Block Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's talk about Block Island.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. We’re staring down a long, dry spell. There’s nothing worth getting excited about until the morning of Monday, 18th August. That's a solid gap of almost two weeks with nothing but poor surf conditions. The water temp is sitting at 69.6°, which is about 1.6° cooler than usual for this time of year – nothing crazy, just a little off.

Let’s break down the wait. From now through the end of the second week, it’s all small, weak, and choppy. We’re looking at ankle to thigh-high slop from the SSW, mostly around 1.6 ft to 3.6 ft, with short-period windswell of 6 to 7 seconds. The combined energy is weak, mostly in the double digits (like 65 to 137), and the wind is constantly coming from the SW, making it cross-onshore and bumpy. Not a single standout in that whole stretch – just a lot of frustration.

There is a brief flicker of hope on Tuesday, 11th, and Wednesday, 12th, with some clean, glassy conditions. But don't be fooled – that's with tiny 2.0 ft to 3.3 ft swell. It’s clean but flat. Not worth the drive.

Finally, on the morning of Monday, 18th August, we see our best chance. The swell bumps up to 4.9 ft from the south, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 339, which is a moderate, punchy wave. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the NNE (10 km/h), so it'll be clean. This is the one to keep an eye on. The break at Block Island is a point break, which loves that southerly swell direction, and with that light offshore wind, it could get real fun. Just be aware this spot rarely breaks, so when it does, it’s a bit of an event. The crowd situation often gets busy, so get out there early.

Now, Tuesday afternoon, 18th, we still have some size (4.6 ft) but the quality drops off fast as the wind shifts.

After that, the swell fades again and the wind turns messy. We get another spike on the 17th with bigger swell (5.6 ft to 6.2 ft), but the wind is onshore and cross-onshore, creating lumpy, choppy conditions. That’s more of a kite-surfing kind of day than a clean surf day.

So, to sum it up: wait for Monday, 18th August. That morning window with the clean 4.9 ft south swell and light offshore wind is the only real chance of a decent session on offer. Hold out for that one.

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