Rough water today
forecastNo weather alert for Myrtle Beach, but the forecast has waves to 4 ft. Fine for a walk, not for a swim.
Rough water today. Partly cloudy, high near 77°. No real rain risk. Driest stretch: all day, but dry isn't calm. Keep out of rough water.
forecastRain OutlookOpen-Meteo
tap an hourTop rain chance is just 0%, but dry doesn't mean calm today. See the surf and wind above.
Tide
0.3 ft · falling ↘
Next low tide
12:24 PM 0.2 ft
T−…
1.9 ft of drop from the 7:54 AM high; the wet sand is widest from about 11:24 AM.
Wind
10 mph
from the NNE
UV Index
Moderate
easy sunscreen day
Time to Burn
UV 5 · incl. sand glarefor unprotected fair skin (burns easily, tans a little). SPF 30+, reapply every 2 hours and after every swim.
An estimate from the standard erythemal dose model, not a medical limit. Darker skin burns more slowly than this, people vary either way, and sunscreen only helps if you use enough of it and reapply.
Rip Current Riskestimated
todayDangerous currents likely. Knee-deep only, lifeguarded sand only.
Caught in one? Don’t fight it. Swim parallel to the beach until you’re free, then angle back in.
Beach Flag
Red Flag
knee-deep only
estimated · trust the lifeguard
Water by Monthtypical
avg 2021–2024Warmest around July (86°), coolest around January (51°).
surf’s up (gently)
Tides are NOAA predictions (Myrtle Beach station 8661070); temps, wind, UV, waves and water temp are live from Open-Meteo; rip current risk from the NWS surf-zone forecast. Flag status is estimated from wave height and wind, so always trust the lifeguard’s actual flag over this app.
Rough water today. No weather alert for Myrtle Beach, but the forecast has waves to 4 ft. Fine for a walk, not for a swim. The water at Myrtle Beach is 67°F (19°C) today, 5°F cooler than the usual 72°F for October. For swimming it is chilly: bracing for most people, and a wetsuit helps. Waves are 3–4 ft (rough). The air is 76°F, with breezy 12 mph winds from the ENE. The UV index reaches 5 (moderate).
The water holds steady around 67°F through Tue Nov 3.
The week ahead at Myrtle Beach, day by day: the sky, the high, the strongest wind and the biggest waves, the UV peak and the daytime chance of rain, and the water temperature. The calmest day for a swim looks like Fri Oct 30.
| Day | Sky | High | Wind | Waves | UV | Rain | Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Cloudy | 77°F | 13 mph | 3.9 ft | 5 | 0% | 67°F |
| Thu Oct 29 | Cloudy | 74°F | 14 mph | 3.9 ft | 5 | 6% | 68°F |
| Fri Oct 30 | Cloudy | 81°F | 7 mph | 3 ft | 5 | 1% | 68°F |
| Sat Oct 31 | Cloudy | 72°F | 14 mph | 3.5 ft | 4 | 0% | 68°F |
| Sun Nov 1 | Cloudy | 75°F | 14 mph | 3.5 ft | 4 | 19% | 68°F |
| Mon Nov 2 | Showers | 67°F | 18 mph | 3.5 ft | 1 | 30% | 68°F |
| Tue Nov 3 | Showers | 75°F | 17 mph | 3.6 ft | 4 | 7% | 68°F |
High and low tides for the next 7 days, from NOAA’s predictions for tide station 8661070. Heights are in feet above the average low tide. The shell window is the last hour and a quarter of the ebb and the first three-quarters of the flood around the day’s lowest daylight low, when the most sand is bare; the lowest low of the week is marked.
