Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here, looking at the next couple of weeks for Horse Trails. Let’s get into it.

Overall, this stretch starts with a lot of size and power, but the conditions are going to be the real boss for a while. We’ve got a run of days where the waves are solid, but the wind and swell direction just aren't playing nice for a clean paddle. It's not until we get a bit further out that things start to line up properly. The water is much colder than normal at 55°, so don't forget a decent winter steamer if you’re heading out.

Right out of the gate on Tuesday, September 1st, we’re looking at a solid 8ft to 10ft SW groundswell, with a period of 13 seconds and a huge amount of energy (2429-3208). The problem is it's blowing a cross-onshore, which is going to chop up that sandbar face. It's a bit of a mess, honestly.

Wednesday, September 2nd holds that same big 10ft SW swell (3169-2682 energy), and the wind does swing offshore in the afternoon. The forecast notes this is actually too big for this break. Over 8ft, this is expert-only territory, and even then, the power is going to be a handful.

Now, here’s a standout window. Thursday, September 3rd morning is your best bet in the near term. The swell drops to a more manageable 7ft from the WSW (1488 energy), and here’s the kicker: the wind goes glassy. Clean, smooth surface, that's what we live for. This is for experienced surfers only given the size, but for the crew that can handle it, it’s going to be the pick of the first week.

Friday and Saturday are smaller, around 5ft to 6ft, but stuck with a cross-offshore SE wind. It’s clean, but the swell energy is low (500-682) and the period is short, around 8-9 seconds, so the waves will be a bit weak and crumbly.

Sunday, September 6th afternoon sees a lull in size to 4ft, but a very long period 15-second SW groundswell rolls in. The energy picks up to 1098, but a long period swell like this might break a bit flat and straight across the sandbar here.

The next big event is looking good. On Wednesday, September 16th, we get a serious pulse. The afternoon shows a 8ft WSW groundswell with a period of 16 seconds and massive energy of 3703. The wind is forecast to go glassy. That's the standout of the entire period, but it's for experts only at that size. The morning earlier that day is also worth a mention with a 3ft, 19-second period WSW groundswell and clean cross-offshore wind. These two days are where the quality is for the crew who can handle it. Keep in mind that a very long period swell like that 19-second one is best on a point or reef, but if the sandbar has the right shape, it could be magic.

Honestly, if you can only paddle out once, the morning of Thursday, September 3rd is where the clean, glassy conditions and solid 7ft swell meet just right for the experienced surfer. The afternoon of Wednesday, September 16th is the big, powerful, glassy end game for experts.

Rusty.

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