Folly Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let me be straight with you: right now, we’ve got a real flat spell on the cards for Folly Beach (Folly Beach). The finder is showing zero good surf options across the entire 16-day window, and every single session is flagged as “poor surf conditions.” There’s not a single standout day to get excited about. The forecast is basically a long stretch of tiny, wind-affected slop.

The water is sitting at 87° – that’s much warmer than usual for this time of year, so at least the paddle will be pleasant.

We start Thursday the 20th with tiny 1 ft swell from the SE, period a weak 8 seconds, and a light cross-shore breeze. The combined energy is a measly 11 – barely a ripple. Friday the 21st is even worse, with 0.7 ft swell and a choppy cross-onshore wind. Saturday the 22nd morning cleans up with a light cross-off breeze, but the swell is still only 0.7 ft. By Saturday afternoon, a short-period 2 ft S swell rolls in but with a moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy. Sunday the 23rd offers the best-looking wind of the first week – clean cross-off breezes in the morning and afternoon – but the swell is just 2 ft of short-period windswell, and combined energy only reaches 36. That’s not enough to get you up and riding.

From Monday the 24th through the end of the month, we see a mix of tiny swells (0.7 ft to 3 ft) and mostly cross-onshore or cross winds. The highest combined energy in the whole run is 70 on the morning of Friday the 28th, with a 3 ft SSW swell and clean cross-off wind, but it’s still a short-period, weak swell that won’t produce any real shape. Winds stay light and clean at times, especially on the 29th and 30th mornings when it’s glassy, but the swell is only 1 ft.

The first week of September doesn’t look any better. The first few days of September serve up more of the same: tiny swells, cross-onshore winds, and poor conditions. The 3rd of September morning sees a 2 ft E swell with a 7-second period, and combined energy climbs to 59 – still not enough to call it surfable.

The takeaway is simple: there’s nothing on offer for the next 16 days at Folly Beach. The breaks are inconsistent, the swell is weak, and the wind is rarely on our side. For a spot that’s fairly exposed, it’s a frustrating run. If you’re desperate to get wet, you might find a tiny, clean bump on the glassy mornings, but don’t expect to catch anything with any push. For paddle surfing, it’s a bust. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those days with a bit more wind.

Hang in there, check back – forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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