WRITTEN BY Lyndsay Harper
Charleston locals call Folly Beach “The Edge of America.” Back in the early ‘90s, the owners of a local surf shop coined the phrase, threw it on a couple of tees, and the nickname stuck. It’s a slow-paced beach town with tattered towels and rash guards hanging from almost every car’s side mirror, dinged-up boards strewn across lawns. It really does feel like the edge of civilization. A mashup of colonial architecture, core surf establishments, tourist shops, and beach bum territory—where shoes are optional and time is subjective.
And while the Charleston area is known for quite a few things—BBQ, pirate antics, and stifling humidity—it’s somewhat of a surprise to discover an iconic surf town right here on one of the barrier islands, only a few minutes away from Charleston’s historic downtown district. In fact, Folly has unexpectedly become one of the East Coast’s most prominent surf spots, despite only having a handful of proper surf days per year.
But when the surf is pumping and the hurricane swells roll through? You’d be lucky to find parking within two miles of the Washout, Folly’s most popular spot. That’s what makes surfing here so remarkable. It takes a rare combination of grit and patience to wait 350 days a year for your local spot to finally turn on.
“The drive to the Washout at sunrise is so special,” Sy Powers, Free Fly’s Senior Product Line Manager tells us. “The half mile down East Ashley is covered in a canopy of trees, lined by a mix of eclectic beach shacks and million dollar mansions. It's dark... you can't see much. Then all of a sudden, the sky opens up with bright oranges and yellows as the sun starts to peek above the horizon. The rows of trees are replaced with rows of cars filled with surfers sipping coffee and buzzing to get in the water.”
Sy is one of the Folly faithful at HQ and usually gets into the office before everyone else—even after getting a few waves in while the rest of us are still asleep.
“I'm proud to call the Washout my home break. It might be knee high and choppy most of the year, but when the tropics start to heat up and the tide is just right, this place comes alive. The vibe in the lineup on those days is absolutely electric. Everyone is just so grateful to be in the water in proper surf. Every wave we get here is a gift.”
Custom Boards
SECULA SURFBOARDS
@seculasurf
Every board from Secula is shaped by hand by Tim Jump, a local Charleston shaper and artist. He’s known for his signature “Sardine Cans,” his most popular design that’s taken off on the smaller waves around South Carolina.
“It’s the board for guys who wanna ride a shortboard on days when you should be rocking a longboard,” Tim says. “It makes 2-foot waves really rippable.”
Surf
THE WASHOUT
At Folly Beach
Thanks to 1989’s Hurricane Hugo, the Washout has ideal conditions and a wind effect that causes the water to break just right.
Gear Up
OCEAN SURF SHOP
31 Center St
What I love about Ocean is that they do a daily surf report with photos and video clips of the conditions. Huge service to the community for probably very little reward!”
—Sy
Post-Surf Eats
LOWLIFE BAR
106 E Hudson Ave
Grab a breakfast burrito with crispy tater tots and homemade tomatillo salsa verde. Can’t go wrong.
Surf photos provided by Oliver Meredith
