Folly Beach tides today
NOAA predicts the Folly River bridge, on the marsh side of Folly Island, from Charleston Harbor with high water 21 minutes later.
Shaded: night. Green bands: solunar periods (thick = major, thin = minor). Heights in feet above Mean Lower Low Water, the zero of NOAA charts.
Folly Beach, SC · Tuesday, October 13
Tide rising, 1.2 ft now
High 10:52 PM
5.4 ft · in 5 h 11 min
| Low | 3:57 AM | 0.6 ft |
| High | 10:47 AM | 6.4 ft |
| Low | 4:43 PM | 0.9 ft |
| High | 10:52 PM | 5.4 ft |
Tide coefficient 102 (average), range 5.7 ft
Sunrise 7:22 AM · sunset 6:49 PM
Waxing crescent, 9% lit · fishing day ★★☆☆
Solunar: major 2:00 AM–4:00 AM, minor 9:51 AM–10:51 AM, major 2:25 PM–4:25 PM, minor 7:54 PM–8:54 PM
Folly Beach tide table, next 7 days
| Day | High tides | Low tides | Coef. | Sun | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:47 AM 6.4 ft · 10:52 PM 5.4 ft | 3:57 AM 0.6 ft · 4:43 PM 0.9 ft | 102 | 7:22 AM–6:49 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 11:27 AM 6.1 ft · 11:33 PM 5.2 ft | 4:33 AM 0.8 ft · 5:24 PM 1.1 ft | 94 | 7:23 AM–6:48 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 12:09 PM 5.9 ft | 5:10 AM 1.1 ft · 6:07 PM 1.4 ft | 86 | 7:24 AM–6:47 PM | Waxing crescent ★★☆☆ | |
| 12:17 AM 5.0 ft · 12:55 PM 5.7 ft | 5:49 AM 1.3 ft · 6:54 PM 1.6 ft | 79 | 7:25 AM–6:46 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 1:05 AM 4.8 ft · 1:46 PM 5.5 ft | 6:35 AM 1.4 ft · 7:45 PM 1.7 ft | 73 | 7:25 AM–6:44 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 1:58 AM 4.8 ft · 2:40 PM 5.5 ft | 7:29 AM 1.5 ft · 8:38 PM 1.7 ft | 70 | 7:26 AM–6:43 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ | |
| 2:53 AM 4.8 ft · 3:33 PM 5.5 ft | 8:28 AM 1.5 ft · 9:30 PM 1.6 ft | 70 | 7:27 AM–6:42 PM | First quarter ★★☆☆ |
Plan around the tide at Folly Beach
No window of 30 minutes or more below 1.0 ft over the next 7 days in daylight. Try a higher level.
A falling tide uncovers sand bars and tide pools first; plan to be back before the water rises past the level you chose. Not for navigation.
Station Folly River Bridge, Folly Island (NOAA 8666652). Predicted astronomical tide: wind, river flow and storms can move the real water by a foot or more. 5.6 ft is the average daily range here.
Published by Radif Partners · How the tides are computed · predictions downloaded October 13, 2026
Tide times for Folly Beach come from the National Ocean Service prediction for station 8666652, Folly River Bridge, Folly Island, a subordinate station whose highs and lows NOAA corrects from CHARLESTON (Customhouse Wharf). The tide here is semidiurnal: two highs and two lows of similar height every day, about six hours and a quarter apart, with an average daily range of 5.6 ft. Around the new and full moon the range grows to about 6.9 ft on one day in ten, and at the quarter moons it shrinks to 4.4 ft. Heights are in feet above Mean Lower Low Water, the zero of nautical charts, so a negative number is water below that zero: 180 of the 457 days from October 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027 have one, down to -1.4 ft on January 23, 2027. The highest predicted tide of that period is 7.0 ft on October 1, 2027. Clock times are Eastern Time, daylight saving time included.
The island, the river and the beach
Folly Beach is a barrier island south of Charleston, reached across the marsh by the bridge over the Folly River. The station on this page is at that bridge, computed by NOAA from the Charleston gauge: high water 21 minutes later, low water 3 minutes earlier, an average day of 5.6 ft. On the ocean side of the island, NOAA's Folly Island (outer coast) station runs about 8 minutes ahead of Charleston, so the beach turns roughly half an hour before the bridge.
Washout, the pier and the Morris Island lighthouse
The ocean beach at Folly has a gentle slope, and the tide changes its width a great deal. At the northeast end, the old Morris Island lighthouse stands offshore in the water, more exposed at low tide; from the end of the island you look across the inlet at it. Surfers know the Washout and the area around the pier, where waves behave differently with the stage of the tide. The lowest low predicted this period is -1.4 ft, on January 23, 2027.
Creeks for paddlers
Folly Creek and the Folly River behind the island are predicted from Charleston with high water about 25 minutes later and the same height. Paddling the marsh is easiest with the current: out on the ebb toward the inlets, back on the flood. Mud banks appear quickly in the last two hours of the falling tide. The Charleston page gives the harbor reference.
Highest and lowest tides at Folly Beach, 2026 to 2027
The six highest highs and six lowest lows predicted for Folly River Bridge, Folly Island between October 1, 2026 and December 31, 2027, one per day. The high-water dates are the king tides of this station; the low-water dates are the best days to see the flats, bars and tide pools.
| Highest highs | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| October 1, 2027 | 9:52 AM | 7.0 ft |
| October 29, 2027 | 8:41 AM | 7.0 ft |
| September 30, 2027 | 9:02 AM | 7.0 ft |
| October 27, 2026 | 9:27 AM | 6.9 ft |
| October 28, 2026 | 10:18 AM | 6.9 ft |
| October 30, 2027 | 9:28 AM | 6.9 ft |
| Lowest lows | Time | Height |
|---|---|---|
| January 23, 2027 | 1:58 AM | -1.4 ft |
| January 24, 2027 | 2:51 AM | -1.3 ft |
| January 22, 2027 | 1:03 AM | -1.3 ft |
| February 21, 2027 | 1:44 AM | -1.3 ft |
| February 22, 2027 | 2:36 AM | -1.2 ft |
| February 20, 2027 | 12:51 AM | -1.2 ft |
A subordinate station
NOAA predicts Folly River Bridge, Folly Island from the reference station CHARLESTON (Customhouse Wharf) (8665530): high water 21 minutes later, low water 3 minutes earlier, heights multiplied by 1.01 at high water and 0.95 at low water. Between those highs and lows the curve on this page follows the shape of the reference station's hourly curve.
Other stations nearby
- Charleston tides: CHARLESTON (Customhouse Wharf), average range 5.6 ft, highest predicted tide 6.9 ft on October 1, 2027
- Hilton Head tides: Port Royal Plantation, Hilton Head Island, average range 6.3 ft, highest predicted tide 7.8 ft on October 27, 2026
- Myrtle Beach tides: Springmaid Pier, Myrtle beach, average range 5.3 ft, highest predicted tide 6.9 ft on October 1, 2027