Folly Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next 16 days are looking flat and pretty disappointing. We’ve got a long stretch ahead with the kind of tiny dribble that’s barely worth paddling out for. Let’s break it down.

The first bit of surf we can even talk about shows up on Thursday, August 13th, but don’t get your hopes up. The waves are a pathetic 0.7 ft from the ESE with a short period of 8 seconds and combined energy of just 6. That’s basically lake conditions. The water is a warm 86°, a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, which is nice for a float but not for surfing. The morning is glassy, but the swell is non-existent. By the afternoon, it gets bumped up by a cross-onshore wind at 12 mph, making it choppy and messy.

We roll into Friday, August 14th, with the same tiny 0.7 ft ESE swell, but at least the morning is clean with a light cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is still a weak 10. Afternoon brings a bit more wind and a shift to a 2 ft S swell with a period of just 4 seconds – that’s windswell chop, total junk.

Saturday, August 15th, is another day of barely-there surf. 0.3 ft in the morning (energy 2) and then a bumpy 2 ft in the afternoon with a 5-second period. Not worth the wax.

Sunday, August 16th, through to Monday, August 18th, the pattern holds: 0.7 ft to 1.0 ft, mostly from the SE, with mixed wind conditions. The best part of this whole stretch is the Tuesday morning, August 18th. The swell is still only 1.0 ft, but the period stretches to 13 seconds, giving it a little more push, and the combined energy bumps up to 54. The wind is light and cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean. It’s still tiny, but it’s the most interesting wave we’ll see in the first week.

After that, Wednesday, August 19th, through to the end of the forecast, it’s a flat spell. The swell heights stay between 0.7 ft and 3 ft, with periods that are mostly short (4 to 5 seconds) or moderate (8 to 11 seconds). The winds are often cross-onshore or onshore, especially in the afternoons, keeping things choppy and ugly. The combined energy values peak at 76 on the 18th and 19th, but that’s still weak.

The standout option in this whole 16-day window? It’s gotta be Tuesday morning, August 18th, at Folly Beach Pier. The swell is a modest 1.0 ft from the SE, but that 13-second period is a proper groundswell, giving it shape and energy (combined energy of 54). With a light cross-offshore wind from the W at 6 mph, the surface will be glassy and clean. It’s not a big day, but it’s the cleanest, most lined-up wave we’ll get. The water is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

For the rest of the run, expect a lot of small, unrideable slop. The Thursday, August 20th morning has a 2 ft S swell with a 5-second period, but it’s just windswell. The Friday, August 21st, morning is similar, 3 ft from the SSW with a 5-second period. These are messy, short-period waves. The Wednesday, August 26th, afternoon is a write-off with a 19 mph cross-onshore wind.

Basically, we’re in a flat spell. It’s not uncommon for this area. Forecasts can change, but right now, you’re better off keeping the board in the car and just enjoying the beach. The best chance for a session is that Tuesday morning, August 18th, for the clean, glassy lines. Don’t expect much else.

Rusty.

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