| Day | Tide 1 | Tide 2 | Tide 3 | Tide 4 | Shell window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | Low 3:14 AM -0.1 | High 9:24 AM 6.9 | Low 4:07 PM 0.3 | High 9:54 PM 5.4 | 2:52 PM–4:52 PM · best |
| Thu Oct 29 | Low 4:04 AM 0.0 | High 10:17 AM 6.7 | Low 5:01 PM 0.5 | High 10:51 PM 5.2 | 3:46 PM–5:46 PM |
| Fri Oct 30 | Low 4:58 AM 0.2 | High 11:18 AM 6.4 | Low 5:58 PM 0.7 | High 11:57 PM 5.0 | 4:43 PM–6:43 PM |
| Sat Oct 31 | Low 5:55 AM 0.4 | High 12:24 PM 6.2 | Low 7:00 PM 0.8 | — | — |
| Sun Nov 1 | High 1:04 AM 5.0 | Low 5:58 AM 0.6 | High 12:29 PM 6.0 | Low 7:06 PM 0.9 | — |
| Mon Nov 2 | High 1:09 AM 5.1 | Low 7:07 AM 0.7 | High 1:31 PM 5.8 | Low 8:13 PM 0.9 | 5:52 AM–7:52 AM |
| Tue Nov 3 | High 2:10 AM 5.3 | Low 8:20 AM 0.8 | High 2:30 PM 5.6 | Low 9:13 PM 0.7 | 7:05 AM–9:05 AM |
The average sea temperature at Myrtle Beach for each month (2021–2024). The water is warmest in July (86°F) and coolest in January (51°F). It averages 74°F or warmer, comfortable for most swimmers, in May, June, July, August, September.
| Month | Water °F | Water °C | For swimming |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51°F | 10°C | Cold |
| February | 54°F | 12°C | Cold |
| March | 60°F | 16°C | Chilly |
| April | 67°F | 19°C | Chilly |
| May | 74°F | 23°C | Comfortable |
| June | 80°F | 26°C | Comfortable |
| July | 86°F | 30°C | Very warm |
| August | 85°F | 29°C | Warm |
| September | 80°F | 27°C | Warm |
| October (now) | 72°F | 22°C | Cool |
| November | 64°F | 18°C | Chilly |
| December | 55°F | 13°C | Cold |
Rip currents. If a current pulls you away from shore, don’t fight it: swim parallel to the beach until you are out of it, then swim back in. If you can’t, float and wave for help.
Sun. The UV index peaks at 5 today. Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
Dogs. Dogs are allowed right now, on a leash. Allowed until May 1.
Swim near a lifeguard when one is on duty, and follow the beach flags and posted signs. The Myrtle Beach rules page covers dogs, alcohol, fires and more.
Under 1 ft is calm, good for small children and floating. 1–2 ft is small, fine for most swimmers. 2–4 ft is moderate: fun for bodyboarding, harder for weak swimmers. 4–6 ft is rough, and over 6 ft is dangerous for swimming. Today at Myrtle Beach it’s rough.
Under 8 mph is light and pleasant. 8–15 mph is breezy, good for kites and cooler on a hot day. 15–25 mph blows sand and whips up the water. Over 25 mph most people pack up. Today at Myrtle Beach it’s breezy.
0–2 is low, 3–5 moderate, 6–7 high, 8–10 very high and 11 or more extreme. At 8 or more, fair skin can burn in under 20 minutes. The UV index is highest around midday even when it is cloudy.
Under 60°F is cold and most people want a wetsuit. 68–73°F is cool but swimmable. 74–79°F feels comfortable, and 80°F or more feels warm.
67°F (19°C), 5°F cooler than the usual 72°F for October.
At 67°F the water is chilly: bracing for most people, and a wetsuit helps. Waves are 3–4 ft, which is rough.
3–4 ft, which is rough. The wind is 12 mph from the ENE.
High tide is at 9:24 AM and 9:54 PM, and low tide is at 3:14 AM and 4:07 PM. Times are NOAA predictions.
The UV index peaks at 5 (moderate). Wear SPF 30 and reapply every two hours and after swimming.
Highs run 67–81°F over the next 7 days. No day has a strong chance of rain. The calmest day for a swim looks like Fri Oct 30.
The water at Myrtle Beach averages about 72°F (22°C) in October.
July is the warmest month, averaging 86°F. January is the coolest, at 51°F.
The water averages 74°F or warmer from May, June, July, August and September. July is the warmest, at 86°F.
The usual water temperature in October at the nearest beaches. Tap one for its live conditions.
| Carolina Beach conditions | 62 mi | 73°F |
|---|---|---|
| Wrightsville Beach conditions | 72 mi | 73°F |
| Isle of Palms conditions | 81 mi | 73°F |
| Sullivan's Island conditions | 85 mi | 73°F |
| Folly Beach conditions | 94 mi | 73°F |
| Kiawah Island conditions | 102 mi | 73°F |
More for Myrtle Beach: parking · sunset time tonight · things to do · US water temperatures today →