Surf Forecasts:
Block Island surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, SSE swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period, SSE swell with 138 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 8s period with SSE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Block Island this week:
The surf forecast for Block Island over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Block Island in the next 16 days are 1.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 11AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 5AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 5AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Block Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Block Island has on tap for the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, looking at the whole 16-day window, this is a tough stretch. Every single surf window in the data is tagged as "poor surf conditions," so there aren't any true standouts to get excited about. The water temp is sitting at 72°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so at least the water won't be a shock. For such a rarely-breaking point break, it’s a real shame the forecast is this flat.
Starting off on Sunday the 16th, the early morning has a tiny 1ft swell out of the SE with a short period of 9 seconds. The wind is glassy, which would make it look pretty, but there's just no energy—combined energy is only 20 (weak). That afternoon the wind swings around and the surf stays next to nothing.
Monday the 17th sees a slight bump in swell to 4ft from the S, but the period is a dismal 5 seconds, so it'll be weak and sloppy. The wind is onshore and strong at 19 mph, making for messy conditions. The energy picks up a bit (97 and 104), but it's still not enough to make it worthwhile.
Tuesday the 18th has the best wind of the whole period for a moment—glassy conditions in the morning with 3ft swell, but it's still got no power and the "poor surf conditions" label kills any hope.
From there we go into a long, flat gap. The swell drops to 1ft for days. There's a brief moment on Thursday the 20th with a clean offshore wind from the NW, but the swell is only 1ft to 2ft with combined energy in the 30s or 40s. That’s not enough to push a point break like Block Island. This flat spell runs through to about the 26th.
There’s a spike in energy on Thursday the 27th of August, with combined energy jumping to 291 and a swell of 4ft from the SSW. But it's riddled with cross-shore and cross-onshore winds at 12 to 16 mph, so it'll be choppy and messy. Not the clean, peeling waves you want from a point. This is followed by a fresh NW wind on Friday the 28th at 22 mph. While it's offshore and clean-looking (143 combined energy), that’s kite-surfing breeze, not ideal for a paddle in small, weak surf. For the rest of the month it's just small, wind-affected leftovers.
So, the bottom line: there are no decent surf options in the entire 16-day window. For an area where this break rarely breaks, it looks like we’re in for a classic flat spell. Don't hold your breath—it tends not to stay this poor forever, and forecasts can change, but right now, leave the boards at home.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 24°C on Tue night, min 20°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SSE on Mon morning, calm by Tue morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Fri morning). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | S 6 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 6 | SSE 7 | S 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | S 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
12 | 18 | 54 | 85 | 92 | 102 | 79 | 78 | 71 | 43 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 37 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 21 | 24 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | off | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | off | cross-off | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:16AM1.01m | 11:28PM0.84m | 12:04PM0.96m | 00:13AM0.76m | 12:54PM0.90m | 1:02AM0.69m | 1:51PM0.84m | 1:59AM0.63m | 2:56PM0.80m | 3:09AM0.60m | 4:02PM0.79m | 4:20AM0.60m | 5:03PM0.80m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:35PM0.08m | 5:24AM0.07m | 6:30PM0.15m | 5:54AM0.13m | 7:31PM0.20m | 6:30AM0.19m | 8:37PM0.25m | 7:19AM0.23m | 9:43PM0.27m | 8:42AM0.25m | 10:43PM0.26m | 10:14AM0.24m | 11:34PM0.23m | ||||||||
5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
— | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 22 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | S 6 | SSE 7 | S 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 9 | SW 5 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
7 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 92 | 102 | 79 | 78 | 71 | 43 | 16 | 20 | 7 | 37 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 21 | 21 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 9 | SE 6 | — | S 9 | SE 9 | SW 6 | ESE 8 | SSW 7 | SSE 11 | SSW 6 | SE 7 | SE 6 | SE 9 | S 5 | SSW 4 | SSW 5 | S 5 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | S 7 |
12 | 2 | — | 2 | 12 | 43 | 47 | 48 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 20 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 24 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | — | — | — | — | S 14 | S 13 | SE 12 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | SE 9 | SSW 6 | SE 7 | SW 5 | E 8 | SSE 5 | ENE 3 | S 5 | SSE 6 | SE 13 | SE 9 |
1 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 6 | SSW 5 | S 5 | — | — | NE 4 | — | SSW 6 | — | SSW 6 | SW 4 | — | — | — | NE 3 | NE 3 | ENE 3 | ENE 3 | E 4 | — |
— | 18 | 54 | 85 | — | — | 4 | — | 37 | — | 21 | 6 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1541 | 1158 | 2371 | 102 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 178 | 693 | 54 | 49 | 1696 | 642 | 642 | 767 | 198 | 198 | 189 | 85 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Rhode Island | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Block Island Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Block Island provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Block Island can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Block Island surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Block Island) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Block Island may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Block Island is 33 km (20 miles) from Westerly. If you plan a vacation in Rhode Island, look for hotels and other accommodation in Westerly. Westerly has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











