Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's dial into the stretch ahead for Horse Trails. We’ve got a big, long-period groundswell rolling in, and the key is picking the moments when the wind plays nice. The water is sitting at a very unusual 55°, a full three degrees Fahrenheit colder than normal, so you’ll be wanting the thickest wetsuit you own, and probably a hood.

The real standout action kicks off Sunday, September 6th. We’ve got a hefty 7ft SW groundswell with a super-long 18-second period pushing in – that's a lot of energy (3066). The morning sees a clean, cross-off ESE breeze at 9 mph, setting up some proper, powerful lines. That swell drops slightly to 6ft in the afternoon but the period stays long at 16 seconds, and with a light SE breeze, it’ll be clean enough for experienced surfers to get stuck into. This is your window.

Monday the 7th is an absolute gem for the early crew. The swell holds at a solid 7ft from the SW, 14-second period, but the wind goes dead calm. Glassy, zero wind, just you and the ocean. It’s an intermediate wave at that size, so you don’t have to be a charger, but you’ll want your wits about you. This is the pick of the whole run.

After Monday afternoon, things get messy for a while. The wind swings onshore and the quality drops right off through the middle of the week. We see a pulse of bigger swell around Thursday the 10th with 8ft waves, but that fresh SSE wind at 19 mph will have it chopped to bits. Not worth paddling out for.

The next real window opens up on Saturday the 12th. Another shot of clean swell arrives – 7ft from the SW with a 14-second period and light, cross-off SE winds. The energy is high (2216) and the surface will be clean. Keep an eye on it; it’s a promising morning.

After that, the onshore wind returns, and the week that follows is mostly a write-off for quality surfing until we get another pulse of big swell. Tuesday, September 15th, and Wednesday the 16th see the swell pumping at 10ft, but that size is way too big for this spot for anyone except absolute experts, and the wind is mostly cross or onshore, making it a lumpy mess. At that size and condition, you’d honestly be better off looking at a kite.

We do get one last shot at glory on Monday, September 21st. The swell is a fun 6ft from the SW, 13-second period, and the morning is glassy again. No wind. If the long-range models hold, it’s a late-cycle treat. The energy is solid (1382) and it will be clean.

The bottom line: Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th are your best bets right now. That glassy Monday morning is the one I’d be circling on the calendar. Bring the warmest rubber you’ve got.

Rusty.

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