Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gather 'round, grab a coffee. Rusty here, looking at the coming swell window for Horse Trails. It's a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of sessions that'll have you grinning.

The week kicks off with a bit of a slow start. Monday afternoon the 24th is a write-off—cross-shore breeze at 12 mph, combined energy is weak (884), and the water is a chilly 56°, which is a whopping 5° colder than usual for this time of year. That's a proper cold snap, so you'll want a thick suit.

Tuesday the 25th sees a big jump in size with a solid 7 ft SW groundswell (14-second period), but the cross-shore wind picks up to 16 mph in the afternoon, making it a lumpy mess. The combined energy is strong (2070), but the quality is just not there for a good paddle.

Then we hit the first real standout. Wednesday the 26th morning is where it's at. We've got a clean 5 ft swell from the WSW with a 13-second period, and a light cross-offshore breeze from the ESE at 9 mph. The combined energy is moderate (997), but the conditions are described as "clean." That's a sweet window for an intermediate session. The afternoon holds similar promise with a 4 ft swell and even lighter winds.

Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th are a bit of a letdown. Swell drops to 4 ft and 3 ft, with light cross-shore breezes and some cloud cover. The combined energy stays low (599-693). It's rideable, but you won't be writing home about it.

Saturday the 29th morning offers a clean 4 ft swell with a cross-offshore breeze, but the afternoon turns choppy. Sunday the 30th looks raw and big—8 ft swell with onshore winds. That's a messy, powerful combo that's not worth the paddle.

The end of the first week and start of September gets wild. On the 1st of September, Tuesday afternoon, a massive 10 ft SW groundswell (14 seconds) hits, but the combined energy is enormous (3717). The report says it's too big for this break. Same story for Wednesday the 2nd morning with an 12 ft swell and 3785 energy. That's big-wave territory, only for experts, and even then, the wind isn't playing nice.

Later in the week, from Thursday the 3rd to Friday the 4th, we've got 10 ft to 12 ft swells from the SSE, but the wind is howling at 22 mph, creating a lumpy cross-chop. That's kite-surfing weather, not for a paddle board.

Now, the second week brings a real shift. The standout for the whole forecast is Saturday the 5th of September. The afternoon session delivers a clean 8 ft SSW swell, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the ESE at 9 mph. The combined energy is strong (1651), and the report says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." That's a solid, powerful wave for those who know what they're doing.

Sunday the 6th of September morning is also a beauty. A clean 7 ft SSW swell with a light offshore breeze from the east at 6 mph. The combined energy is 1420, and again, "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." The high period (10 seconds) means it’s a proper groundswell, offering good shape and energy.

The following Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th of September settle back to smaller, cleaner waves in the 4 ft to 5 ft range, with cross-offshore breezes. It’s a nice consolation prize, but the real magic is that Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th.

So, to call it: your best bet is the morning of Wednesday the 26th of August for a clean, solid session, but the absolute standout is the afternoon of Saturday the 5th of September and the morning of Sunday the 6th of September. Get out there for those.

Rusty.

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