Folly Beach Pier
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Hourly Forecast
Timezone: America/New_York
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Thursday 18
Friday 19
Saturday 20
Sunday 21
Monday 22
Tuesday 23
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Folly Beach Pier surf guide

Folly Beach Pier is a popular surf spot located in South Carolina. Known for its casual vibe, this beach offers a mix of surfing experiences suitable for both beginners and more experienced surfers. Itโ€™s usually less powerful than the waves at the Washout but can produce decent sessions, especially when the conditions align. The occasional long lefts off the southern side of the pier can be fun, making it a spot worth checking out when the swell is right.

When it comes to the surf, Folly Beach Pier generally handles swells from about 3ft to 7ft (1m to 2.1m), with the best days usually happening during the autumn months from September to December. On a northeast swell, surfers can expect some long, slow lefts that can barrel occasionally. The waves tend to be steeper and shapely during mid-tide, while they can mush out at dead high tide or close out at low tide over 4ft (1.3m). For paddling, getting out is quite easy as you can hug the pier for a dry-hair paddle-out. Just be aware of the local crowd; it tends to fill up as both shredders and cruisers co-exist, and the vibe shifts around the pier area.

As for wind conditions, northwest winds are preferred here. The bottom is sandy, which is typical for beach breaks, and the waves can break both left and right. Whether you're on a shortboard, fish, funboard, or longboard, there's something for every surfer at Folly Beach Pier. Just a heads up, there are some local restrictions, so remember to keep your distance from the pier and be mindful of peak times, especially from 10 AM to 6 PM during the summer months.

Surf reports and surf forecasts nearby Folly Beach Pier

Bull Island
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
Thu 25
Fri 26
Sat 27
Sun 28
Mon 29
Dewees Island
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
Thu 25
Fri 26
Sat 27
Sun 28
Mon 29
Wild Dunes
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
Thu 25
Fri 26
Sat 27
Sun 28
Mon 29
Isle of Palms Pier
South Carolina, United States
Unknown break
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
Thu 25
Fri 26
Sat 27
Sun 28
Mon 29
Bert's Bar
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
Thu 25
Fri 26
Sat 27
Sun 28
Mon 29
The Washout
South Carolina, United States
Unknown break
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
Thu 25
Fri 26
Sat 27
Sun 28
Mon 29
10th Street
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
Thu 25
Fri 26
Sat 27
Sun 28
Mon 29
Folly Beach Pier
South Carolina, United States
Unknown break
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
Thu 25
Fri 26
Sat 27
Sun 28
Mon 29
Kiawah Island/Seabrook Island
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
Thu 25
Fri 26
Sat 27
Sun 28
Mon 29
Edisto Beach
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
Thu 25
Fri 26
Sat 27
Sun 28
Mon 29

Readme

Welcome! If youโ€™re new to surf forecasting, check out this quick guide.

Forecast Table

The forecast table (the section on the page with all the numbers) is designed to pack as much information in the screen as possible. Although intimidating at first, it will help you make informed decisions about the waves faster, trust me :D. The table consists of roughly four sections, time and predictions, wind, waves, and tides:

๐Ÿ”ฎ Time and predictions section

Here we show the forecast thour and the overall surf quality prediction. This is determined based on the wave, wind and tide quality prediction. These individual predictions can be found on the forecast map.

๐Ÿ’จ Wind section

The first row on the table (with the ๐Ÿ’จ icon) shows wind speed, direction and gust. The more the wind speed the more aggressive the color (from blue, green, orange to red).

๐ŸŒŠ Wave section

The waves section consists of three rows, one for wave height and direction, one for period and one for wave energy. Our algorithm choices the "dominant wave". This is normally the first swell partition, but with heavy local storms it displays the wind waves. If that's the case, we display the numbers in italic and in gray.

๐ŸŒ’ Tide section

The tide section consists of a row with the actual heights per hour (measured at the half hour) and a table that displays the flow of the tide and the extremes (lows and highs).

Forecast map

The forecast map consists of arrows. These arrows represent all wave partitions (swell partitions and wind wave partition) and the wind. This allows you to see things like: a secondary swell or wind waves messes up the surf, or the wind is just a tick offshore so very surfable. Click a metric label in the bottom left to bring that arrow to the front โ€” handy when arrows overlap.

Forecast Cheat Sheet

Short on time? Focus on wave energy. Itโ€™s the best single metric to gauge how big and powerful the waves will be.

Click any table cell to jump to that forecast hour. The map will update with forecast arrows, so you can see if wind and swell direction are lining up.

Use the table sidebar to switch units for height and speed.

Log your surf sessions to compare forecasts with real sessions and sharpen future predictions.

Models and Updates

Surfnerd blends multiple global and local wind and swell models using advanced interpolation and spatial techniques to create an "ensemble" forecast. Forecasts are refreshed hourly.

Surf Predictions

Our AI-driven algorithm scores surf quality, shown by green, orange, and gray dots. Each forecast hour is rated for wind, swell, and tide quality, then combined into an overall score. Hereโ€™s the scale:

Perfect
Good
Average
Bad or No Data

Session logs also feed the algorithm โ€” the more you log, the smarter your forecasts get.

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Wind certainty

Wind certainty tells you how much the weather models agree on the forecast.

  • High certainty: Models agree closely; forecast is reliable.
  • Medium certainty: Some disagreement; conditions may shift slightly.
  • Low certainty: Models diverge; treat forecast with caution.

We calculate this by comparing wind speed, gust and direction from multiple models (like GFS, ECMWF, Arome, and Harmonie) and seeing how closely they match. They are weighted, meaning that some models count more than others, depending on how good they are for a certain spot.

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