Waves in Charleston
Hourly wave forecast for 7 days · updated today, Wednesday, October 28, at 10:15 pm (EDT)- Sea state
- Slight · Douglas 3
- Period
- 6.7 s · E
- Swell
- 3.2 ft · 7 s
- Highest expected
- 8.2 ft
Today the sea at Charleston is slight: 4.0 ft waves with a period of 6.7 s from the east. The swell, 3.2 ft at 7 s, comes from the east-southeast. Biggest waves: Monday 2, with waves up to 4.3 ft (moderate).
Wave height, next 7 days
Significant height: the average of the highest third of the waves, what an observer would estimate by eye. Swell: waves arriving from far away, longer.
The waves you may find today
- Most common2.0 ft
- Significant4.0 ft
- Highest expected8.2 ft
One wave in seven is higher than the significant height, and about 3 times a day one reaches 8.2 ft. Before heading out, expect waves of up to 8.2 ft.
The Douglas sea state scale
| Degree | Name | Wave height |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Calm (glassy) | 0 |
| 1 | Calm (rippled) | 0.0 ft–0.3 ft |
| 2 | Smooth | 0.3 ft–1.6 ft |
| 3 | Slight · today | 1.6 ft–4.1 ft |
| 4 | Moderate · week peak | 4.1 ft–8.2 ft |
| 5 | Rough | 8.2 ft–13.1 ft |
| 6 | Very rough | 13.1 ft–19.7 ft |
Waves day by day
| Day | Max wave | Sea state | Direction | Max period | Swell | Max wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 4.1 ft | Slight | E | 7 s | 3.2 ft ESE | 12 mph NE |
| Thu 29 | 4.1 ft | Slight | E | 7 s | 3.4 ft ESE | 12 mph NE |
| Fri 30 | 2.8 ft | Slight | E | 7 s | 2.7 ft E | 9 mph NE |
| Sat 31 | 3.7 ft | Slight | E | 7 s | 2.3 ft ESE | 17 mph NE |
| Sun 1 | 3.5 ft | Slight | E | 6 s | 2.9 ft ESE | 17 mph NE |
| Mon 2 | 4.3 ft | Moderate | E | 6 s | 3.2 ft ESE | 19 mph NE |
| Tue 3 | 3.9 ft | Slight | E | 7 s | 3.3 ft ESE | 17 mph NE |
Today, every 3 hours
| Time | 12:00 am | 3:00 am | 6:00 am | 9:00 am | 12:00 pm | 3:00 pm | 6:00 pm | 9:00 pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waves | 3.0 ft | 3.1 ft | 3.2 ft | 3.3 ft | 3.5 ft | 3.7 ft | 3.8 ft | 3.9 ft |
| Period | 6.5 s | 6.8 s | 6.9 s | 6.9 s | 6.8 s | 6.5 s | 6.6 s | 6.7 s |
| Direction | E | E | E | E | E | E | E | E |
| Swell | 2.6 ft · 6 s | 2.9 ft · 6 s | 3.0 ft · 6 s | 2.9 ft · 7 s | 3.0 ft · 7 s | 3.0 ft · 7 s | 3.0 ft · 7 s | 3.1 ft · 7 s |
| Wind (mph) | 3 NE | 4 NNE | 6 NNE | 7 NNE | 8 NE | 12 NE | 8 ENE | 9 ENE |
Previous days
The waves over the last 14 days. Tap a day to see it hour by hour.
| Day | Max wave | Period | Swell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue 27 | 3.0 ft E | 8 s | 3.0 ft ESE |
| Mon 26 | 4.3 ft E | 8 s | 3.3 ft E |
| Sun 25 | 4.9 ft ENE | 8 s | 3.0 ft E |
| Sat 24 | 4.6 ft ENE | 7 s | 3.0 ft E |
| Fri 23 | 2.0 ft ENE | 8 s | 1.3 ft E |
| Thu 22 | 2.0 ft E | 10 s | 2.0 ft E |
| Wed 21 | 2.6 ft E | 9 s | 2.0 ft E |
Show all 14 days
These are the models at the start of each day (ECMWF and GFS; waves from Météo-France), not readings from a weather station: there can be differences at specific spots.
Questions about the waves in CharlestonQuestions
How are the waves today in Charleston?
Slight (4.0 ft with a period of 6.7 s from the east). The highest wave to expect is around 8.2 ft.
Which day will have the biggest waves this week?
Monday 2, with waves up to 4.3 ft (moderate).
What is the wave period?
The time, in seconds, between two crests. With long periods (over 10 s) waves come from far away, are cleaner and break harder; with short periods they are wind waves, choppier.
What is significant wave height?
The average of the highest third of the waves. One in seven is higher and, a few times a day, one comes in at almost double: today, about 8.2 ft.
More about Charleston today
Waves near Charleston
- Mount Pleasant 4.0 ft · 7 s · 4.3 mi
- Kiawah Island 2.9 ft · 7 s · 15 mi
- Meggett 2.9 ft · 7 s · 18 mi
- Rockville 2.9 ft · 7 s · 19 mi
- Beaufort 3.1 ft · 6 s · 49 mi
- Hilton Head 3.3 ft · 6 s · 61 mi
Only places with a different forecast: spots a few miles apart share the same model cell and wouldn't add anything.
Learn more
Waves: Open-Meteo with Météo-France (MFWAM, up to 10 days) and ECMWF WAM, CC BY 4.0; wave grid point 5.8 mi away. Near the shore, the seabed and the shape of the coast change the waves.
Forecast from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0) with models from ECMWF, NOAA, Météo-France, DWD, Copernicus Marine and CAMS. Updated at 10:15 pm (local time).
Spotted a mistake? Tell us · Where the weather and sea data come from