Block Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you – this is a tough one. Looking at the whole 16-day window, we've got a long stretch of nothing doing. The first spot worth a mention doesn't even show up until we're well into the second week.

The only break that has any kind of shape to it here is Block Island (United States). It's a point break, which is a good thing because it can handle a bit of direction, but it's a spot that rarely breaks and when it does, you’ll often have company. The water here is sitting at 71°, which is pretty much dead average for this time of year – no surprises there.

Now, here's the reality: from Friday, the 21st of August, right through to the end of the month, it's a dead loss. Swell heights are tiny, mostly under 2ft, with a weak, short-period SE windswell. The combined energy barely cracks 100 (21 to 85) for most of that time, which is just weak. Winds are all over the shop, mostly cross or cross-off, but some decent cross-off days pop up, like the morning of the 25th and 28th of August. But with such small, weak swell, it doesn't matter. The wave comment says it all: "poor surf conditions" every single time.

There's a bit of a spike on the 24th and 25th of August, with some 3ft to 4ft swell from the SSW, and the combined energy hits 161 on Monday afternoon. But the wind is onshore and choppy, so it's messy. The morning of the 25th is clean with a cross-off breeze, but the swell is still just 3ft with a 6-second period – super weak and gutless. Not something to get excited about.

Then we hit a real gap. From the end of August right through to the start of September, it's still poor. There's a glimmer on the 29th of August when the wind goes glassy in the afternoon, but the swell is still just 3ft of SE slop. It's clean, but it's not surf.

The only faint hope is on the 2nd of September. Wednesday morning has a cross-off breeze from the west, and the swell is 2ft from the SE with a 10-second period. That's a longer period, so there's a bit more push, and the combined energy is 62. In the afternoon, it goes offshore from the NW, which is ideal for that point. But it's still tiny. Given the 10-second period, it might be a bit better shaped than the usual windswill, but it's a long way out and the call is weak.

So, what's the best on offer? It's really an exercise in being realistic. There is no standout. The best of a bad bunch is the 2nd of September, with a clean offshore wind and a marginally better swell period. But it's a rare break, so don't drive for it. If you're desperate for a paddle, you might get a couple of half-decent runners on the point.

For the rest of the month, it's a write-off. The swell is too small, the wind is often wrong, and the energy is just not there. This is a normal pattern for the area when it goes quiet, so don't expect it to turn on a dime. You might be better off looking at kites if the wind picks up, because the paddle surfing is just not on.

Rusty.

Read more