Folly Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, this is a tough run. The whole 16-day window looks flat and miserable. There’s a big gap right from the start with no surf worth mentioning, and honestly, it doesn’t really get much better. We’ve got a lot of days with tiny, weak swell and poor wind. The only real option on the cards is Folly Beach Pier – a beach/pier setup that’s exposed to the NE.

Water temp is sitting at 83°F, which is about normal for this time of year, so no wetsuit worries.

The first glimmer of something happens on Saturday morning, September 12th. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell from the SW with a short period of 6 seconds, and light WNW winds that are cross-offshore. The combined energy is weak though, at only 72, so it’ll be pretty weak and gutless. The window is clean, but it’s short period, so don’t expect any real push. Good for a floating session if you’re desperate.

The only other day that might get your attention is Thursday morning, September 17th. It’s glassy with a 2ft swell from the east. The period is short at 5 seconds and the energy is a paltry 35. It’s clean as a whistle, but it’s barely a ripple. Because it’s so small and weak, this isn’t a beginner-friendly spot for learning, but it’s not big enough to be a problem for anyone.

The rest of the period is a write-off: onshore winds, choppy conditions, and tiny swell. We’ve got days with wind over 18 mph and lumpy mess, and a lot of cross-onshore slop. The swell is consistently under 3ft, and the period is often below 8 seconds, which is just windswell junk.

There’s a very long gap from the start right through to the 12th with no real surf. That’s a stretch of about 10 days of nothing. After the 12th and 17th, it’s back to the same old story.

So, the standout? I’d say the Saturday morning, September 12th is your best bet for a clean, ridable wave, even if it’s small. The Thursday morning, September 17th is a close second for the glassy conditions, but it’s even smaller. There’s nothing here for anyone looking for real power. Because of the lack of any consistent swell and the poor quality, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of the window.

Keep your hopes low, and the board waxed just in case a bigger swell sneaks in. Forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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