Folly Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board and let’s talk about the next couple of weeks. To be straight with you, the waves are going to be small, and I mean *small*. We’re looking at a stretch where you’ll have to work for every half-decent ripple. Don't get too fired up, because this is a flat spell for the most part.

The first good chance to even get wet will be Friday morning, August 21st. We’ve got a weak little pulse of swell from the ESE, but it’s only pushing 0.7ft with an 8-second period. Energy is weak at 10, so it'll be gutless. The water is running at 87°, which is 4° warmer than average for this time of year—that's noticeable, like bathwater. There’s a gentle cross-shore breeze that will keep it mostly clean, but it’s going to be a real grinder for scraps. It’s something, but barely.

The weekend doesn't offer much hope either. Saturday morning, August 22nd, has a slight bump to 2ft from the SSW, but it's short-period (4 seconds) and the energy is still weak at 32. The light W wind will make it clean, but it’s going to be lumpy and weak. Sunday, August 23rd, drops back down to 0.3ft on the morning with a long-period SE groundswell at 13 seconds, but the energy is a paltry 9. It’s glassy with the NNW wind, but there's just nothing to ride. You’d be bobbing around more than surfing.

The start of the next week is more of the same. Monday, August 24th, is flat with 0.3ft. Tuesday morning, August 25th, has a small 1ft from the SE with a glassy surface, but it’s still poor. We see the same story through the rest of August—tiny waves, weak energy, and a lot of waiting. The one thing worth noting is Thursday afternoon, August 27th, when we get a bit of a bump to 3ft from the south, and the wind goes glassy after some rain. It’s still only a 5-second period, but that might be the most rideable wave of the week, though it’ll still be marginal.

Moving into the first week of September, we’re still stuck in the same pattern. There’s a small pulse on Wednesday morning, September 2nd, with 1ft from the SE, a 10-second period, and clean with a light offshore wind. That's probably one of the cleaner mornings of the whole stretch, but it’s not a standout by any stretch. The energy is moderate at 40, but it’s not enough to get excited about.

Honestly, there are no true standouts on offer in this entire 16-day window. Everything is either too small, too weak, or has junk wind. If you’re just desperate to get wet, the cleanest, most glassy moments will be your best bet, but don’t expect anything to get your heart racing. For a beach break like Folly Beach, with this kind of weak, short-period swell and onshore winds, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on some days.

The long-range stuff—further out than a week—is just more of the same: weak and inconsistent. It’s a quiet spell, so maybe focus on something else for a bit. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, you won’t miss much.

Stay patient.

Rusty

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