4 of the Best Surf Breaks on Folly Beach
Is Folly Beach good for surfing?
Brace yourself for the most frustrating answer in the world: it depends. Surfing on Folly Beach is consistent, we have to give it that much.You can almost always find a fun longboard wave to surf somewhere on Folly Beach. Better yet, there’s almost always someone to surf with. You can almost always find someone out there surfing clean little lines at the pier or smashing lips at the washout. In fact, during the summer you can find more surfers than swimmers at a few of these breaks, not to mention small armies of soft-top boards.
Let’s break down a few of the key locations to help you make the most of your surf trip to Folly Beach.
Surfing the Folly Beach Pier
You’ll find no more consistently rideable break to surf than the South (West) side of the Folly Beach Pier. You’ll find that the best time to surf by the pier is on a rising tide. Shortboarders will prefer it a little closer to low tide, while longboarders might want to wait for the water to fill in.
Perks of surfing the Folly Beach pier include:
An easy going longboard wave and possibly the longest line on Folly Beach
Showers and bathrooms.
Hazards
Fishing hooks, lines, and sinkers.
Small armies of tourists from around the world (looking at you Ohio)
In the summer, you’re gonna find a lot of tourists here. Ohio in particular seems to gravitate here, almost on par with folks from upstate South Carolina.
PLENTY of other longboarders will be looking for that same sweet ride, so you probably won’t be surfing alone. The local crowd tends to be friendly, but not overly generous. The good news is they really only surf in the mornings, so if you can catch an evening session it might be quieter.
For all my regular footers out there, take a peek at the North side of the pier. It can work pretty well on a low tide and present some of the longer rights on Folly.
Surfing Folly Beach’s South Washout
Once upon a time there was a Hurricane named Hugo, and he had an attitude. He wiped out a bunch of houses on a stretch of beach toward the north end of Folly Beach (around 15th Street East) and helped form and name a new surf spot.
This is THE spot for shortboarders to show off their best snapturn on Folly. The jetties along this break from 13th Street up about halfway up the “washout” help to create some of the fastest, pitchiest waves available to us in town. That’s the good news, the bad news is that every shortboarder in the county knows about it.
If you’re still learning to surf (kudos!) do not go to the Washout. I want to repeat that in a different way: the locals surfing the washout are not interested in helping you learn to surf and you will not have a pleasant experience. (Head to the pier or to “6th” street).
Perks of surfing the South Washout breaks:
Quite possibly the hardest hitting lip in Charleston County (it ain’t much, but it’s ours).
Still breaks at high tide in a fuller, mushier wave.
Hazards:
Wave starved locals do not always remember that sharing is caring.
Jetties and… fish… with… uhm… teeth?
Surfing Folly Beach’s North Washout
While obviously similar to the South Washout, there’s a world of difference just one hundred yards away. The North Washout breaks often don’t have quite the same OOMPH that you get from the bars down at 14th Street. This starts about halfway up the stretch of beach where Hugo wiped out all the beachfront homes and runs to the end of that stretch. North of there, the breaks just stop working. Sure, there’s a few bars a little ways further north that offer some rides, but as for the Washout, you can stray too far from those jetties.
On a firing hurricane swell, this can be really good news. These breaks have a little more water in them, which can make them weaker on a small swell, but for a larger, longer period wave that can help them open up when other breaks get a little closed out. (A good note in general for surfing Folly Beach: if the surf is bigger than waist high, consider surfing at a higher tide, ESPECIALLY if you’re new to all this.)
Surfing “6th” Street East at Folly Beach
Don’t be fooled by reports that there’s a new sandbar at 7th or 8th or 10th street. It’s not new, it just likes to wander around when no one’s watching. Feel free to poke your head out at any beach access between 6th and 10th to see if that sandbar is working at that tide. I’ve found that these breaks are great for learning when they’re on a mid-to-rising tide and high tide. If you decide to join a group surf lesson (highly recommend this for first timers!) you’ll probably paddle out near 6th street. They’re fun for more advanced surfers on lower tides.
Perks of surfing bew:
Tons of different breaks to choose from and spread out amongst.
Can work well on a low tide when other breaks close out.
Hazards:
The summer swarm of vibrantly colored soft-top surf camps.
A complete lack of power at higher tides
Secret Surf Breaks on Folly Beach?
You’re chasing the end of the rainbow, my friend. Do local surfers’ mythical honey-holes exist on Folly Beach? Probably, but it’s always a game of finding the right tide, wind, and swell conditions to make those secret breaks work. If you’re only in town for a little while, head to one of the known breaks to have a good time. If you live here or just moved here, well… join us on the search for a better Folly Beach surf experience.
That’s where people are surfing on Folly Beach. We’ll dive into what you should wear out there, what kinds of boards work best, and what conditions to look for in other articles.
