Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long look at what’s coming down the line for Horse Trails. This is a sandbar break that’s fairly consistent and fairly exposed, and it likes a swell from the SW.

The water is running at 55°, which is a whopping 5° colder than usual for this time of year. That’s a serious anomaly, so you’ll want a thick wetsuit – it’s much colder than normal out there.

Right off the bat, Monday the 17th morning is the standout. The swell is a solid 8 ft from the WSW with a groundswell period of 13 seconds, and the combined energy is pumping at a very strong 2354. The wind is a light 10 km/h from the north, putting it cross-offshore. That is going to produce clean, lined-up surf, and it’s absolutely the best option for experienced surfers. It’s a bit too big for beginners though.

Monday afternoon goes a bit wobbly as the wind swings to the west at 15 km/h, making it a bit cross-on and choppy, so the quality drops off.

The next few days are a bit of a mixed bag. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th have that same 8 ft to 8 ft SW swell, but the wind is a consistent cross to cross-on, keeping things a bit bumpy. The energy is still very strong (around 2133 to 1866), but the conditions are marginal.

Thursday the 20th is a real monster. The swell jumps to a beastly 10 ft from the SW. The combined energy is massive (3267), but the forecast says it’s simply too big for this break. Only for the absolute experts, and even then, it’s a handful. The wind is a light cross-shore, so the surface will be clean, but the size is the story.

We get a bit of a lull Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd, with the swell dropping to 7 ft - 8 ft but the wind is cross-on, making it messy. The energy drops to moderate levels (1045 - 763).

The next true highlight doesn’t come until the following week. Wednesday the 26th morning is a special call. The swell is a solid 7 ft from the SW, with a period of 13 seconds and very strong energy (1559). But the wind… the wind is a glassy 5 km/h from the north. That’s flat calm. It’s labeled as “glassy” conditions. For a sandbar, that means absolutely perfect, clean faces. This is a top-tier session for experienced surfers. Crowds are noted as “sometimes” present, so with conditions this good, expect company.

After that, the swell pulses again. Thursday the 25th afternoon sees 10 ft swell, but again, it’s flagged as too big for the break. Late in the month, Monday the 31st and Sunday the 30th also have huge 10 ft to 12 ft SW swell, with extremely high energy (3680 to 3527). These are days for the experts only, and the wind is a moderate cross-shore, so it’s going to be a battle.

There’s really no good surf on offer for the first few days of September. The wind is light and cross-on, and the swell is down to 6 ft to 6 ft. The energy is weak (760 to 1005), and the quality is poor.

Overall, the best windows are Monday the 17th morning for the clean, powerful start, and Wednesday the 26th morning for the glassy perfection. The second week looks promising for size but challenging for conditions.

Rusty out.

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