Thanks for the info, that's what I was unfortunately expecting.

I'm going to get a bit more remote to try and avoid the crowds. I'll spend the week (4/10 - 4/17) camping along the great coast road between Torquay and Otway National Park. Do you have any recommendations on breaks, campsites, pubs, or other good things to visit?

Actually I don't know Victoria all that well but I head to Flinders and Phillip Island if there is swell.
Lorne , Torquay, the Johannas, a lot of the spots are pretty easy to find as you drive through.
There is a surf site map here in Surfing Waves that shows quite a few known break ( https://surfing-waves.com/atlas/aust ... _road.html) and
camping spots at all of them will be pretty full, we get a huge spill of Victorians at Easter but then again somewhere gets a bucket load of any other state because of that, religious holiday and we all head off to worship Huey. (For OS forumites , Huey sends rain and surf " send er down Huey" or crank it up Huey" for surf.)