Isle of Palms Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a hard look at what’s coming up for Isle of Palms Pier. Gotta be straight with you – it’s a rough run. We’re looking at a solid 16-day stretch, but the first real chance of anything rideable doesn't show until Monday the 7th, and even then, it’s a long wait for anything worth paddling out for.

Right off the bat, Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th are a write-off. Tiny little ankle-snappers at 1ft to 2ft from the SSE and S with weak energy. Winds are messy – cross and cross-on – so it’s choppy and pretty much flat. Don’t bother.

We finally see a bump of energy come Monday the 7th. Swell builds to 4ft from the ENE, but the period is a short 5 seconds, so it’s weak and wonky. The wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-shore, making for lumpy conditions. The energy is still in the weak zone. It’s not great, and honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing with that wind.

Tuesday the 8th and Wednesday the 9th see the swell hold around 4ft to 4ft from the E and ENE, with the period stretching to 7 seconds. Energy finally bumps up into the moderate range, which is the most we’ll see. But here’s the kicker – the wind is fresh and cross-onshore at 22 mph, making everything lumpy and choppy. Not clean, not inviting. Still poor.

Things drop off again by Thursday the 10th. The swell fades back to 1ft with a period of 7 seconds. The Thursday morning window does show a light W wind that’s cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean, but with only 1ft of height and low energy, you’re looking at a glassy, tiny dribble. Not a standout.

From there, it’s a long, flat grind. From Friday the 11th all the way through to Saturday the 19th, we’ve got a solid week-plus of poor surf. Swell heights mostly hang between 0.7ft and 3ft, periods are all over the place, and the wind is almost always cross-on or cross-shore from the ENE/E. Energy levels are in the weak to low moderate range, but it’s just not coming together. Thursday morning the 18th offers another clean window with a light NNE cross-off breeze – but again, only 1ft on offer. Glossy and tiny.

The very last day, Sunday the 20th, shows a swell with a period of 12 seconds from the ESE – that’s a long period groundswell. But the height is pathetic at 2ft, energy is weak, and the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-shore. The long period means those tiny waves will be super clean and organized, maybe with nice lines, but there’s simply no size to ride. More of a tease than a session.

There is no standout in this entire forecast. The biggest energy comes Tuesday the 8th through the 9th, with 4ft to 4ft and moderate energy. If you absolutely have to get wet, that’s your window, but expect lumpy, onshore chop and short-period junk. Bring a grovel board and low expectations. If the wind had cooperated, Tuesday morning might have offered something half-decent, but it doesn’t. For now, it’s a long stretch of quiet.

Rusty.

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