Isle of Palms Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m lookin’ at the charts for the next couple weeks and I gotta be straight with you – it’s been a while since we’ve seen a run this quiet. There’s a stretch here with almost no swell to speak of, and the few days where something might show up, the wind nearly always messes it up.

Let’s start with what’s closest. On Wednesday morning, August 19th, the water at Isle of Palms Pier is running at 86°F with a temperature anomaly of 3°F – that’s a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so you can leave the spring suit at home if you’re tough. But the waves? Just 1ft of weak, short-period SE swell, and that ENE breeze at 9 mph is cross-on, making it choppy and flat. Not worth paddling out.

That same story carries through Thursday, August 20th, and Friday, August 21st – swells barely reach 1ft, period under 8 seconds, and the wind stays cross-on or onshore. It’s tiny, sloppy, and frustrating. The combined energy never gets above 26 (weak), which tells you there’s nothing behind it.

Saturday morning, August 22nd, offers a brief flicker of hope. The wind shifts to WSW at 9 mph, cross-offshore, and it cleans up the surface. But the swell is still only 0.7ft from the ESE with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is just 15. It’s clean but flat – maybe a knee-high ripple at best for a longboard.

By Sunday, August 23rd, the morning side shows a 13-second period swell from the ESE, which is a longer period, but it’s only 0.7ft. The energy jumps to 40 (still weak), but the wind is cross-shore and lumpy. The afternoon gets a little bigger at 3ft from the S, but the period drops to 4 seconds and the wind is cross-on again. It’s messy and short-period junk.

The following week stays grim. Monday August 24th through Tuesday August 25th, the swell tries to pick up just a bit – 1ft to 3ft – but it’s all short-period windswell with onshore or cross-on winds. The energy climbs to 54 on Tuesday afternoon, but that’s still moderate energy at best, and the quality is poor.

Wednesday August 26th brings a stiff SW wind at 19 mph, cross-shore, with 2ft to 3ft of short-period swell. The energy gets to 53, but it’s lumpy and blown out. Honestly, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing at a beach break like this.

Friday August 28th morning is the first time in over a week that the conditions are actually clean. The wind goes light and cross-offshore from the W at 6 mph. The swell is small – 1ft from the SE, but with a 13-second period, which is a proper groundswell. The combined energy is 49 (still weak), but it’s rideable. The guidance says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” – and that’s the best we’ve got. If you’re desperate, you could get a thigh-high longboard wave on a clean face.

Saturday August 29th afternoon sees a bump in energy to 131 (moderate) with 3ft from the ESE at 10 seconds, but the wind is onshore from the ESE at 12 mph, so it’ll be bumpy.

Sunday August 30th afternoon has the biggest swell of the run – 4ft from the ESE with a 9-second period and combined energy of 259 (moderate). But the wind is cross-on from the ESE at 12 mph, so it’s choppy and not clean. Too big for beginners too, and the wind kills it for anyone else.

The first couple days of September follow the same pattern – small, short-period, and wind-affected. Tuesday September 1st afternoon has 2ft from the SE at 13 seconds and energy of 208 (moderate), but the wind is cross-on again.

The best bet in this whole 16-day window? If you’re really keen, Friday August 28th morning is the only session where the wind is clean and the swell has some period. But it’s tiny. Otherwise, this is a dead run for Isle of Palms Pier. The spot is inconsistent at the best of times, and it’s just not happening now.

Rusty

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