Folly Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long hard look at what Folly Beach has got cooking for the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – this stretch ain’t shaping up to be one for the memory books. The water temp is sitting right around 82°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing your toes off while you’re waiting for something, anything, to happen.

We are starting with a pretty grim run. Right now and for the next several days, the wave energy is just pathetic. We’re talking combined swell energy in the teens and twenties (17 to 40) – that’s weak stuff. Tiny little knee-high waves with short-period slop. The wind is mostly cross or onshore, keeping things bumpy and uninviting. There’s a tiny window early on Saturday the 12th and Monday the 14th where the wind goes light offshore or cross-off, and you might get a clean little ripple, but it’s still only about 1 foot. Hardly worth paddling out for.

We hit a bit of a lift mid-week, starting Tuesday the 15th. The swell bumps up to about 4 ft, coming from the East, but the period is a lousy 6 seconds. That’s windswell junk. The wind is howling out of the ENE at 19 mph, putting a nasty cross-chop on the surface. The combined energy climbs a bit (96), but it’s messy. This pattern of onshore wind and short-period, lumpy surf runs all the way through to the 21st. The size stays around 3 ft to 4 ft, but the wind is never your friend.

Now, the first real standout isn’t until the end of the period. On Wednesday the 23rd in the morning, we get a small break. The north wind goes light offshore (3 mph) and the combo swell from the ESE at 2 ft has a bit more period (9 seconds). It’s the only time in the whole window that the conditions are called "surfable". The energy is low (86), but the clean, glassy surface will make the most of it. This is the one to circle on your calendar.

Later that week, on Saturday the 26th, the swell period jumps up to 11 and even 12 seconds. That’s a real groundswell signal. The problem is, the swell size is still small (2 ft to 2 ft) and the wind cranks onshore at 19 mph. The combined energy peaks at 172 for the afternoon, which is a moderate amount of energy, but it’s all being obliterated by the fresh cross-onshore wind, making it lumpy and sloppy. It’s a frustrating tease of some deeper water energy that never gets to clean up.

Best Bet: Honestly, the top of this sorry heap is Wednesday, September 23rd, morning. It’s the only session where you’ll find clean, glassy conditions on a small but rideable 2 ft ESE swell. For the hardcore who are just desperate for a paddle, that’s your window. The Saturday the 26th has more energy, but the wind will ruin it. Folly is a fairly consistent spot, but this is a tough run. Hang in there – forecasts can change.

- Rusty

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