Folly Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this 16-day window for our stretch of coast is a tough one. The wave energy is just not there, and the wind is making things messy. We’re looking at a long stretch of time where the board is probably better off staying in the car.

Starting off, the first recommendation is for Friday, July 10th, but it's a quiet one. We’ve got a small 3 ft swell from the SSW with a short period of 6 seconds, and the combined energy is weak. The morning offers a clean look with a cross-off breeze, but the waves are just too small and weak to get excited about. It’s a beginner-friendly day, but not much more.

The whole first week is a grind. Saturday, July 11th, drops to a tiny 1.0 ft. Sunday, July 12th, is the same story. The water temp is sitting at a much warmer than normal 86°, which is over 4 degrees warmer than average for this time of year, but that’s the only thing that’s notable. The wind is either cross-on or onshore for most of the afternoons, whipping up chop and lumpy conditions. It’s a real struggle.

We go through a string of days with almost no energy. The swell is tiny, periods are short, and the wind is often messy. There’s a real gap here with no real surf to speak of. The best we see is a brief window on Wednesday, July 22nd, where the morning and afternoon have a clean, cross-off breeze, but the swell is still a weak 2 ft to 3 ft from the SSW. It’s clean, but the power just isn’t there.

The only standout in the whole 16 days shows up on Thursday, July 23rd. The morning brings a clean, cross-off westerly wind at 9 mph and a swell from the SE at 3 ft, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy hits a moderate level, which is the highest we’ve seen. Folly Beach is the spot, and while the swell direction (SE) isn’t the absolute optimum for this break (ENE), the clean conditions and the boost in energy make this the best on offer. The surf is surfable but very ordinary conditions, and honestly, that’s the best we’ve got. The afternoon drops off again with a cross-shore wind and lower energy.

After that, it’s back to the same old story. The final week from the 24th to the 25th of July is more of the same: small, weak swell, and messy wind. Crowds are possible at Folly Beach when the tiny surf is up, but with conditions this poor, it’s unlikely to be a problem.

To sum it up: if you’re desperate for a paddle, the morning of Thursday, July 23rd, is your best bet. The rest of the 16-day period is a write-off for decent surf. It’s a blank run, which is more normal for this area during this kind of stretch. Don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

Read more