Folly Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let me tell you, it’s a tough stretch ahead for the local break. We’re looking at Folly Beach Pier, and honestly, the wave machine is pretty much on idle for the foreseeable future. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but don’t get your hopes up for any kind of legit surf session until late in the game.

The whole run starts quiet. The first few days are just flat to tiny, with weak energy barely registering. The water temp is sitting at a very warm 86°F, which is about 4°F above normal for this time of year, so it feels like bathwater. But the waves? They’re just not there. You’ll see a lot of glassy mornings and clean conditions, but with swell heights barely scraping 1ft and periods under 10 seconds, there’s nothing to push you around. The combined energy is mostly in the single or low double digits, which is weak.

We slog through a whole week of this. By Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd, we even hit dead flat, with zero energy. It’s a real bummer. The wind is often light or offshore, which would be perfect if there was any swell. As it stands, it’s just a flat, clean ocean.

The only faint glimmer of hope comes later in the run. On Wednesday morning, the 22nd, we see a tiny bump. The swell picks up to 3ft from the S, with a period of 4 seconds. That’s a short period windswell, but the combined energy hits 58, which is a step up. The real kicker is the wind: glassy. That’s a major positive. It’ll be clean, but it’s still small and weak. This is really the best of a bad lot, but it’s a stretch to call it a standout.

Going into Thursday the 23rd, we hold onto that 3ft from the SSW, with a bit more period (5 seconds) and a clean offshore wind from the W. The energy jumps to 68. It’s still not big, but it’s the most punch we’ve seen all week. For a beginner, this might be a fun little ankle-snapper with clean conditions. For anyone else, it’s a long wait for a small, weak wave.

After that, it fades back into the doldrums. The last few days flirt with 3ft but the wind turns cross or cross-on, chopping it up. The 16th day, Sunday the 26th, is just a messy, onshore slop.

So, the honest truth? There is no standout session in this outlook. The only reason to paddle out is for a paddle. The setup is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer on those days with a bit of wind and a bump. It’s a real dry spell, but things can change. Keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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