Folly Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming up for Folly Beach. I’ll be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty flat and sad for the most part. The waves are small, the wind is often wrong, and there’s not a single standout session that gets me excited. Still, I’ll walk you through it day by day so you know what you’re dealing with.

The pattern right now is weak. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, messy surf with mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds messing up what little there is. The water is running warm at 86°F – that’s much warmer than usual for this time of year, so at least a dip will feel nice, even if you’re not catching much. The combined swell energy is weak, mostly under 100, so don’t expect any push.

Let’s start on Wednesday the 19th. Morning sees a tiny 1 ft SE swell at 10 seconds, but it’s cross-on from the ENE at 6 mph, so it’s choppy and messy. Not worth paddling out. The afternoon is even worse with the wind clocking onshore. Thursday the 20th is equally poor – 1.0 ft and 0.7 ft swell with onshore and cross-onshore winds. Friday the 21st stays tiny, with a 0.7 ft ESE swell and cross-shore winds, still no juice. Saturday the 22nd morning has a brief window of clean conditions thanks to a light cross-offshore from the WSW, but the swell is only 0.7 ft – you’d be bobbing around on nothing. That afternoon picks up a little to 2 ft but the period drops to 4 seconds and the wind goes cross-on and choppy. It’s a no-go.

Sunday the 23rd teases a 0.7 ft ESE swell with a 13-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy, but it’s so small it won’t break properly. Afternoon sees a 3 ft S swell, but again only 4 seconds and messy cross-on wind. Monday the 24th is more of the same: 1 ft, poor conditions. The combined energy climbs to 75 in the afternoon, but still not enough to get excited about.

Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th both have 3 ft to 3 ft swells from the S and SSW, but periods are short (5-6 seconds), and winds are moderate to fresh cross-on, creating lumpy, choppy conditions. Not good for paddling, and honestly, with the wind and small close-interval swell, this setup might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Thursday the 27th morning is clean with a light cross-offshore from the W, but the swell is a pathetic 0.3 ft – you’d need a magnifying glass to see it. Friday the 28th morning is also clean with a light W wind, and the swell is 1.0 ft with a 13-second period, but it’s still barely surfable. The combined energy is only 47. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th stay small, with the afternoon of the 30th showing a 4 ft ESE swell at 9 seconds and combined energy of 259 (moderate), but the wind is cross-on at 12 mph, chopping it up.

Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September keep the trend of weak, small swell with unfavourable wind. The only glimmer is Tuesday afternoon the 1st of September, where the swell hits 2 ft from the SE with a 13-second period and combined energy of 208 (moderate), but the wind is onshore from the SSE at 12 mph – not clean. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd of September round things out with tiny swell and cross or cross-on winds.

So, to be honest, there’s no real standout here. The best conditions are probably the clean windows on Saturday 22nd morning and Friday 28th morning, but the swell is so tiny (0.7 ft and 1.0 ft) you’d be better off just floating. If you’re a beginner, this is a good week to practice paddling in flat water, but for anyone wanting a wave, you’re out of luck. The water is warm, but that’s the only good news. Keep your eye on the longer-range forecasts – things can change, but right now, Folly is a miss.

Rusty.

Read more