Holden Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about the next couple of weeks at Holden Beach. Grab a chair, 'cause it's a story of waiting for the ocean to wake up.

Straight off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – it's a bleak start. We're looking at pretty much two full weeks of poor surf conditions, no way around it. The first solid wave of activity doesn't show up until well into the second week. It’s one of those stretches where you might be better off tuning the surf report out for a bit. The good news is, the models are showing some stirring towards the end of the outlook, so we’ve got something to aim for.

For the first week, from Friday the 11th right through to Saturday the 19th, the news is all pretty much the same: tiny, weak surf. We’re talking mostly ankle to knee-high dribble from the southeast, with combined wave energy values stuck in the weak range (30-60). There are a few moments where the wind goes glassy – like Monday morning the 14th with that clean, glassy look, and again on Saturday the 19th with a bit of a northerly breeze cleaning things up. But the swell just isn't there to back it up. Even when the wind is clean, it’s on 1 ft or less of pure mush. Not worth waxing up for.

Now, let's jump ahead. The real story here for the entire 16-day window is the action on Sunday the 20th. There’s a bump of energy that rolls in during the afternoon. The combined swell energy jumps to a solid 232 – a moderate reading – with a report of 5 ft of swell from the east. That’s the biggest number we see in the whole window, and it's going to be a peaky, short-period wind swell (7 seconds). Keep in mind, at over 5 ft, this is getting a bit punchy for beginners. Unfortunately, the wind swings onshore from the south at 9 mph, so it’s going to be a bit lumpy. It’s not going to be perfect, but it’s the most size we’ve got, and for someone who just wants to get wet and feel some push, that afternoon is your golden ticket.

After that, things get messy but interesting. Monday the 21st sees strong northeasterly winds blowing hard at 19-22 mph, with a solid 5 ft east swell in the afternoon (combined energy 200). This is big, raw, and onshore – honestly, Holden Beach will be a washing machine. For paddle surfing, that’s a pass. But if you’re into kite surfing, that setup looks proper fun. It’s clean and blowing strong offshore by Wednesday the 23rd, with a fresh 25 mph northerly, but the swell has already dropped to 2 ft, so it’s all wind and no wave for surfers.

So, to wrap it up: the one and only standout is the later part of Sunday, September 20th. It’s not a classic, but it’s the most size on offer. If you’re a beginner, keep an eye on the clean little windows during the first week if you just want to practice paddling, but don't expect to catch much. For everyone else, pencil in that Sunday afternoon.

Rusty.

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