Block Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's talk about what's on offer for Block Island over the next couple of weeks. I'll be straight with you, it's a tough stretch for the paddle crew.

The pattern starts off pretty grim. For the first several days, from Tuesday the 14th right through to Sunday the 19th, conditions are just plain poor. We're looking at a persistent cross-shore or cross-onshore wind, mostly from the southwest, that's going to keep things bumpy and lumpy. The swell is weak, with combined energy values barely hitting triple digits, and the periods are short – around 5 to 6 seconds. Honestly, it's not worth getting wet for a surfer looking for anything decent. The water is sitting at about 67°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Monday the 20th. The morning sees a clean, cross-offshore breeze out of the west. This cleans up a 6 ft swell coming from the south with an 8-second period. The combo energy jumps to a moderate 399. The wind is clean, so the surf will have shape, but the onshore kicks in hard by the afternoon, so you need to be on it early.

The standout session of the whole forecast? That has to be Tuesday the 21st. We get a morning with a clean, light cross-offshore wind from the WNW. Swell is a solid 5 ft from the south, period at 8 seconds, and the book says "expect good surf conditions." The combined energy is a healthy 258. With a gentle offshore breeze, it'll be glassy and lined up. This is the one to circle. Block Island is a point break that rarely breaks, so when it lines up like this, you don't miss it. The optimum swell direction from the guidance is SE, so this S swell is pushing the right buttons. The crowds can be a problem here – it is often busy, so expect company.

Looking further out, Friday the 24th and Saturday the 25th have longer-period energy rolling in, with 13-second and 11-second swells respectively, and combined energy readings in the 335 to 381 range. That's a lot of juice. But the wind is a mess – onshore or cross-shore from the southwest – so while there's plenty of water moving, it'll be chopped up and ugly for a standard paddle surfer. The long period might make it break a bit straight on the beach, but with those winds, it looks more interesting for a kite session than surfing.

The very end of the window, on Monday the 27th, has some onshore southerly swells around 4 ft to 4 ft, but the winds are light, which could mean a bit of shape. The energy is moderate, but the quality will be marginal.

So, if you're waiting for the clear winner, it's the morning of Tuesday the 21st. The Monday 20th morning is a decent backup, but the 21st has the best balance of clean wind and decent swell for the point. The rest of the 16 days is mostly a write-off for decent surf. As we always say, forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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