Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next 16 days have a pretty solid run of surf at Horse Trails, but it’s a mixed bag of quality and size, so you’ll need to pick your moments.

The pattern kicks off Monday, July 20th, with clean morning conditions. The swell is a solid 6 ft from the SW, period at 9 seconds, and a light north breeze keeps it cross-off. The combined energy is moderate (653). It’s a decent start, but nothing to write home about just yet.

Tuesday, July 21st, brings a bigger pulse. The morning swell jumps to 7 ft from the SW, and the period stretches out to a very long 14 seconds. That’s real groundswell energy with a combined energy value of 1946 – strong stuff. But the wind is light and cross, so it won’t be perfect. The afternoon sees 8 ft, but the wind turns cross-on, making it a bit messy. This one is getting big – over 8 ft, so it’s expert territory. The long period means it’ll be better at a point or reef than a beach break, but Horse Trails is a sandbar, so it might get a bit straight.

The standout of the first week is Wednesday, July 22nd, morning. The swell is 7 ft from the SW, period at 12 seconds, combined energy a solid 1340. But the wind is glassy – dead calm, no ripples. The forecast says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is your window for clean, lined-up waves. Expect a bit of juice from that long period, so the sets will be worth the wait.

Things settle down a bit on Thursday, July 23rd, and Friday, July 24th, goes big again. Friday morning sees an 12 ft SW swell, period 14 seconds, combined energy 4242. That’s a massive amount of energy. The wind is light and cross, but the swell is simply too big for this break. It’s expert-only, and even then, it’s going to be a washing machine. Not recommended for normal surfing.

By Saturday, July 25th, it drops back to 6 ft in the morning, cross-off wind, clean, with a combined energy of 1955. Good, but not the best.

Sunday, July 26th, is another glassy gem. The morning and afternoon both have 6 ft SW swell, period 11 seconds, and glassy wind. The combined energy is moderate (964 and 1163). The forecast says “very good surf conditions.” This is a close second to Wednesday morning for cleanliness.

The second week has some promise, but the confidence is lower. Monday, July 27th, morning is clean at 7 ft, but the afternoon gets hammered by a 25 mph SSE wind that destroys it. Tuesday, July 28th, afternoon looks much better: 6 ft SSW swell, period 11 seconds, light cross-off, clean, and the forecast says “excellent.” That’s a sneaky good one.

Wednesday, July 29th, morning has 8 ft SW swell, period 13 seconds, combined energy 2087, and light cross-off wind. It’s big, but the energy is strong. The forecast says “excellent” again. If you’re experienced, this is a solid call.

The very end of the run, August 3rd and 4th, sees a massive swell event – 12 ft to 16 ft from the WSW and W, with periods of 14-15 seconds and combined energy over 6000 to 8630. That’s huge, dangerous, and too big for this break. Only for the insane.

The best on offer: Wednesday, July 22nd morning, for the glassy, clean 7 ft SW swell with great energy. And Sunday, July 26th, for the all-day glassy 6 ft swell. Those are the ones to circle.

Water temperature is about average for the time of year. No major anomaly.

Rusty.

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