South Carolina - South Surfing

South Carolina is afflicted by the vast, gently sloping, shallow continental shelf, which causes the incoming swell to drag, reducing the power of the waves. Nonetheless, Myrtle Beach is a seething cauldron of youth in the summertime, as college students descend en masse to party and hang out at the beach in the hot climate. This puts a stress on very limited wave resources, not to mention ordinances that restrict when and where you can surf along the built-up coastline. Even so, on its day, it can look good here, with clean, hollow waves and no shortage of dedicated year-round locals to capitalize on these infrequent conditions. The Charleston scene centers on Folly Beach where the Washout provides the most consistent waves around. Average to middling until a hurricane swell has everyone scrambling to catch the rare large waves.