Surf Forecasts:
Folly Beach surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 8PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 11s period, SE swell with 41 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Folly Beach this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Folly Beach in the next 16 days are 0.4m 11s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 8PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 8PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Folly Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you – it's gonna be a tough stretch to find any real rideable surf on the Folly Beach front for a solid while. We're looking at a lean period, and I mean lean.
Right off the bat, the surf is just not there. For the first week, we're staring down a whole lot of nothing – we're talking ankle-biters and knee-high slop, day after day. The energy in the water is weak, with values mostly in the teens and twenties. Sunday the 16th starts with a clean 1 ft, but it's a dribbler. Monday the 17th might see a tiny bump to 2 ft, but it’s short-period junk with a cross shore wind making a mess of it. Honestly, the first week is a write-off. From the 16th through the 23rd, there just isn't a single session that's worth paddling out for.
Even as we head into the second week, things stay pretty grim. You get some cleaner mornings, like the 27th and 28th, where the wind drops out and it looks glassy, but the waves are still nothing to get excited about. There's a bit more energy showing on the 27th, with the combined energy reading hitting 80, but the swell is only 1 ft to 2 ft. It’s surfable, but "very ordinary" is being kind. The wind is expected to be cross-on in the afternoon, chopping things up before they ever really get going.
It’s a classic Folly story for a summer lull: small, weak, and wind-affected. The water temperature is sitting about average for the time of year, so at least it'll be comfortable to just float around in. But for surfing? You're better off waiting. The most notable, if you can call it that, is the clean window on the morning of Thursday, the 27th. There’s a bit of a pulse of long-period energy (13 seconds) with a light cross-offshore breeze. But at 1 ft, it’s still a longboard-only, uber-cruisy kind of day for the most patient of folks. The winds do look like they might offer some clean moments, but the swell just isn't backing it up.
So, there you have it. A real drought. But keep your head up – Folly’s fairly consistent as a break, so a run this poor usually doesn't last forever, and a forecast this far out can change. Keep watching the charts.
Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 35°C on Tue afternoon, min 28°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 32°C on Tue night, min 28°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSW 4 | S 5 | S 4 | S 4 | SSE 4 | S 5 | ESE 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 30 | 36 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 8 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | off | glassy | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:53PM1.75m | 11:33AM1.73m | 11:37PM1.65m | 12:21PM1.70m | 00:21AM1.55m | 1:09PM1.66m | 1:06AM1.46m | 1:57PM1.63m | 1:54AM1.40m | 2:48PM1.61m | 2:45AM1.36m | 3:40PM1.61m | 3:39AM1.35m | ||||||
Low Tide | 5:01AM0.01m | 5:28PM0.10m | 5:43AM0.08m | 6:18PM0.22m | 6:25AM0.16m | 7:12PM0.31m | 7:10AM0.23m | 8:07PM0.39m | 7:58AM0.29m | 9:03PM0.42m | 8:49AM0.32m | 9:58PM0.43m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | |  | | |  | |
 | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — |
 | 8:05 | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — |
mm | 4 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 30 | 33 | 35 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
Feels °C | 33 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 34 | 33 | 33 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | S 4 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 4 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | S 4 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 4 | ESE 8 | S 5 |
| kJ | 3 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 30 | 36 | 23 | 21 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 16 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | — | NE 4 | SE 8 | — | — | S 4 | SE 8 | E 6 | S 4 | E 6 | SE 9 | — | — | — | ESE 8 | E 15 | ESE 9 |
| kJ | 10 | 10 | — | 1 | 9 | — | — | 3 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | 7 | 4 | 8 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 5 | — | — | — | — | — | SE 13 | SE 12 | E 6 | — | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 6 | SE 14 |
| kJ | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 6 | 3 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 8 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | — | S 4 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | S 3 | S 4 | — | S 5 | S 4 | — | S 4 | SSW 4 | S 5 | S 4 | S 4 | — | S 5 | — |
| kJ | 9 | — | 6 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 11 | — | 7 | 7 | — | 6 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 9 | — | 10 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 717 | 351 | 2322 | 585 | 717 | 540 | 263 | 102 | 296 | 3 | 295 | 737 | 114 | 540 | 809 | 353 | 372 | 351 | 102 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Folly Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Folly Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Folly Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Folly Beach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Folly Beach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Folly Beach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Folly Beach is 8 km (5 miles) from the city of Mount Pleasant. If you plan a vacation in South Carolina, look for hotels and other accommodation in Mount Pleasant. Mount Pleasant has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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