Isle of Palms Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let’s get into it for Isle of Palms Pier.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half is looking pretty grim. We’ve got a massive gap of tiny, blown-out, or just plain messy surf ahead. The water temp is sitting at a warm 83°, which is about average for this time of year, so at least it’ll be comfortable while you’re sitting there with your board under your arm.

The first real pulse of energy doesn't show up until the Tuesday morning of September 15th. An easterly swell pushes in at around 4ft, but it’s coming with a short, weak period of just 7 seconds and a stiff 22 mph cross-shore wind. The combined energy hits moderate levels (130), but it’s going to be lumpy and cross-chop. Not a day for a longboard cruiser, but if you’re hungry enough to paddle out in the mess, there’s at least something to push you around. That afternoon the wind gets worse, going cross-on, and the whole thing just gets uglier.

September 16th (Wednesday) is more of the same – a bit of size in the afternoon with 4ft from the east and moderate energy (150), but that onshore wind will have it breaking all over the place and choppy. The rest of that week and into the next is a write-off. Tiny waves, short periods, and winds that just won’t cooperate. Even the glassy mornings on the 18th and 21st only produce 1ft of knee-high slop.

We finally see a little light at the end of the tunnel on Wednesday, September 23rd. The morning is clean with a cross-offshore breeze, but it’s only 2ft from the east-northeast. The afternoon, though, that’s the best we’re going to get in this whole run. The wind shifts offshore from the west-northwest at 9 mph, cleaning up a 3ft easterly swell. The period is still short at 6 seconds, and the energy is only moderate (51), but for a spot that’s been a ghost town, it’s the most surfable moment. It won't be epic, but the clean conditions make it a worthwhile paddle.

After that, Thursday the 24th brings a bigger, but uglier, east-northeast swell hitting 4ft in the afternoon with a fresh cross-onshore wind and a combined energy of 171 – strong, but messy. Friday the 25th bumps up to 5ft from the east in the afternoon, but a strong 28 mph cross-shore wind will have it completely chopped out and unmanageable. That’s expert-only territory for the wind alone.

Looking at the whole 16-day forecast, the standout pick is the afternoon of September 23rd for the cleanest conditions. If you can only go once, that’s your window. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so for that one rare clean afternoon, you might have some company.

And that’s the long and short of it for Isle of Palms.

- Rusty

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