Isle of Palms Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright crew, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what’s cooking for the Isle of Palms Pier over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – we’re in for a long, flat spell. This isn’t going to be a classic run of summer swell, and you’re going to need some patience.

Right now, for the rest of July and into the first week of August, there's just nothing doing. The water’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 86°F, but that’s about the only highlight. We’ve got tiny waves – under 2 ft – with short, weak periods and messy onshore winds. The combined swell energy barely gets into double digits, hovering around 14 to 41, which is just pathetic. There are a few windows of clean, cross-offshore wind on Thursday the 30th and Monday the 12th of August, but with such small swell, you’re not going to get a ride worth paddling for. The wind will be light and clean, but the ocean just won’t cooperate.

Through the first week of August, the wind picks up and we start getting storm risks and some lumpy, choppy conditions. The swell does push up a bit – we see 3 ft from the SSE on Sunday the 2nd and again on Thursday the 6th – but it’s all short-period junk (4 to 7 seconds) and the wind is cross-onshore or onshore. The combined energy on the 6th hits 118, which is moderate, but it’s not going to translate into quality waves. This setup would actually be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing if the winds are strong enough. Honestly, it’s all “poor surf conditions” across the board.

Now, there is a glimmer. Towards the end of the second week, on Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th of August, we get a couple of mornings with *glassy* conditions. The wind drops to nothing – a slight air, glassy surface. The swell is still small – 2 ft to 3 ft from the SE – but the period lengthens a bit to 7 or 8 seconds. The combined energy on Friday morning is a weak 52, but on Saturday afternoon it jumps up to 182 for a short while. Those early glassy sessions will be surfable but very ordinary. The break is an exposed beach/pier setup, so you’ll want to hunt for the best sandbanks. Because it’s inconsistent, you might wait a while for a set, but if you’re desperate for a splash on a longboard, that Friday the 7th or Saturday the 8th early is your best bet. Crowds are possible at the pier, so expect some company on those clean windows.

Looking further out to Monday the 11th and Tuesday the 12th of August, we see more clean, cross-offshore wind windows in the mornings with small, weak swell. It’s the same story – tiny waves, low energy. By Thursday the 13th, we’re back to storm risks and chop. The whole 16-day window is a pretty blank run, which can be normal for this area during a flat summer pattern. But it tends not to stay poor for long, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

Stay patient, and keep your board waxed. If I had to pick one, I’d say grab the dawn patrol on Friday the 7th of August for the cleanest, glassiest chance at a wave.

Rusty.

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