Horse Trails Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Horse Trails over the next couple of weeks.

The window kicks off this Saturday morning, August 29th, and right away there’s a real gem. That morning we’ve got a clean 5ft swell from the WSW with a solid 14-second period pushing through. The wind is a light easterly cross-off, keeping the surface glassy. The water is a nippy 56°F which is a good 4°F colder than normal for this time of year, so you’ll want a thicker wetsuit. The combined energy is chunky at 830, so there’s proper push in the water. This is definitely the standout session of the first week – get on it early.

Saturday afternoon goes south quickly with a swing in the wind. The swell hangs around the same size, but a southerly breeze at 12 mph blows it onshore and chops it right up. Not worth paddling out for.

Sunday the 30th sees a jump in size to 8ft from the SW, but the period drops to 13 seconds and the wind is a messy cross-shore at 16 mph. The energy is strong at 2181, but the conditions are just too rough. This one is for the experts only, and even then, it’s not pretty.

Monday morning the 31st drops to 7ft with a 11-second period, wind is cross-shore at 9 mph. The energy is still moderate at 1019, but the surface is lumpy. It’s a pass from me.

Tuesday the 1st of September, the swell builds again. Morning sees 8ft at 13 seconds, but it’s cross-on and the wind is light. By the afternoon, we’re looking at 10ft with the same period, but the wind picks up to 12 mph. That’s too big for this sandbar, and the wind is messy. This pattern of big, windy surf continues right through Wednesday the 2nd, with 10ft swell and periods in the 13-14 second range. The energy is off the charts (3540 on Wednesday morning), but the break can’t handle it. This is a big-wave zone for the brave and the experienced only.

We get a bit of a lull from Thursday the 3rd through to the end of the first week. Thursday morning has 7ft from the WSW but with a fresh 22 mph cross-shore wind. Friday the 4th is smaller, 4ft, and the wind is better, but it’s weak. Saturday the 5th has a tiny 3ft from the SSW with a 10-second period. The wind is light offshore in the morning, so it’s clean, but there’s hardly any energy (535). It’s a small-wave board day for the dedicated.

The first half of the second week is a bit average. Sunday the 6th has a clean 5ft from the SW with a 14-second period, and the wind is a light northerly cross-off. The energy is decent at 1104, but it’s not a standout. The next few days are small, weak, and either blown out or glassy but tiny. The 10th of September morning is totally glassy, dead calm, but the swell is a pathetic 3ft from the S with a 9-second period. It’s surfable, but pretty ordinary.

Now, here’s a promising one for the long-range. On Friday morning, September 11th, we get a spike of 7ft from the WSW with a very long 16-second period. The energy is huge at 2655. The wind is light cross-on, so it’s not perfect, but it’s a serious groundswell. This is a point-break and reef-swell, so at a sandbar like Horse Trails, that long period might make it close out a bit. Still, for the size and energy, it’s the most interesting forecast in the last few days. The following Saturday and Sunday (12th and 13th) keep the size up around 7ft to 10ft, but the wind is mostly onshore or cross-on, and the break is too big for the bigger swells. The 13th has 10ft from the SW at 12 seconds, which is too big for this spot.

So, the clear winner is Saturday morning, August 29th. Clean, 5ft, good period, and light offshore wind. The Friday 11th September is a wildcard for the long-range – it’s got the size and the energy, but the wind needs to play ball.

Keep an eye on the forecasts, but get out there this Saturday morning.

- Rusty

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