Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking at Horse Trails over the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a bit of a slow start, but the wait is worth it. The first few days are a bit of a write-off with some lumpy, short-period windswell and cross-off winds, so don’t bother paddling out until things settle down. The real action kicks off after a few days of nothing.

The standout window is Thursday, September 10th in the afternoon. That’s when things get serious. We’re looking at a solid 8ft swell from the SW, with a long period of 14 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The wind is light and cross-offshore, keeping the faces clean. The combined swell energy is a meaty 3080 (strong), so there’s plenty of push. This is excellent for experienced surfers; it’s too big for beginners. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

Another absolute cracker is Thursday, September 17th in the morning. This is the one to circle on the calendar. We’ve got an 8ft swell from the W, a 13-second period, and a gentle cross-off breeze. The combined energy hits 4179 (very strong), and the conditions are clean. Again, this is expert territory with that size, and the longer period will make the waves at this sandbar setup a bit more powerful and lined up, but it’s a point-and-reef style spot, so that long period is a blessing, not a curse. Expect crowds to be possible.

Before that, Tuesday, September 8th morning offers a brief moment of calm. It’s glassy with a tiny 3ft swell from the WSW, but the energy is weak (476). It’s a good option for a beginner session or a longboard, but not the standout.

Saturday, September 12th morning also has a clean 8ft swell from the SSE, but with a short 8-second period, it’ll be a bit more of a close-out wave at the beach. Still, it’s clean and cross-off, so for the experienced crew, it’s worth a look.

The second week then tapers off. Friday, September 18th morning has a nice 6ft W swell at 14 seconds with light cross-off winds, but it's smaller. The final stand-out is Saturday, September 19th morning – glassy conditions with a 7ft S swell, but the period is a shorter 11 seconds, so it might not have the same grunt as the big days.

Between the 10th and the 17th, there’s a gap of a few days where the wind and swell don’t align, so don’t get too excited mid-week. The long-range standouts on the 17th are promising, but remember, it’s a long way out, so lock it in loosely.

Rusty out.

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