Block Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

The swell window over the next couple of weeks is pretty grim, to be honest. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy conditions with hardly anything worth paddling out for. The good news is there’s a tiny glimmer of hope right at the end of the forecast, but you’re gonna have to be patient.

Right now, through the 12th, it’s all about onshore and cross-shore winds messing up what little swell there is. The waves are small, mostly around 2ft to 4ft, with short, weak 5-7 second periods. The energy is weak to moderate, reading (65) to (140) on the combined scale, but it’s all chop and lump. Not worth your time.

The 13th and 14th stay poor, with the swell dropping even more. There’s a brief moment on the morning of the 14th where it goes glassy with light NE winds, but the swell is only 2ft with a 5-second period. It’s clean, but there’s just not enough push to make it fun.

The 15th through the 20th is a write-off. More small, weak swell with persistent onshore and cross-onshore winds, and the energy drops into the weak range, mostly under (100). The 17th sees a long-period 14-second swell from the SSE, but it’s tiny at 1ft, and the afternoon gets blown out by a 35 km/h cross-shore. Forget it.

Now, for the one and only standout. Mark your calendar for Friday, the 21st of August. Things finally line up for Block Island (Block Island). The morning is clean with a cross-offshore breeze, and the swell kicks up to 4ft from the SSW. The energy jumps to a moderate (121). The afternoon gets even better: the swell builds to 5ft from the SW, with a 6-second period, and the energy pushes up to (161). The wind goes light and offshore from the NE, keeping it clean. The comment says it’s “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and honestly, that’s a solid 1 out of 10 on the score, which is the best we’re gonna see in this whole window.

It’s still a short-period swell, so it won’t have the punch of a groundswell, but it’s the only time in the next two weeks you’ll get clean, rideable waves over a meter. It’s a point break, so it should handle the short period better than a beach break. Crowds are often a factor here, so expect company.

The water is a bit colder than normal for this time of year, sitting at 70°F, which is 2°F below the average. Not crazy, but you’ll feel it.

So, there you have it. A whole lot of nothing for most of the next two weeks, but keep that Friday the 21st open. It’s the best on offer, and it’s not even that great. But it’s something.

Rusty.

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