Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into the outlook for Horse Trails. This is a sandbar set-up that’s fairly consistent and fairly exposed to the swell. It loves a good SW groundswell, and that’s exactly what we’ve got lined up.

The water is sitting at 56°, which is a solid 4° colder than usual for this time of year. That’s a bit of a shock to the system, so don’t forget a good steamer.

The next few days are a bit of a mixed bag. Wednesday morning kicks off with a 4ft WSW swell, but it’s a bit wonky with cross-shore wind and marginal conditions. That afternoon the swell jumps to 8ft, but it’s cross-on and messy. Not really worth paddling out for.

Then we get a real gem on Thursday morning. The 16th of July, Thursday morning, is the standout. The swell is a solid 8ft from the SW, with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, packing a lot of energy (3058). But the real magic is the wind. It’s glassy. Dead flat. That’s going to make Horse Trails look absolutely pristine. It’s a bit on the chunky side at 8ft, so this is for the experienced crew. The crowd factor is “sometimes” here, so you might have a few mates out, but it won’t be a circus.

Friday morning, the 17th, is still clean with glassy conditions and a 6ft SW swell. The period has dropped to 11 seconds, so it’s a bit more manageable, but still excellent. Friday afternoon stays glassy with a 6ft wave. Good, but not as good as Thursday.

Saturday the 18th starts small at 3ft, but it’s glassy. That afternoon the wind goes offshore and the swell picks up to 6ft with a longer period. It’s a solid option for a fun session.

Sunday the 19th is a drop-off. The swell is around 5ft, but the wind goes onshore and then cross-shore, making it messy. Not great.

We then hit a real lull from Monday the 20th through Tuesday the 21st. Monday drops to 4ft then 3ft with poor conditions. It’s a dead spot.

Then things get wild. On Tuesday the 21st of July, the swell absolutely detonates. We’re looking at 15ft from the SW with a 15-second period. The combined energy is a massive 8525. This is huge, dangerous, and honestly, too big for this break. It’s for experts only, and even then, it’s a serious mission. The wind is favorable, but that size is just a beast. That kind of energy continues through Wednesday the 22nd and Thursday the 23rd, with 16ft wave heights. This is not a paddle session; this is a major event. If you’re not a big-wave charger, stay on the beach.

Things settle down a little by Friday the 24th. The morning is clean with a 8ft SW swell, but it’s still a lot of power. That’s another good one for the experienced crowd.

The following week, from the 25th to the 30th, we see a lot of big swell in the 7ft to 10ft range, but the wind is often cross-on or cross-shore, making it messy. The real highlight there is the morning of Sunday the 26th. It’s clean, cross-off wind, with a 8ft SW swell. That’s a solid, clean wave. The 30th of July morning also looks promising with a 7ft clean swell and cross-off wind.

Overall, the absolute best on offer is Thursday morning, July 16th. Glassy conditions, 8ft of long-period SW groundswell. That’s the one to circle on the calendar.

Stay safe out there, and don’t get caught inside on those big days.

Rusty.

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