Folly Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at the cards we've been dealt for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the next week and a half is looking pretty grim. We've got a long stretch of nothing much to get excited about, with the first real whisper of anything decent not showing up until the 4th of September. That's a solid gap of over a week with no worthwhile surf on offer.

The main break we're looking at is Folly Beach Pier. The water is sitting at a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 85°, so that's a nice bonus if you're just going for a swim.

For the first week, from the 24th of August right through to the 3rd of September, it's a write-off. We're seeing tiny, weak waves with combined swell energy readings barely getting into double digits or low double figures. The wind is a constant problem, mostly cross or cross-onshore, keeping things choppy and messy. There's a few mornings with a bit of a cross-off breeze, but the swell is just too small to do anything with. This is a classic case of "poor surf conditions" and nothing to recommend.

Now, things start to look a little more interesting on the 4th of September. That Friday morning is the standout. We've got a glassy calm, a light offshore breeze swinging around, and the wave energy is starting to build. The combined swell energy hits 83 (moderate), but the swell itself is still small, about 2 ft from the southeast. The period is a long 13 seconds, which is a groundswell. That long period might make it a bit walled and straight on a beach break like Folly Pier, but if you can find a sandbar, it could offer some clean, peelable lines. The conditions will be clean, and that's a big plus. The Friday afternoon also has a clean look with a light cross-off breeze.

The 5th of September keeps the clean conditions with a cross-off wind, but the wave energy drops back to 49, so it's back to small, tired lumps. The 6th of September gives us a bit more size, about 3 ft from the east, and a clean offshore wind on Sunday afternoon. The energy is still low at 49, but a clean 3 ft with an offshore breeze is definitely surfable. The 7th of September Monday morning has a spike in energy to 153 (strong) with a 2 ft, 11-second southeast swell and clean conditions – that's a sign of some energy moving through, but again, the size is the limiting factor.

Overall, if you're desperate, the 4th of September Friday morning is your best bet for the cleanest, glassiest conditions, but don't expect any juice. The 6th of September Sunday afternoon offers the best combination of size and clean offshore wind, making it the true standout for this forecast period. Everything else is small and choppy.

Keep it salty, folks.

Rusty.

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