Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.

We’ve got a solid 16-day window at Horse Trails, and it’s a real mixed bag of a forecast. The opening act is a bit of a tease, but the real meat shows up mid-month.

Tuesday morning, the 4th of August, is where we start. It’s a bit of a slow starter with some clouds overhead and a light 5 ft SW swell rolling in. The period is a nice 11 seconds, so it’s got some decent shape to it. The wind is glassy from the ESE, making it as clean as it gets. The water is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, sitting at 57°F – a noticeable 3°F below the norm, so you’ll want a thicker wetsuit. The combined energy is moderate (484). It’s a lovely morning, but the scores are a bit underwhelming; it’s more of a warm-up session than a standout.

The rest of the first week is a write-off. Wednesday the 5th gets messy with a strong NNW cross-wind, and while the swell jumps to 7 ft with a 16-second period, the chop makes it ugly. Thursday through Saturday sees the swell pump up to 10 ft and even 12 ft, with a long period around 14-15 seconds, but the wind is always cross or cross-on. The energy is strong (3601 on Friday morning), but the break is simply too big for comfort. This is a beach-and-sandbar set-up, and with that volume and cross-chop, it’s looking more like a kite-surfing session than a paddle-surfing one. Sunday the 9th is a total loss with 28 mph winds and rain.

Now, the turnaround. Monday the 10th of August afternoon is the first real glimmer of hope. The swell drops to 6 ft from the S at 10 seconds, but the wind goes clean and cross-off from the ESE. That’s the start of a good run.

The standout, without a doubt, is Wednesday the 12th of August. The whole day is a beauty. The morning starts with a 6 ft SW swell (18-second period – that’s proper groundswell) and a light offshore wind from the NE. It’s clean, it’s powerful, and the combined energy hits 2190. The afternoon is just as good with 7 ft and a 17-second period. This is the best on offer – a dedicated session for experienced surfers. The longer period means it’ll be a bit more lined up and heavy, so keep that in mind for the sandbar set-up.

Thursday the 13th is also a ripper. Morning brings a 8 ft WSW swell at 17 seconds with clean cross-off wind, and the energy is massive at 3748. The afternoon goes glassy from the SE on a 8 ft WSW swell. That’s another top-tier window.

The run continues into Friday the 14th with a clean 6 ft swell in the morning, but the wind shifts onshore by the afternoon. The weekend gets a bit sloppy again, but nothing terrible.

The long-range forecast has another promising window starting Monday the 17th of August, but it’s a bit of a wild card. The swell is huge – 13 ft on Monday morning with a 14-second period, and the energy is through the roof at 6398. That’s a very, very big swell for this spot. It’s likely just for experts, and only if the wind plays ball. The following days look cleaner but still big. Keep an eye on it, but for now, the 12th and 13th are your golden days.

Rusty.

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