Surf Forecasts:
Folly Beach Pier surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, S swell with 40 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Folly Beach Pier this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Folly Beach Pier in the next 16 days are 0.8m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 8AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Folly Beach Pier over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – it’s a rough stretch.
First off, the water is sitting at 87°F at Folly Beach Pier, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. Feels like bathwater.
For the first week and a half, from Thursday the 20th right through to the end of August, it’s pretty much a write-off. The swell is tiny, mostly under 2ft, and the wind is all over the place – cross, cross-onshore, choppy. The wave energy is weak, barely hitting double digits (11 to 77 range). The surf is just poor. There’s a brief moment on the morning of Sunday the 23rd where it goes clean with a light offshore wind from the NW, but the swell is a pathetic 0.3ft with a long period of 13 seconds. That’s a groundswell, but with no height, it’s barely a ripple. Not worth paddling out for.
We’ve got a real gap here. Nothing to recommend from the 20th through to the 3rd of September. That’s a solid two-week lull.
Then, on the morning of Thursday the 4th of September, things finally get interesting. The wind goes glassy – dead calm, 0 mph. So the conditions are clean. The swell picks up to 4ft from the East, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined wave energy jumps to 181 (moderate). It’s not a groundswell, so it’ll be a bit short-period, but that glassy wind makes it the standout of the whole period. The main issue is that it’s a beach break setup, and with a short period, it might be a bit crumbly, but the clean conditions make it worth a look. It’s also small enough for beginners, so a good chance for a fun, uncrowded session if you get out there early.
The afternoon of the 4th sees the wind swing onshore and the chop comes back, so the morning is your golden window.
So, to sum it up: the best bet in this 16-day window is the morning of Thursday, September 4th at Folly Beach Pier. It’s the only time the stars align. Everything else is flat and messy. Hang in there, the ocean will come back.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 32°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 32°C on Sun afternoon, min 24°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSW 5 | ESE 9 | S 4 | S 5 | SE 13 | S 5 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | S 5 | SE 11 | S 5 | S 5 | S 4 | S 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 11 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 30 | 8 | 12 | 17 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 34 | 20 | 11 | 18 | 28 | 11 | 16 | 39 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:12PM1.63m | 3:13AM1.35m | 4:08PM1.62m | 4:10AM1.34m | 5:04PM1.65m | 5:07AM1.35m | 5:57PM1.70m | 6:01AM1.40m | 6:45PM1.76m | 6:51AM1.47m | 7:29PM1.81m | 7:36AM1.54m | 8:09PM1.85m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:07AM0.28m | 8:59PM0.44m | 9:02AM0.31m | 9:58PM0.45m | 10:00AM0.31m | 10:55PM0.42m | 10:56AM0.29m | 11:48PM0.37m | 11:48AM0.24m | 00:36AM0.30m | 12:36PM0.19m | 1:19AM0.23m | 1:21PM0.14m | 1:59AM0.16m | |||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | |  | | | |  | | |  | | | | | | |
 | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — |
 | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:52 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 32 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 31 | 28 | 30 | 33 | 31 |
Feels °C | 36 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 35 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 31 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 34 | 32 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 5 | ESE 9 | SE 9 | S 5 | SE 8 | S 4 | SSE 6 | SE 12 | ESE 11 | ESE 11 | SE 11 | ESE 11 | ESE 10 | ESE 10 | SE 10 |
| kJ | 11 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 5 | 12 | 11 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 4 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 15 | SE 14 | ESE 9 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 8 | SE 12 | SE 8 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 6 | E 7 | E 7 | SE 11 | E 7 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 4 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 34 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | E 6 | SE 14 | SE 14 | E 7 | — | SE 13 | — | SE 12 | — | ESE 9 | — | — | — | — | E 7 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 | — | 6 | — | 6 | — | 8 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 3 | S 4 | S 4 | SSW 5 | — | S 4 | S 5 | — | S 5 | — | — | S 5 | S 4 | S 5 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | S 4 | S 6 |
| kJ | — | — | 3 | 5 | 4 | 30 | — | 12 | 17 | — | 13 | — | — | 15 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 28 | 11 | 16 | 39 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 618 | 737 | 586 | 1491 | 2321 | 103 | 546 | 295 | 59 | 103 | 205 | 297 | 113 | 498 | 283 | 103 | 1156 | 242 | 103 | 382 | 106 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Folly Beach Pier Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Folly Beach Pier provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Folly Beach Pier can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Folly Beach Pier surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Folly Beach Pier) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Folly Beach Pier may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Folly Beach Pier is 9 km (6 miles) from the city of Mount Pleasant. If you plan a vacation in South Carolina, look for hotels and other accommodation in Mount Pleasant. Mount Pleasant has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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