About Folly Beach Surf Travel
Welcome to Folly Beach, the heart of South Carolina’s surf scene. True, Myrtle is holding too, but as far as consistency and opportunity, Folly’s where it’s at. Recognized for its iconic pier and the “Washout” zone, which offers up fun, broken-up jetty surf, Folly has a lot going for it. Like a lot of surf spots along the East Coast, it can be downright epic under the right conditions, most notably powerful hurricane swells and wicked nor’easters, but it also is subject to its fair share of averageness. Folly surf spots are home to a dedicated local scene who have every nook and cranny completely dialled-in. When it turns on it’ll attract surfers from around South Carolina and Georgia, but most of the best waves go to the boys and girls that call the pier home. All told, if you’re doing a surf trip down the East Coast or have your eye on an especially well-directed low-pressure system in the Atlantic, Folly certainly is worth a look.
Folly Beach Pier
The Folly Beach Pier works on both sides on all swells. It breaks a little longer and farther out than the Washout, and on north winds, it might be a little cleaner — but more crowded — on the south side. Take Highway 17 south of Charleston, then take Highway 171 to McKevlin’s surf shop. The pier is just to the north. Pretty much your standard East Coast pier, but not as packed as the Washout. However, during the summertime hours, it is illegal to surf within a block of the pier or you risk arrest and an expensive ticket.
North Washout
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, then go to the Holiday Inn and take a left onto East Ashley. Park along the beach.
10th Street
Typically a bit smaller than the Washout, but less crowded, too. Sometimes breaks more outside with better form and longer lines, but mostly average beachbreak surf.
Surf Crowds
Good waves are a limited resource along this stretch of the East Coast, and with a well-established surf scene, Folly is home to plenty of homegrown talent. By and large, Southern Hospitality is still a thing out here, but like surfing anywhere, be respectful of those that live there and don’t act like an idiot. It’s pretty simple really. Summertime is the most crowded, so if you’re passing through, take a minute to chat up (i.e. befriend) the locals on the beach, take your time to ease into the water, smile at everyone and you’ll probably enjoy your surf session in Folly a whole lot more. And if you’re just getting into the surf game, there are a bunch of spots in the surrounding areas that are much less crowded and ideal for beginner surfers in Folly Beach.
Surf Hazards
For all intents and purposes, surfing around Folly Beach is safe. There have been incidents of venomous Portuguese man o’ wars washing up on beaches in South Carolina. There can also be small sharks close to shore, but they’re not going to gnaw your whole leg off. The biggest thing to consider is probably the currents when a big storm swell is running.
Surf Pollution
By and large the water quality around Folly Beach is fine for surfing and swimming. It does struggle with issues of storm run-off and the random sewage spill, but in general, the Folly Beach’s waters pass all monitoring tests, which are routinely conducted. As mentioned, Folly Beach does face issues associated with human growth and development, so be mindful of where you’re paddling out after heavy rains.
Best Surf Seasons in Folly Beach
1) Fall
(September-November) is a time primetime for surf around Folly Beach. The days are still long, the water hasn’t cooled down too much. And the odd hurricane swell can combine with offshore wind conditions to create a little bit of the magic A-plus East Coast days are known for.
2) Winter
(December-February) Atlantic ground swells and minimal crowds are what the winter surf experience is like in Folly Beach. Water temps will generally hover in the 50s, but can dip down to the mid-40s, so a quality wetsuit is required. But with all the tourists and summertime crowds gone, the lineups around the Folly Beach pier and Washout become considerably more peaceful.
3) Spring
(March-May) like so many surf towns around North America, Folly Beach is plagued by cold, windy conditions during the spring months. There are moments when late-season nor-easter swells or early-season tropical swells can sneak in, but spring is a transitional season around South Carolina, and thus the surf potential is a lot more random.
4) Summer
(June-August) peak of the tourist season, Folly Beach does good business during the summer months. Unfortunately, if you live and surf there, it means dealing with a lot more random humans in the lineup. Short-period wind swell and tropical swell are the main sources of action this time of year.
Directions to Folly Beach
There’s only one way to Folly Beach. If you want to fly in, set your course for Charleston, South Carolina. From there jump on Highway 171 until it turns into Folly Beach Road. Head east until you run out of land and you’ll be there.