Folly Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Folly Beach are looking pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak surf and wonky winds ahead. If you’re desperate for a paddle, keep your expectations on the floor. The first real chance of anything rideable is a long way off, so settle in.

Let’s run through it. The forecast kicks off Saturday, the 4th of July, with a tiny 1 ft swell from the SE but a moderate onshore breeze from the SSE is going to mess it up. Water temp is sitting at 84°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least it’s nice for a swim.

Sunday the 5th through to Tuesday the 8th is basically a bust. We’re talking knee-high dribble at best, with cross-shore and cross-onshore winds ruining any chance of a clean face. The combined energy is barely a whisper, often under 100. Wednesday the 8th morning offers a brief moment of clean conditions with a light cross-offshore wind from the WSW, but the swell is only 1 ft – you’d be on a longboard struggling for tiny rollers.

We then hit a proper dead zone. From Thursday the 9th through to the middle of the following week, the swell stays tiny or non-existent, with onshore winds and lumpy conditions. The combined energy figures are all weak, often under 100. There’s a few morning windows with clean conditions again on the 11th, 12th, and 13th, but the swell heights are stuck around 1 ft to 2 ft. It’s barely surfable.

The first semi-notable bump appears on Tuesday the 14th, with a 3 ft swell from the E, but it’s arriving with a gentle cross-onshore wind, making it choppy. The combined energy creeps up to 71 (weak). It’s not great, and honestly, not worth getting excited about.

Wednesday the 15th morning sees a similar deal – a 3 ft swell from the NE with a gentle cross-onshore wind, energy at 79 (still weak). It’s about the best we’ll see, but that’s not saying much. For the rest of the week and into the following weekend, it’s more of the same: tiny swells, onshore wind, and a whole lot of flat spells.

If you’re a beginner just wanting to get wet, the cleanest mornings with the lightest winds are on the 8th, 11th, 12th, and 13th, but don't expect any real push. For anyone else, this is a two-week stretch that’s better suited to a kite session when the breeze picks up than a surf. Folly Beach is a fairly exposed break, but without any decent groundswell or clean windows, it’s just not happening.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts, and remember – it never stays this poor for long around here.

Rusty.

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