Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.

First up, we’ve got a run of swell that’s gonna be a real mixed bag. The opening weekend is a bit of a tease, but there’s some serious power coming through the middle of the week and beyond. The main event is at Horse Trails, a sandbar setup that’s fairly consistent. The water temp is sitting at 55°, which is a solid 4° colder than usual for this time of year – that’s much colder than normal, so you’ll want a good thick wetsuit.

Starting Saturday morning, August 8th, we’ve got some nice clean 8 ft SW swell pushing in with a period of 13 seconds. The wind is a light N breeze at 6 mph, coming cross-offshore. The combined energy is a thumping 2221. That’s moderate to strong energy, and with that light wind, it’s going to be clean. This is a proper expert session though – 8 ft is pushing the limits for most, and the swell is a solid groundswell. That afternoon, things get a bit dicey with onshore wind and a prediction that the 12 ft swell is just too big for this break.

Sunday, August 9th, is a write-off. Strong SSE winds at 22 mph are going to turn it into a lumpy mess. Not worth paddling out.

The real standout window opens up on Tuesday afternoon, August 11th. The morning is marginal, but by the afternoon we’ve got a lovely 5 ft SSW swell at 12 seconds, with a light ESE breeze at 6 mph coming cross-offshore. The combined energy is 1202 – moderate energy – and it’s clean. This is the kind of session you’d paddle out for.

Then, Wednesday and Thursday, August 12th and 13th, are absolute fire. Wednesday morning is a bit of a question mark, but Wednesday afternoon delivers a 6 ft SW swell with a 18-second period – that’s very long period groundswell. The wind is moderate offshore from the E at 12 mph, and the energy is 2075. That’s good, clean, powerful surf. Thursday morning is even better: 8 ft WSW swell, 18 seconds, a gentle offshore breeze from the ENE at 9 mph, and a huge energy of 3663. The wave shape will be incredible at this sandbar, but that long period will make it punchy. Best for experienced surfers.

After that, the middle of the week from August 14th to 19th is a bit more inconsistent, with a lot of cross-on and cross-shore winds. The swell hangs around 6 ft to 7 ft, but the conditions are marginal. Keep an eye on Wednesday afternoon, August 19th: a 8 ft WSW swell with a 12-second period, and the wind goes glassy. That’s pure gold, and the energy is 1516. It’s a standout for a cleaner option in that stretch.

The end of the run from August 20th onward gets weak and messy. Strong SSE winds blow it out. By Saturday, August 22nd, it starts to clean up again with a 6 ft SW swell and a light offshore breeze from the E at 9 mph. The energy is 971, so it’s moderate, but the conditions look good.

Then, on Sunday, August 23rd, we get another big pulse: 12 ft WSW swell with a 12-second period. The combined energy is a massive 3319, and it’s clean. But just like the first weekend, this is too big for this break. It’s a solid expert-only session, if you’ve got the nerve.

The best on offer: If you’re only picking one session, I’d go with Thursday morning, August 13th at Horse Trails. That 8 ft WSW groundswell with a 18-second period, combined with a gentle offshore breeze, is going to be firing. The energy is huge, and it’s going to be clean. The second standout is Wednesday afternoon, August 19th – slightly smaller swell at 8 ft, but that glassy wind is going to make it silky smooth. Both are for experienced surfers, but that’s the call.

Rusty, signing off.

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