Block Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Block Island.

To be straight with you, the outlook for the next couple of weeks is pretty bleak. We’ve got a real dry spell on our hands. The first surfable day that even shows a pulse is Tuesday, August 4th, but don’t get your hopes up too high. After that, the whole forecast is a long stretch of small, weak, and choppy slop. There’s a solid gap from Wednesday afternoon, August 5th, all the way through to Sunday, August 16th, where the ratings are just flat-out poor. It’s the kind of run where you’re better off checking the wind forecast for kites.

The only real standout, and I mean the *only* one, is the early morning of Tuesday, August 4th at Block Island. It’s a point break that rarely works, so when it does, you pay attention. We’re looking at a 5ft swell coming out of the S, with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a short, weak wave, but the combined energy of all swells is moderate (316). The real kicker here is the wind: glassy, 3 mph from the W. That’s the kind of calm that turns a so-so wave into a velvet ride. It’s going to be clean, and for a spot that’s this inconsistent, it’s a gift. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing wild. Just keep in mind, crowds are likely at this spot, so you’ll have to get in the water early.

After that Tuesday morning window, it falls apart. The wind swings to the south and picks up, the swell drops, and the quality goes straight into the bin. We get a few mornings with clean conditions, like Thursday, August 13th, where the wind is offshore from the NE, but the swell is a measly 3ft with a short period. It’s just not enough to push anything decent. There’s a small window on Sunday, August 16th, late in the afternoon with glassy conditions and a 3ft SSW swell, but it’s only 5 seconds of period – that’s windswell, full stop. Not worth paddling out for.

Honestly, if you’re not out there on the morning of August 4th, you’re probably looking at two weeks of flat, choppy, or blown-out water. The break is a point, so it needs a clean entry, and the south swells we’re seeing are mostly all cross or onshore. The setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on most of these days. Keep your board waxed and hope the next forecast cycle brings something better.

Rusty.

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