Isle of Palms Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the outlook for Isle of Palms Pier. Gotta be straight with you – it’s a lean, quiet run for the next sixteen days. The setup just isn’t offering much to get excited about.

We start off with a bit of nothing. Friday the 28th afternoon shows a tiny 1ft swell from the SE with a weak period of 9 seconds, and the combined swell energy is just 19 – that’s weak, flat energy. The wind is cross-on from the south, so it’s not clean. That’s a no-go.

Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are the same story: tiny 0.7ft to 1ft swells, periods around 8 to 9 seconds, and energy in the single digits to low 30s. The winds do swing offshore or go glassy at times, which would normally be a huge plus, but there’s just no wave to work with. Monday the 31st through to Tuesday the 8th of September is more of the same – we’re talking heights from 0.3ft to 2ft and periods that are often short and weak. The energy readings hover between 6 and 75, all in the weak range. There’s a morning on Tuesday the 1st with glassy conditions and a 1ft SE swell, but at 7 seconds, it’s just not doing anything.

Now, here’s the one glimmer in the whole outlook. Wednesday the 9th of September morning, we see a jump in the numbers. Swell comes up to 2ft from the SE, period stretches to 12 seconds, and we get a combined swell energy of 128 – that’s moderate energy, finally. It’s a long-period groundswell, which is better for shape, and the direction is right-on with the optimum SE direction for this beach/pier spot. The downside? The wind is a gentle cross-onshore from the ENE, so it’s going to be a bit choppy. This is the only time in the whole window where things get even slightly interesting.

That morning is the closest we get to a standout, but it’s a real long shot and a week and a half away. After that, we fade back into tiny 1ft stuff with better winds but no real push, right through to Saturday the 12th of September.

The water temp on that first Friday the 28th is 84°, with an anomaly of +0.8°. That’s pretty much average for late August, nothing unusual.

For a break that’s inconsistent and exposed to the SE, this is a tough stretch. Because the swell stays so small and weak, and the winds often make it messier, this spot is looking more like a kiteboarding setup than a proper paddle surf zone when that 2ft day rolls in. For actual wave riding, it’s a real struggle. The blank run stretches from now all the way to that Wednesday in September, so a solid 12-day gap before anything even hints at fun.

Honestly, if you live close, keep an eye on that Wednesday the 9th morning, but don’t hold your breath. The rest of it, leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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