Surf Forecasts:
The Washout surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 4s period, S swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 22 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period, S swell with 53 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 4s period with S swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Washout this week:
The surf forecast for The Washout over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 4s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 15s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Washout in the next 16 days are 1.0m 5s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 2AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 4s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 4s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Washout over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty coming to you from the beach. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.
Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. The Washout is going through a real flat spell. For the first week, from Monday the 17th right through to Sunday the 23rd of August, it’s basically a write-off. We’re looking at tiny, weak swell, mostly around 1 ft to 2 ft from the south, with periods all over the place but often short, and the wind is a mess. Mostly cross-on or onshore, choppy and lumpy. The combined swell energy is weak, barely getting into double digits, and the score is a big fat zero. There’s just nothing to paddle out for.
We do get a bit of a glimmer on Monday the 24th of August. The morning session sees a pulse of 1 ft groundswell from the southeast with a period of 12 seconds, and the combined energy bumps up to 60 (moderate). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the WSW, keeping it clean. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. You’d be scratching for something to ride.
Then we hit another dry patch until Wednesday the 26th of August. That morning, the wind drops to glassy from the northwest, and we get a little bump of 3 ft from the SSW. The combined energy hits 81 (moderate), which is the best it’s been. It’s still surfable but very ordinary. You’d need a log and low expectations.
The best of a bad lot comes on Friday the 28th of August. The morning is dead calm, glassy, with a 2 ft, 10-second swell from the southeast. The combined energy is only 55 (weak), but it’s clean, and you might get a couple of grovelly ones. Then, weirdly, that afternoon the combined energy spikes to 148 (moderate) from the same swell, but the wind swings onshore from the east, making it choppy and messy again. So, if you’re going to paddle out, the 28th of August morning is your best bet.
Beyond that, it’s back to the same story: tiny, weak swell, poor conditions, and scores of zero. The setup is a beach and pier, so with the wind we’re seeing, it’d be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. There’s a major gap with no real recommendations from the 17th through to the 23rd, then again from the 24th afternoon onwards. It’s a tough run. Hang in there, the forecasts can change.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 35°C on Tue afternoon, min 28°C on Mon morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 31°C on Thu afternoon, min 24°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | ||||||||||||||
Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 8 | S 5 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | S 4 | S 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 30 | 26 | 24 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 53 | 14 | 14 | 16 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 00:09AM1.73m | 12:53PM1.79m | 00:53AM1.63m | 1:41PM1.75m | 1:38AM1.54m | 2:29PM1.72m | 2:26AM1.47m | 3:20PM1.69m | 3:17AM1.43m | 4:12PM1.69m | 4:11AM1.42m | 5:06PM1.71m | |||||||
Low Tide | 5:52AM0.08m | 6:27PM0.20m | 6:34AM0.15m | 7:21PM0.30m | 7:19AM0.22m | 8:16PM0.37m | 8:07AM0.27m | 9:12PM0.40m | 8:58AM0.30m | 10:07PM0.41m | 9:51AM0.31m | 10:58PM0.39m | |||||||
 | |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |
 | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — |
 | 8:02 | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:57 | — |
mm | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 6 |
Temp °C | 31 | 31 | 32 | 31 | 33 | 35 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 30 |
Feels °C | 34 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | SSW 4 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SSW 4 | SE 11 | SE 10 | SSW 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 4 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | S 5 | S 5 | ESE 9 | S 5 |
| kJ | 9 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 30 | 26 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 25 | 14 | 8 | 16 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 8 | E 5 | — | SE 8 | SE 8 | E 5 | SE 10 | — | — | SE 8 | — | — | — | E 15 | SE 8 | ESE 9 | SE 13 | ESE 8 |
| kJ | — | 9 | 1 | — | 11 | 16 | 1 | 24 | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 6 | — | — | SE 12 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 7 | SE 10 | SE 14 | E 7 | SE 13 |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 7 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | — | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | — | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | — | S 3 | S 4 | — | S 5 | S 4 | S 5 | S 5 | S 5 | — | S 4 | WSW 4 |
| kJ | 5 | — | 3 | 9 | — | 10 | 24 | — | 8 | 13 | — | 12 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 53 | — | 14 | 6 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 738 | 717 | 717 | 717 | 99 | 227 | 64 | 353 | 353 | 287 | 878 | 878 | 1389 | 522 | 1944 | 11 | 99 | 240 | 99 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Carolina | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the The Washout Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Washout provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Washout can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Washout surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (The Washout) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for The Washout may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
The Washout is 7 km (4 miles) from the city of Mount Pleasant. If you plan a vacation in South Carolina, look for hotels and other accommodation in Mount Pleasant. Mount Pleasant has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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