Folly Beach Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gather 'round, folks. It's your boy Rusty, and I've gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf. We've got a long stretch of small, weak energy and mostly wonky winds, so don't expect any hero sessions. But let's break it down day by day so you know what you're dealing with.

The water is sitting at a toasty 85°F at Folly Beach Pier (Folly Beach), which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. That's nice for a swim, but the waves just aren't cooperating.

We kick off on Sunday, August 16th, with a tiny 1-foot swell from the southeast, and the period is a weak 8 seconds. The combined energy is a measly 10 – that's barely a ripple. Sunday morning is glassy, but the surf is just too poor to bother with. The afternoon sees a cross-onshore wind kicking up, making it choppy. Nothing doing.

Monday, August 17th, is more of the same. The swell is still 1 foot, and the energy is only 10. The morning has a clean, cross-off wind, but it's still tiny. Monday afternoon gets a little bumpier with a 2-foot swell from the SSW, but it's a short-period wind swell at 4 seconds and the wind is cross-on. It's a mess.

Tuesday, August 18th, through the end of the week is a real blue period. The swell stays small, mostly between 0.7 and 1 feet, with energy levels barely cracking 30. We get a few glassy mornings, but the waves are just too small to ride. The crowds are noted as "sometimes" at the pier, but honestly, with these conditions, there won't be many people out.

The whole first week is a write-off. The swell is too small, the winds are mostly cross-onshore, and the quality is poor. The only thing worth mentioning is that from Monday, August 24th, we start to see a slight increase in swell height, with a 3-foot SSW swell on Monday morning, but it's still a short period (5 seconds) and the wind is light and cross-on. The energy is a bit higher at 42, but it's not enough to get excited about. The following days are similar, with a 3-foot SW swell on Wednesday, August 26th, morning, but again, it's short period (5 seconds) and the wind is cross-shore.

The second week, from August 27th onward, doesn't offer much hope either. We see a few cleaner moments, like Thursday, August 27th, morning with a 1-foot SE swell and a 12-second period, giving 48 energy, and a clean cross-off wind. But the swell is just too small. The energy does climb to 75 on that afternoon, but it's still 1 feet. The rest of the week is filled with risk of thunderstorms and onshore winds, keeping the surf small and choppy. The swell is mostly from the ESE and SE, with periods around 8 seconds, and the energy stays low, in the 20s and 30s.

So, what's the best of a bad bunch? Honestly, there isn't one. The whole 16-day window is a blank. The consistent northwesterly morning winds offer the cleanest conditions, but there's no swell to match them. This is a classic summer flat spell. If you absolutely have to get wet, the cleanest windows are those glassy mornings, but you'll be paddling for nothing. The wind and swell combo does make the setup look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on some of those afternoons with a bit more breeze.

Keep your head up, folks. It tends not to stay poor for long, and forecasts can change. We'll keep an eye on it.

Rusty

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