Folly Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's talk about what's shaping up for Folly Beach, because honestly, for the next sixteen days, it's a tough stretch.

I'm looking at the whole picture, and the first thing that jumps out is that the water is sitting at a warm 86°, which is a good 4° warmer than usual for this time of year. That's a standout, but it doesn't make up for what's missing.

The outlook starts on Tuesday, July 28th, but it's a no-go. We're looking at a weak 2ft swell straight out of the SSW, with a short period of just 4 seconds, and a cross-on wind. The wave energy is a paltry 22, which is basically nothing. Conditions are just poor.

The rest of July and into August is a long, dry spell for surf. Wednesday morning, July 29th, is clean but the swell is a tiny 0.3ft. Thursday morning, July 30th, is also clean but again, only 0.3ft. There's no energy to work with. We get a few bumps of 2ft to 2ft from the SSE and SE through the end of the month into August, but the wind is consistently onshore or cross-onshore, making it choppy and messy. The combined energy values are all in the weak range, with the highest being a 49 on Sunday, August 2nd morning, but that's still with a cross-on wind and a short 7-second period. It's just not going to be a good time.

Honestly, the whole first week and into the second week is a write-off for paddle surfing. The swell is too small, the period is too short, and the wind is mostly blowing onshore. If you're into kite surfing, the stronger onshore winds and a bit of chop might make things interesting, but for a traditional surfboard, it's a flat spell.

There's a flicker of hope on Monday morning, August 10th, when the forecast shows glassy conditions with a 3 mph wind from the west, but the swell is still only 2ft with a 4-second period. It's a clean, tiny wave, but not really worth paddling out for.

The best we can see is on Wednesday, August 12th, morning. The swell picks up to 3ft from the SSW, the period stretches to 5 seconds, and we get a clean cross-offshore wind from the WSW. The energy is a moderate 43. It's not a world-class day, but after two weeks of nothing, it's the only shot. The wind will be clean, but the swell is small and the period is short, so it won't be holding much shape. It's the best of a bad lot.

So, the honest truth is that for the next 16 days at Folly Beach, there are no standout sessions. The entire outlook is filled with poor surf conditions. This is a real bummer. It's a long stretch of flat, choppy water. The best advice is to keep an eye on the forecasts, because this kind of blank run tends not to last forever.

Rusty, signing off.

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