Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. It’s been a quiet spell, but we’ve got a run of surf starting to line up. Let’s get into it.

The first decent window kicks off on Thursday, 30th July, at Horse Trails. Water temp is sitting at 56°F, which is a solid 4°F colder than normal for this time of year – that’s a frigid anomaly, so don’t skimp on the rubber. We’re looking at a 5ft swell from the SW, with a period of 13 seconds – that’s a nice, long-period groundswell bringing proper energy. The combined energy is moderate at 677. The wind is a light cross-on from the S at 6 mph, which is surfable but not pristine. It’s a “fairly consistent” sandbar break, so you’ll get waves, but expect a few ripples on the face.

Moving into Friday, 31st July, we see things clean up nicely. The morning brings a 4ft SW swell at 12 seconds (moderate energy, 436), with a light cross-off breeze from the ESE at 6 mph. That’s clean. Then Friday afternoon is the real gem: the swell drops slightly to 4ft, but the wind goes glassy – S at just 3 mph. Glassy conditions, moderate energy (415), and a 12-second period. That’s the kind of session where you’re just gliding. It’s not a massive swell, but it’s clean and fun.

Saturday, 1st August, keeps the vibe going. Morning is best: 4ft from the SW, now a 14-second period (longer, more power), with an offshore wind from the E at 3 mph. Combined energy is 585 – moderate, but that long period will have some punch. Clean, offshore, little crowd. That’s a standout window. The afternoon turns cross-on again, so get out early.

Sunday, 2nd August, morning is clean again – 4ft SW, 13 seconds, cross-off from the N at 3 mph. Clean. Energy is 485. Another good morning session.

Now, Monday, 3rd August, is where things get interesting for the experienced crew. The morning swell jumps to 6ft from the SW, 14 seconds, with glassy conditions (N at 0 mph). The combined energy is strong at 1340. That’s a solid, powerful groundswell with no wind – perfect lines. But at 6ft, it’s getting into the zone where beginners might feel the push. The afternoon sees a 7ft swell from the WSW, but with an onshore wind, so it’s messy.

Tuesday, 4th August, morning is back to a manageable 5ft from the SW, 11 seconds, with a clean cross-off breeze. Energy is 604. Good, solid surf. The afternoon turns onshore and poor.

The Big Standout (for experts only): Wednesday, 5th August, morning. The swell is 10ft from the SW, with a 15-second period – that’s a very long-period groundswell, massive energy (4539). The wind is a cross-shore from the NNW at 9 mph, which is manageable. This is a heavy, powerful wave for Horse Trails. At 10ft, it’s strictly for experts. The swell is too big for this sandbar break for the average punter. The same goes for Thursday, 6th August, with 10ft to 13ft swells and glassy conditions – massive energy (4031 to 6729), but again, it’s just too big for this spot to be fun for most.

From Friday, 7th August, through to Wednesday, 12th August, the swell stays big (8ft to 16ft), but the wind often gets onshore or too strong. There are some clean windows on the 7th and 8th, but the size remains a problem for Horse Trails. On Saturday, 8th, and Sunday, 9th, we see a monster 16ft S swell with near-gale force winds – that’s not surfable, that’s a weather warning.

The tail end of the period, from 10th to 14th August, continues to pump out 10ft to 13ft SW swells, but the wind is often cross-on or onshore, with some strong breezes. There’s a glimmer on Monday, 10th August, afternoon: a 7ft S swell, 10 seconds, with a light cross-off breeze. That’s 1433 energy – moderate-strong – and clean. That’s a good session for experienced surfers, but the period is a bit short (10 seconds) so it’ll be a bit more jumbled than the long-period stuff.

Best Bet for the Average Surfer: Friday, 31st July afternoon, and Saturday, 1st August morning. Small, clean, offshore/glassy, and manageable size. That’s the sweet spot.

For the Experts: The morning of Wednesday, 5th August, and Thursday, 6th August, offer massive, clean groundswell, but be ready for a serious beating.

Rusty.

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