The Pier
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Hourly Forecast
Timezone: America/New_York
⏱️s.
⚡️kJ
Saturday 13
Sunday 14
Monday 15
Tuesday 16
Wednesday 17
Thursday 18
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The Pier surf guide

The Pier is a well-known surf spot located in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. It's a beachbreak that can serve up some fun waves, but it's not exactly a world-class destination. While the area is generally surf-friendly, it can sometimes feel a bit wave-starved and offers mainly low-quality surf. When everything lines up just right with the swell and winds, surfers can get a decent session, especially during the late summer and fall months.

This place works best with mid to high tides and is known to handle swell sizes ranging from 3 to 6 feet (about 1 to 1.8 meters). The most favorable swells come from the southeast and south, with playful beach and pier breaks that can peel left and right. The waves can vary from crumbly to dumping, but they rarely reach epic heights. If the wind is out of the west or northwest, it tends to improve the conditions. Keep in mind that the best surf can occur when the waves are a bit overhead, but the spot usually shuts down after that. Most action happens on the south side of The Pier.

Access is pretty easy, with lots of public spots to get in and out, but it can get crowded during the summer, so be prepared for some company in the water. The vibe can be a bit rude if you don’t play nice, but generally, it’s a chill place for surfers of all abilities, from beginners to experts. Just keep an eye out for the sand sharks and bluefish that hang around. Overall, The Pier isn’t going to blow your mind, but if you catch it on a good day, it can be a fun place to ride some waves.

Surf reports and surf forecasts nearby The Pier

Springmaid Beach
South Carolina, United States
Unknown break
Sat 13
Sun 14
Mon 15
Tue 16
Wed 17
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
Garden City Pier
South Carolina, United States
Unknown break
Sat 13
Sun 14
Mon 15
Tue 16
Wed 17
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
North End
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Sat 13
Sun 14
Mon 15
Tue 16
Wed 17
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
South Litchfield
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Sat 13
Sun 14
Mon 15
Tue 16
Wed 17
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
The Pier
South Carolina, United States
Beach break, Pier break
Sat 13
Sun 14
Mon 15
Tue 16
Wed 17
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
The Pier
South Carolina, United States
Unknown break
Sat 13
Sun 14
Mon 15
Tue 16
Wed 17
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
South Jetty
South Carolina, United States
Jetty break
Sat 13
Sun 14
Mon 15
Tue 16
Wed 17
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
South End
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Sat 13
Sun 14
Mon 15
Tue 16
Wed 17
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
North Island
South Carolina, United States
Beach break
Sat 13
Sun 14
Mon 15
Tue 16
Wed 17
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
South Island
Unknown Region, Unknown Country
Beach break
Sat 13
Sun 14
Mon 15
Tue 16
Wed 17
Thu 18
Fri 19
Sat 20
Sun 21
Mon 22
Tue 23
Wed 24
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Wind certainty

Wind certainty tells you how much the weather models agree on the forecast.

  • High certainty: Models agree closely; forecast is reliable.
  • Medium certainty: Some disagreement; conditions may shift slightly.
  • Low certainty: Models diverge; treat forecast with caution.

We calculate this by comparing wind speed, gust and direction from multiple models (like GFS, ECMWF, Arome, and Harmonie) and seeing how closely they match. They are weighted, meaning that some models count more than others, depending on how good they are for a certain spot.

Readme

Welcome! If you’re new to surf forecasting, check out this quick guide.

Forecast Table

The forecast table (the section on the page with all the numbers) is designed to pack as much information in the screen as possible. Although intimidating at first, it will help you make informed decisions about the waves faster, trust me :D. The table consists of roughly four sections, time and predictions, wind, waves, and tides:

🔮 Time and predictions section

Here we show the forecast thour and the overall surf quality prediction. This is determined based on the wave, wind and tide quality prediction. These individual predictions can be found on the forecast map.

💨 Wind section

The first row on the table (with the 💨 icon) shows wind speed, direction and gust. The more the wind speed the more aggressive the color (from blue, green, orange to red).

🌊 Wave section

The waves section consists of three rows, one for wave height and direction, one for period and one for wave energy. Our algorithm choices the "dominant wave". This is normally the first swell partition, but with heavy local storms it displays the wind waves. If that's the case, we display the numbers in italic and in gray.

🌒 Tide section

The tide section consists of a row with the actual heights per hour (measured at the half hour) and a table that displays the flow of the tide and the extremes (lows and highs).

Forecast map

The forecast map consists of arrows. These arrows represent all wave partitions (swell partitions and wind wave partition) and the wind. This allows you to see things like: a secondary swell or wind waves messes up the surf, or the wind is just a tick offshore so very surfable. Click a metric label in the bottom left to bring that arrow to the front — handy when arrows overlap.

Forecast Cheat Sheet

Short on time? Focus on wave energy. It’s the best single metric to gauge how big and powerful the waves will be.

Click any table cell to jump to that forecast hour. The map will update with forecast arrows, so you can see if wind and swell direction are lining up.

Use the table sidebar to switch units for height and speed.

Log your surf sessions to compare forecasts with real sessions and sharpen future predictions.

Models and Updates

Surfnerd blends multiple global and local wind and swell models using advanced interpolation and spatial techniques to create an "ensemble" forecast. Forecasts are refreshed hourly.

Surf Predictions

Our AI-driven algorithm scores surf quality, shown by green, orange, and gray dots. Each forecast hour is rated for wind, swell, and tide quality, then combined into an overall score. Here’s the scale:

Perfect
Good
Average
Bad or No Data

Session logs also feed the algorithm — the more you log, the smarter your forecasts get.

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