Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a 16-day window for Horse Trails, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag with a solid start, a wild middle, and a quieter finish.

The first real action kicks off Thursday morning, July 16th. The water’s sitting at 56°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year - about 3° cooler, so you’ll want a good wetsuit. Horse Trails is a sandbar setup, fairly consistent, and the optimal swell direction is SW. The early morning on Thursday is the standout for the whole first week. We’ve got an 8ft SW swell, with a 13-second period, and glassy conditions. The combined energy is pumping at 2381, so it’s moderate to strong energy. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers, with clean, powerful lines rolling in. The wind is glass, so it’s going to be as clean as it gets. Crowds are sometimes a thing here, but for a Thursday morning, you might have a shot at a few less people.

Friday morning, July 17th, is also a solid look. The swell drops a touch to 6ft from the SW, still waist-to-shoulder high, with glassy wind again. It’s a bit more user-friendly than Thursday, and the energy is still moderate at 773. Good vibes all around.

The weekend keeps things rolling. Saturday morning, July 18th, has a 5ft SW swell with glassy wind, but the period drops to 10 seconds, so it’s a bit more wind-swell in there. Energy is moderate at 643. Sunday, July 19th, is a better bet with a 5ft SW, 12-second period, and cross-offshore wind in the morning, keeping it clean. The afternoon goes glassy again. That’s a lovely day.

Now, Monday July 20th is a drop-off, with 3ft waves. Not worth the paddle.

Then things get serious. Tuesday July 21st is a write-off for paddle surfing. The wind howls from the N at 22 mph in the morning, and by the afternoon, rain showers and 25 mph WNW wind make a mess of a 13ft swell. The combined energy hits 5222, which is very strong, but it’s pure chaos. This setup is more for kite surfers than anyone else.

Wednesday July 22nd, Thursday July 23rd, and Friday July 24th all see monster swell - between 10ft and 15ft from the SW, sometimes with 14-second periods. The wind is favorable (glass or cross-off), but the guidance says it’s too big for this break. This is expert-only, big-wave territory, and even then, Horse Trails might not handle it well. The energy is extreme, into the 5000-9000 range. Not for the faint of heart.

The rest of the outlook drops off. From Saturday July 25th onwards, the swell stays big (7ft to 13ft) but the wind is often cross or cross-on, and the conditions are described as marginal. The exception is a super promising morning on Wednesday July 29th, with a 6ft WSW swell, 12-second period, and absolute glass – zero wind. Combined energy is moderate at 1192. That’s a proper little gem, clean and rideable, but it’s a one-off in a stretch of otherwise messy, average days.

The final week shows a few 13ft days again on July 31st, but with cross-off or cross-on wind, again too big for the spot.

The bottom line: The best surf on offer is Thursday morning, July 16th and Wednesday morning, July 29th. The 16th is the real standout for power and size for experienced surfers, with glassy conditions. The 29th is a quieter, cleaner gem for anyone who can handle 6ft. The big swell days in between are for experts only, and the rest is marginal. Buckle up.

Rusty.

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