the beach today
Lowcountry Guide

Sullivan's
Island

Lowcountry

Everything for a quiet, historic beach day at the mouth of Charleston Harbor: conditions, the free station-street parking, the harbor sunset by Fort Moultrie and where to eat after.

Today on the Sand

loading live data…

Water Temp

84°

warm · gentle surf

UV Index

9

very high · 10am–4pm

Beach Crowd

Busy

holiday weekend

Beach Toolkit

Beach Conditions

Surf, tides & water temp

Parking Finder

Garages, lots & meters

Sunset

Sunset countdown & live cam

Dining

Where to eat after the sand

Things to Do

Cruises, sails & tours

Events

What's on this week

Beach Rules

Dogs, drinks, fires, drones

Pick Your Sand

north to south

The Cove

West end · calm harbor-side swimming

Calm water · harbor view

Fort Moultrie Beach

By the fort & the triangular lighthouse

Free street parking · historic

Station 22 Access

Popular mid-island walk-on to wide sand

Free access · dunes

Station 28.5 Access

Quieter east-end access near the inlet

Free access · low crowds

Breach Inlet

East tip · strong current, no swimming

Fishing · caution

Dolphin Cruises

Open →

Compare daily sails from the marina — wild dolphins on nearly every trip.

Beyond the Beach

day trips

Isle of Palms

5 min north

Wide family sand, the Windjammer & the marina

Mount Pleasant

10 min west

Shem Creek, Patriots Point & the greenway

Charleston

20 min west

Historic downtown, the Battery & King Street

Fort Sumter

Boat only

The harbor fort where the Civil War began

see you on the sand

Water temp, surf and UV are live from NOAA & Open-Meteo; sunset is computed locally for Sullivan's Island. Crowd level is a weekday/weekend estimate.

Right now at Sullivan's Island, the water is 83°F, surf is running 2–3 ft and the air is 83°F. Wind is 10 mph from the NE and the UV index peaks at 7 (high) today. Unprotected fair skin burns in about 31 minutes right now, and the strongest stretch runs 12 PM to 4 PM. Today’s tides: High 12:26 AM, Low 6:23 AM, High 1:11 PM, Low 7:27 PM. Dogs are not allowed right now. Allowed again from 6 PM.