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.

We’ve got a solid run of surf coming through, but it’s not all clean. The first few days are good but have a bit of wind on them. The real standout is shaping up to be Monday morning, the 17th of August. That’s the one to circle on the calendar. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary there.

Wednesday, 12th August – Morning session is the pick. We’re looking at a clean 6ft SW groundswell with a very long 18-second period. The wind is a gentle offshore breeze out of the east. The combined swell energy is solid (2215), so there’s plenty of push. That said, the swell is over 5ft, so it’s getting into intermediate territory. The afternoon sees the wind swing cross-offshore, and the swell bumps up a touch to 6ft, but it’s a bit more marginal.

Thursday, 13th August – Solid morning. The swell has built to 7ft from the WSW with a 17-second period, and the combined energy is pumping (2998). Wind is a light cross-offshore breeze from the north-northeast, keeping it clean. This is expert territory at over 7ft, so only for the experienced crew. The afternoon gets a bit cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit lumpy.

Friday, 14th August – Swell drops a little to 6ft, but it’s a cross-shore wind all morning, which puts a bit of chop on it. The period is still a long 15 seconds. It’s surfable, but not the best of the week.

Saturday, 15th August – This is a great morning session. The wind is dead calm, glassy, and the swell is a clean 6ft from the WSW with a 14-second period. The combined energy is moderate (1193). For a sandbar, a long period like 14 seconds can sometimes make it a bit straight, but with glassy conditions, it’s worth a paddle. The afternoon turns into a light cross-onshore, so it gets messy.

Sunday, 16th August – A bit onshore all day. Swell holds at 6ft, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s rippled and not the best call.

Monday, 17th August – The standout. Morning is glassy again, with a solid 8ft WSW swell and a 13-second period. The combined energy is strong (2313). This is a big swell, expert-only, but if you’ve got the skills, the conditions will be absolutely firing. The afternoon sees the wind swing cross-onshore, so get out early.

Tuesday, 18th August – The swell drops to 6ft, but the wind is cross-shore, putting a bit of a bump on it. The energy is dropping (970). A bit ordinary.

Wednesday, 19th August – A write-off. Strong cross-shore winds at 19 mph making it lumpy and poor. Surf is only 5ft. Not worth it.

Thursday, 20th August – The morning cleans up a bit with a light cross-offshore breeze and a smaller 4ft SW swell. The energy is low (601). The afternoon gets a 7ft S swell, but it’s short period (7 seconds) and cross-onshore, so it’s junky.

Friday, 21st August – Picking up again. 7ft SW swell with a 12-second period, and a cross-offshore wind in the morning keeping it clean. The energy is moderate (1573). The afternoon turns onshore, though.

Saturday, 22nd August & Sunday, 23rd August – Moderate sized swell around 7ft to 8ft, but the wind is mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore, so it’s bumpy and chopped up. Not the best.

Monday, 24th August onwards – The swell drops off quickly. By Monday arvo it’s down to 3ft, and by Tuesday we’re looking at tiny 2ft waves. The last few days of the forecast have almost nothing, with only 2ft on the Wednesday morning. That’s a proper lull.

All in all, the best bet is the glassy morning of Monday, 17th August for the big swell crew. Saturday morning, 15th August is also a beauty for those who want a slightly smaller, clean wave. The week after that is pretty quiet, so make the most of the first week.

Rusty.

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