Surf Forecasts:
Folly Beach surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 23 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period, S swell with 77 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 8AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Folly Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Folly Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 8AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Folly Beach in the next 16 days are 1.1m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 8AM. 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 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 11PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 8AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 8AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 8AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Folly Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here from the South Carolina coast, and I gotta level with you—this stretch is lookin’ pretty flat and funky. We’ve got just one spot that’s even worth a look, and that’s Folly Beach. The water’s warm at 85°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be fine in just your boardies.
The whole 16-day window is a tough one. There’s a real gap in decent surf, with nothing but tiny, wind-affected leftovers for the first week and a half. The energy is weak—most days the combined swell energy is under 100 (like 10 to 64), so it’s barely a ripple. The winds are mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the swell heights rarely push past 1 ft to 2 ft. It’s not until late in the run that we see a little pulse.
The only standout is Thursday morning, August 27th. That’s when we finally get a bit of life. Early that morning, the wind is light off the WSW at 6 mph, giving us a clean, cross-off breeze. The swell is small at 1 ft from the SE, but the period is a solid 13 seconds, which is a long-period groundswell. The combined energy hits 112 (moderate), and for the first time it’s described as “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s not gonna blow your mind, but it’s the best we’ve got. That long period will work best at the point or a sandbar that can handle the longer lines. Folly Beach is fairly exposed to swell and hits best from ENE, so this SE swell is a little off-angle, but with the glassy morning it’s the only window of clean, rideable waves.
After that, things get messy again. Friday the 28th through the 30th has some slightly bigger swell (3 ft to 4 ft) from the E, but the period drops to 7-8 seconds and the wind turns onshore or cross, so it’s choppy and lumpy. The energy picks up a bit (211 on the 29th morning), but the conditions are poor. Honestly, with the stronger winds and bigger chop, it’s lookin’ more like a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.
So, bottom line: if you’re desperate for a paddle, set your alarm for the morning of Thursday, August 27th. Otherwise, it’s a whole lot of flat and frustration. Forecasts can change, though, so don’t write it off completely.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon morning. Warm (max 36°C on Tue afternoon, min 27°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 30°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Thu morning, fresh winds from the S by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 5 | S 5 | S 4 | S 5 | S 4 | SE 10 | ESE 9 | S 5 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 42 | 26 | 23 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 4 | 8 | 33 | 57 | 31 | 39 | 17 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross | off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 4:34PM1.62m | 4:34AM1.36m | 5:25PM1.66m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:42AM0.32m | 10:49PM0.41m | 10:36AM0.30m | 11:38PM0.37m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |  | | |
 | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — |
 | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — | — | 7:55 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 5 | 2 | 9 |
Temp °C | 31 | 33 | 31 | 33 | 36 | 32 | 32 | 34 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 28 | 27 |
Feels °C | 34 | 35 | 33 | 34 | 37 | 35 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 30 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 4 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SSW 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 5 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 5 | S 5 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 12 |
| kJ | 9 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 42 | 26 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | E 5 | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 5 | SE 10 | — | — | SE 8 | — | — | — | E 15 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | SE 8 |
| kJ | 3 | 1 | — | 11 | 16 | 1 | 23 | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | — | — | SE 12 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 10 | SE 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 3 | SSW 4 | — | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | — | S 3 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | S 4 | S 5 | S 4 | — | — | S 5 | S 5 | S 6 | S 6 | S 5 |
| kJ | — | 5 | 10 | — | 6 | 10 | — | 4 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 20 | 17 | 19 | — | — | 33 | 57 | 31 | 39 | 17 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 717 | 717 | 295 | 102 | 341 | 285 | 102 | 353 | 878 | 878 | 737 | 1155 | 861 | 409 | 300 | 717 | 296 | 285 | 61 | 61 | 229 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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