Edisto Beach / South Carolina / United States

Edisto Beach is a way to the south west of Charleston, and sits on the southern end of Edisto Island. The surfing here is good for all levels of experience, and it is a surprisingly quiet spot that can rival anything in South Carolina.

The beach is clean sand and pretty broad and long as it wraps around the southern point of the island. Just follow the signs for Edisto off Highway 17 South, and head south on the island. You park up where there is a store on a small pier.

As this is on a point sticking out into the ocean, the wind and swell can come in from almost any direction. Anywhere north, south or east works at this spot. The swell starts working at 1m to 1.5 and holds up to 2m and above, and is best on a rising tide. It is a beach break, splitting both right and left, and is pretty regular. The waves are pretty ordinary, just powerful enough to be interesting, and the length is usually short at less than 50m but on a good day they can be above average, even up to 300m. It is a quiet spot even at weekend as not many people make the effort to drive out here, but if you are in the area or heading down to Georgia then it is worth stopping by.

Edisto is only a small place, but it is pretty chilled out and is well set up to cater for visitors. Beach cottages are available for rent and there are plenty of nature-based attractions to keep you occupied.

There are some rips that can cause trouble for the unwary, and submerged rocks that can be a problem. Keep your eyes open for sharks.