Holden Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you about Holden Beach. The forecast for the next couple of weeks is a pretty tough pill to swallow. We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions, with the first glimmer of something rideable not showing up for over a week. There’s a big gap of nothing special from now through to mid-August.

Right from Tuesday the 4th, it’s a write-off. We’re looking at a weak, short-period windswell from the south, barely 3ft, but with a nasty onshore wind from the same direction. The combined energy is weak at 64, and the water is a warm 84°, which is about 1° above the norm for this time of year. Not that you’ll want to be in it much for the waves.

Wednesday the 5th through to Friday the 7th is more of the same story – tiny surf, poor quality, onshore winds. Just forget it. Saturday the 8th sees the energy jump a bit to 195 (moderate) with a 3ft swell from the SSE, but the wind is still onshore or cross-onshore, keeping it messy.

The whole second week is a grind. From Sunday the 9th all the way through to Friday the 14th, we’ve got nothing but tiny, weak swells. The combined energy barely breaks triple digits, with the wind coming from the southwest or west-southwest, keeping the surface choppy. The biggest day in that stretch is Friday the 14th, with a 5ft swell from the SSW and moderate energy at 143, but it’s got a 12 mph cross-onshore wind on it. That’s not surfable, it’s a kite session if anything.

Now, here’s the one bright spot, and it’s a long way off. On Saturday the 15th of August, things finally change. The morning brings a glassy, clean session. The wind goes light and variable from the NNE, just a whisper at 3 mph. The swell is still a modest 4ft from the SSW with 6-second period, but the energy is moderate at 136. This is the only time in the whole run you’ll see “glassy” conditions. The afternoon cleans up too, with a light offshore from the NNW, though the swell drops to 3ft. It’s not a standout for size or power, but for this beach, it’s the one chance for a clean, rideable wave.

After that, Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th drop right back off into the tiny stuff.

So, if you’re desperate, pencil in the morning of the 15th. It’s a long-range call, but with a glassy surface, it’s the best on offer by a long shot. Everywhere else in the window is a write-off for a proper paddle.

Rusty.

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