Pawleys Island Surf Forecast
South Carolina, SC · Quieter Lowcountry peaks at the island's pier and inlets.
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Pawleys Island Spot Guide
Best swell
Ideal size
Best wind
The wave
Local knowledge
One of the oldest resort islands on the coast keeps its surf like its pace: unhurried. Pawleys' bars pick up a touch more energy than Myrtle to the north, and on a tropical swell the inlet corners produce the area's best shape with a handful of people out.
Nearby spots
- Myrtle Beach 22 mi · South Carolina
- Sunset Beach 47 mi · North Carolina
- Ocean Isle Beach 51 mi · North Carolina
- Isle of Palms 58 mi · South Carolina
- Oak Island 65 mi · North Carolina
FAQ
What swell direction works best at Pawleys Island?
SE swell hits Pawleys Island straight on. The spot picks up anything arriving from ENE (70°) through SSW (205°); swell from outside that window is blocked by the coastline.
What wind is best at Pawleys Island?
NW wind blows offshore and grooms the surf. SE wind is straight onshore and chops it up; light wind under ~5 kn is fine from any direction.
When is the best time of year to surf Pawleys Island?
Late summer through fall is prime: hurricane season (August-October) sends the year's best long-period swell, and fall-winter nor'easters keep it pumping. Summer runs smallest outside of tropical systems.
What's the best tide at Pawleys Island?
Mid. Tide predictions for the spot's NOAA station are in the forecast above.
Is Pawleys Island good for beginners?
Yes — quiet, forgiving surf most days.
How warm is the water at Pawleys Island?
Roughly 50°F at its late-winter coldest to about 84°F in late summer. In practice that means a hooded 4/3 or 5/4 in winter and trunks or a rash guard in summer. The forecast above shows the current water temperature.
How far out is this forecast reliable?
The wave model has real skill to about 10 days, and we cut the chart there instead of padding it with guesses. Days 1-3 are solid, 4-7 useful, 8-10 a trend heads-up - and we publish our measured error against NOAA buoys, updated continuously.
Forecast from TrueSwell's own physics-based wave model (exposure → refraction → breaking, every swell train separately), built on public NOAA and Open-Meteo data and scored daily against NDBC buoy observations. How the model works →