Folly Beach Surf Break

Lat Long: 32.66° N 79.93° W

Folly Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 7 pm 15 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Folly Beach sea temperature is
30.0° C
1.9° 

Folly Beach surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Folly Beach surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 11s period, SE swell with 41 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Folly Beach this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Folly Beach in the next 16 days are 0.4m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 2AM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 8PM (Tue 18th Aug)1.5ft (0.4m) 11s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Folly Beach over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you – it's gonna be a tough stretch to find any real rideable surf on the Folly Beach front for a solid while. We're looking at a lean period, and I mean lean.

Right off the bat, the surf is just not there. For the first week, we're staring down a whole lot of nothing – we're talking ankle-biters and knee-high slop, day after day. The energy in the water is weak, with values mostly in the teens and twenties. Sunday the 16th starts with a clean 1 ft, but it's a dribbler. Monday the 17th might see a tiny bump to 2 ft, but it’s short-period junk with a cross shore wind making a mess of it. Honestly, the first week is a write-off. From the 16th through the 23rd, there just isn't a single session that's worth paddling out for.

Even as we head into the second week, things stay pretty grim. You get some cleaner mornings, like the 27th and 28th, where the wind drops out and it looks glassy, but the waves are still nothing to get excited about. There's a bit more energy showing on the 27th, with the combined energy reading hitting 80, but the swell is only 1 ft to 2 ft. It’s surfable, but "very ordinary" is being kind. The wind is expected to be cross-on in the afternoon, chopping things up before they ever really get going.

It’s a classic Folly story for a summer lull: small, weak, and wind-affected. The water temperature is sitting about average for the time of year, so at least it'll be comfortable to just float around in. But for surfing? You're better off waiting. The most notable, if you can call it that, is the clean window on the morning of Thursday, the 27th. There’s a bit of a pulse of long-period energy (13 seconds) with a light cross-offshore breeze. But at 1 ft, it’s still a longboard-only, uber-cruisy kind of day for the most patient of folks. The winds do look like they might offer some clean moments, but the swell just isn't backing it up.

So, there you have it. A real drought. But keep your head up – Folly’s fairly consistent as a break, so a run this poor usually doesn't last forever, and a forecast this far out can change. Keep watching the charts.

Rusty, out.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 35°C on Tue afternoon, min 28°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 32°C on Tue night, min 28°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.3
SE
8
0.3
SE
8
0.3
SE
8
0.3
SE
8
0.3
SE
8
0.3
SE
8
0.3
SE
8
0.4
SE
8
0.4
SE
11
0.4
SE
10
0.4
SE
10
0.4
SE
9
0.7
SSW
4
0.5
S
5
0.6
S
4
0.5
S
4
0.4
SSE
4
0.5
S
5
0.2
ESE
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
10
10
10
9
10
9
11
16
30
36
23
21
21
12
9
9
7
10
8
Wind (km/h)
15
SW
5
WNW
15
S
15
SW
10
SW
25
SSW
25
SW
10
W
25
S
10
WNW
5
NE
15
SSE
20
WSW
10
SW
20
S
15
S
10
S
20
SSE
25
N
Wind State
cross
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-on
off
glassy
on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
High Tide
10:53PM1.75m
11:33AM1.73m
11:37PM1.65m
12:21PM1.70m
00:21AM1.55m
1:09PM1.66m
1:06AM1.46m
1:57PM1.63m
1:54AM1.40m
2:48PM1.61m
2:45AM1.36m
3:40PM1.61m
3:39AM1.35m
Low Tide
5:01AM0.01m
5:28PM0.10m
5:43AM0.08m
6:18PM0.22m
6:25AM0.16m
7:12PM0.31m
7:10AM0.23m
8:07PM0.39m
7:58AM0.29m
9:03PM0.42m
8:49AM0.32m
9:58PM0.43m
thunderstorm
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
thunderstorm
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:43
6:43
6:45
6:45
6:46
6:47
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:05
8:02
8:01
8:00
8:00
7:59
7:58
 mm
4
2
1
2
4
Temp °C
30
30
32
31
31
32
30
33
35
32
31
31
31
29
30
29
30
30
30
Feels °C
33
35
35
35
34
33
33
34
36
36
35
33
34
33
32
31
34
33
33
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Folly Beach Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Folly Beach 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 can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Folly Beach 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) 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 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 is 8 km (5 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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