Folly Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for our local stretch.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a grim 16-day outlook for Folly Beach Pier. We've got a long stretch of flat, weak, and messy conditions ahead. There's truly not a single standout session in the whole run. The first recommendation doesn't come until the very start of the period, and honestly, it's just not worth paddling out for.

Sunday afternoon, July 12th, is technically the first bit of surf, but it's a real bummer. We're looking at a tiny 2ft swell out of the SSW with a short period of 4 seconds, so there's hardly any push. The combined wave energy is a measly 14, which is weaker than weak. On top of that, we've got moderate rain and the water is sitting at 86°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The wind is glassy out of the Northeast, but with waves that small and poor, it's not making a difference. The report says "poor surf conditions" – I wouldn't bother.

From there, it's a wasteland. We go through all of Monday the 13th, Tuesday the 14th, Wednesday the 15th, and Thursday the 16th with nothing but tiny, onshore slop or junky cross-wind chop. The swell barely cracks 2ft and the period rarely gets out of the single digits. It's all just "poor surf conditions."

We see a tiny tick up on Friday morning, July 17th, with a 2ft SSW swell at 5 seconds. The wind looks clean out of the West (cross-off), and the wave energy hits 25. But honestly, 2ft of short-period wind swell on an inconsistent beach break? The combined energy is still only 25, so it's weak. It's not going to wrap in or hold any shape. You'd be fighting for a knee-high lump. Not worth the drive.

The rest of the month is more of the same. Saturday the 18th through to Monday the 27th is an endless parade of tiny 0.3ft to 2ft swells, mostly out of the East or Southeast with periods of 3 to 8 seconds. The wind is almost always a cross-onshore or onshore mess, or if it does go offshore, the swell is gone. The combined energy never gets higher than 26. Every single time slot is rated as "poor surf conditions." There's no variation.

Because the break is a beach/pier setup that's fairly exposed, and we've got so much onshore wind and tiny, weak surf, a few of those afternoons with 12-15 mph winds and choppy conditions would actually be more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer. For us, it's just a write-off.

Look, this is one of those blank runs that just happens. There's no consistency in the swell, the wind is mostly junk, and the wave energy never builds. Don't hold your breath for the forecasts to change any time soon. It's a flat spell.

Stay dry,
Rusty

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