Surf spot

Garden City Pier

Forecast conditions and map view for Garden City Pier in USA, South East, South Carolina. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, South East, South Carolina
Coordinates: 33.5761, -78.9976

Metric
Metric	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00
Wave height (m)	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.5	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.6	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.5
Wave direction	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE	SE	ESE	SSE	S	S	S	S	SSE	SE	SE	SE	SSE	SSE	S	S	SSE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	SE	ESE	ESE	ESE	SE	ESE	E	E	E	E	ESE	E	E	ESE	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E
Wave period (s)	5.7	4.9	4.5	6.8	6.5	6	3.4	3.2	3.3	3.2	3.1	3.3	6.1	5.4	3.5	3.8	3.5	3.2	3.2	3.2	7	7	6.8	6.8	6.4	6.7	6.8	6.7	6.4	6.3	5.8	5.5	5.8	5.8	6.2	3.8	4.5	6.7	6.7	6	5.3	4.8	5	5.3	6.8	6.6	6.8	5.5	4.9	4.7	4.5	3.9	3.8	3.6	4.2	4.3
Wave energy (kJ)	9	5	4	9	9	11	3	4	4	3	3	3	7	3	2	4	6	6	4	3	14	14	15	14	11	12	12	12	11	10	10	10	9	8	8	2	4	8	6	12	35	27	22	15	6	15	12	24	31	24	21	7	6	7	13	9
Wind speed (km/h)	8.2	5.4	5.4	5.4	11.9	12.2	8.7	8.1	7.2	3.8	4.6	8.9	13.1	12.3	10.5	10.8	8.2	8.5	7.9	10.4	9.4	8	12.7	11.8	7.3	5.8	4.2	6.6	13.4	13.1	8.4	7.4	6	8.7	10	17.1	19.1	16.5	12.4	11.9	10.1	9.2	8.5	10.9	14.8	13.7	10.2	11.2	8.3	7.7	7.9	11.4	14.7	12.2	9.2	7.9
Wind direction	SWCross-off	SWOffshore	WSWOffshore	SWCross-off	SCross-off	SCross-off	SCross-off	SSWCross-off	SWCross-off	WSWGlassy	SWGlassy	SWOffshore	SCross	SCross-off	SSWCross-off	SWCross-off	SSWCross-off	SWCross-off	SWOffshore	WOffshore	WSWOffshore	SSECross	SSWCross-off	NNECross-on	SSWCross-off	WOffshore	WNWGlassy	ENEOnshore	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	SECross-on	SECross-on	ESECross-on	EOnshore	ENEOnshore	EOnshore	ECross-on	ESECross-on	EOnshore	EOnshore	EOnshore	NEOnshore	NNECross-on	ENEOnshore	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	EOnshore	NCross-on	NEOnshore	ENEOnshore	ECross-on	ESECross-on	ESECross-on	ESECross-on

Garden City Pier, South Carolina (USA) — Surf Spot Description

Garden City Pier sits on the Grand Strand near Myrtle Beach and is one of the better-known surf breaks in the South Carolina coast. It’s a pier break with generally soft, forgiving waves, making it popular with beginners, longboarders, and intermediate surfers when conditions line up.

Wave character

Usually small to medium surf
Can offer fun, clean peaks on the right swell
The pier can help focus sandbars, creating more defined takeoff zones
Waves are often less powerful than more exposed beach breaks, but can still get punchy when the swell is bigger

Best conditions

Works best with a southerly to easterly swell
A light offshore wind helps clean up the wave face
Mid to lower tide often improves shape, though this can vary with sand movement
More consistent in late summer through fall when tropical systems and groundswells can bring energy

Crowd and vibe

Because it’s near a popular beach area and a pier, it can get crowded, especially on weekends and during decent swell
The atmosphere is usually laid-back, with a mix of locals, vacationers, and surf school traffic

Hazards and notes

Watch for pier pilings, anglers, and swimmers
Sandbars can shift quickly, so the peak can change from season to season
Water quality and surf quality can vary after storms or heavy rain runoff
As with many East Coast spots, conditions can change fast depending on tides and wind

Overall

Garden City Pier is a reliable, approachable East Coast surf spot that shines when a clean swell hits the shifting sandbars. It’s not usually a heavy-wave destination, but it can be a very fun, user-friendly break when the forecast is right.