Block Island Surf Break

Lat Long: 41.15° N 71.59° W

Block Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 1 pm 20 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Block Island sea temperature is
21.0° C
0.7° 

Block Island surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Block Island surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period, S swell with 173 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Block Island this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Block Island in the next 16 days are 1.5m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 5s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 5PM.

Wave TypeTime (EDT) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 2PM (Sun 23rd Aug)5ft (1.5m) 6s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Block Island over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about the only game in town for the next 16 days: Block Island.

This is a tough stretch. The next week and a half looks pretty grim, with a lot of days where you're better off leaving the boards in the car. We're looking at a serious dry spell from now until the 28th of August. The swell is tiny, mostly knee-high dribble, and the wind is all over the shop, rarely giving us a clean window. There's a bit of energy on the 23rd and 24th, with combined swell energy hitting moderate levels (155 and 177 respectively), but the wind is cross or cross-on, chopping it up. The water temp is currently sitting at 70°, which is about 1° cooler than normal for this time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary there.

Then, things look like they might finally start to come together around the very end of the month. The morning of the 29th of August sees a pulse of 4ft swell from the S, with a period of 8 seconds, pushing the combined energy up to a solid 225. The wind is light, from the ENE, which is cross-offshore for this spot. That's a clean look. It's only a 1/10 on the score, so it's marginal, but it's the best we've seen in a fortnight.

The real standout, and the one to keep an eye on, is the 4th of September. That Friday morning looks like it could finally deliver. We’ve got a solid 5ft of ESE groundswell, with an 8-second period, and the combined energy is a strong 328. The kicker is a light, offshore wind from the N, which should keep the surface glassy and clean. The rating is a 2/10, which is the highest we see in the whole window. This is the one to circle on the calendar. Block Island is a point break that rarely breaks, so when it shows signs of life, it's a big deal. It's also exposed, so it'll catch anything that rolls in. Expect crowds to be *often* an issue, because everyone will be onto this. For a point break, that 8-second period is a bit on the short side, so it won't have the same punch as a longer groundswell, but it should still be a hell of a lot more fun than the ankle biters we've been dealing with.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Heavy rain (total 36mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 17°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNE on Thu night, light winds from the ENE by Sat night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 24°C on Sun night, min 18°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Mon afternoon, calm by Tue night).

Thu
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.4
SE
7
0.4
SE
8
0.4
SE
8
0.4
SE
8
1.1
ENE
5
0.3
ESE
8
0.3
SE
9
0.4
SE
6
0.9
SSE
6
1.1
SSE
6
0.9
SSW
6
1.2
SSW
7
1.3
SSW
7
0.9
SSW
6
0.7
SSW
6
0.4
SE
10
0.5
S
6
0.8
S
6
0.8
S
6
0.8
ESE
7
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
12
18
18
18
57
12
13
11
49
104
62
131
138
64
33
27
18
41
41
62
Wind (km/h)
15
SW
25
NE
30
NE
20
E
20
NE
25
NE
20
ENE
20
SSW
25
SSW
15
SW
25
W
25
W
30
WSW
15
NW
15
W
20
SW
5
E
15
NE
10
SW
20
SW
Wind State
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
off
cross-off
cross-on
glassy
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
High Tide
2:56PM0.80m
3:09AM0.60m
4:02PM0.79m
4:20AM0.60m
5:03PM0.80m
5:21AM0.64m
5:53PM0.83m
6:12AM0.69m
6:36PM0.86m
6:56AM0.76m
7:13PM0.89m
7:35AM0.82m
7:47PM0.91m
Low Tide
9:43PM0.27m
8:42AM0.25m
10:43PM0.26m
10:14AM0.24m
11:34PM0.23m
11:15AM0.22m
00:18AM0.20m
12:06PM0.18m
00:57AM0.14m
12:50PM0.15m
1:31AM0.09m
1:30PM0.11m
2:02AM0.05m
part cloud
mod rain
rain showers
clear
part cloud
cloud
mod rain
heavy rain
thunderstorm
clear
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:01
6:01
6:03
6:03
6:05
6:05
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
7:37
7:37
7:35
7:34
7:31
7:30
7:29
 mm
7
1
6
18
4
2
Temp °C
25
24
19
22
21
19
20
22
23
23
24
21
23
23
19
21
21
21
22
22
Feels °C
25
24
15
20
18
17
20
23
24
23
22
20
17
19
15
18
19
19
21
20
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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