Surf Forecast  The Washout

The Washout surfspot characteristics

More about The Washout surfspot

The most popular and consistent spot in southern South Carolina. Semi-submerged short groins every 100 yards (91m) are a hazard at higher tides, but generally the sandbars are farther out. Can hold the larger swells. Mid incoming can deliver powerful, hollow waves. Besides the rips and submerged chunks of jetty, there are also sharks, jellyfish, and territorial locals to watch out for.

General: With a number of jetties and varied coastline, Folly Beach has a number of different spots. All of Folly is lined with jetties. They've done a questionable job of protecting the beach, but they've produced lots of different peaks. The best spot at Folly is called the Washout. It's a long stretch of jettied beachbreak that can break with a tremendous amount of power on northeasterly swells or on hurricane swells. Beware of jetty rocks, underwater debris and current on larger swells. Take Highway 17 south of Charleston, then take Highway 171 to McKevlin's surf shop. Buy wax, head East onto East Ashley. Park along the beach. Tides: mid to high Size: waist-overhead high Wind: N, NW Swell: S, SE, E, NE Bottom: sand, but beware of rip rap and groins Paddling: Hard NE and SW winds can produce strong currents, but generally pretty mellow. Spot Rating: Fun scattered peaks, ideal for all types surfers most days. Can turn into proper draining barrels under the right scenario.

Beginner to advanced.

Lots of paid parking. Crowded with cars in summer, though.

Late summer, early fall, early spring

Crowd Factor: can be heavy, but usually manageable Local Vibe: Not much localism, but if you can't surf, you might want to surf elsewhere if it's good.

Some runoff pollution after heavy rains.

Some scattered groins/rocks.