Surf Forecasts:
Block Island surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 5PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 7s period, SSE swell with 97 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Block Island this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Block Island in the next 16 days are 0.9m 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 5PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 8PM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 5PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Block Island over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what we’ve got on the radar. Honestly, looking at the whole 16-day window, it’s a bit of a tough stretch for us. The first week and a half is pretty grim, with a lot of waiting. We don't see anything good until the very end, and even then, it’s not a full-blown classic.
Alright, let's start from the beginning. For almost the entire period from Tuesday, August 18th, right through to Friday, August 28th, the surf is basically a no-go. That’s about ten days of flat, messy, or windy junk. We’ve got a few tiny bumps here and there, but nothing worth paddling out for.
The first sign of life arrives on Friday, August 28th. The morning session at Block Island is actually looking like the standout of the whole forecast. We’ve got a solid 5 ft swell coming from the south with a period of 8 seconds. The combined swell energy is decent, clocking in at 318 (moderate energy). The real kicker here is the wind—offshore from the north at 19 mi/h. That’s going to groom it into clean, lined-up waves. This swell is right on the edge of being a bit much for beginners, so if you're learning, maybe sit this one out, but for intermediates and up, this is the window to be in the water. Remember, it's a point break that rarely breaks, so the fact it's showing up is special. The water temp is 70°F, which is just about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The afternoon on the 28th gets a bit sloppy with a cross-onshore wind, but the following morning, Saturday, August 29th, is another good look. We’ve got a slightly smaller south swell, 4 ft (period 7 seconds), with clean offshore winds from the north again at 16 mi/h (212 combined energy). It’s a bit smaller, but still clean and punchy.
That Saturday afternoon, we get a moment of pure magic – glassy conditions with a 4 ft swell from the SSW (183 combined energy). It’s not the biggest, but when it goes glassy like that at a rare-breaking point, you don’t even think twice. That's your "slip out after work" moment.
After that, from Sunday the 30th onward, we slip back into the doldrums with tiny, weak waves and onshore winds. The very end of the forecast, into the first few days of September, shows some more energy, but the wind is mostly terrible from the east, so don’t get your hopes up just yet.
So, to wrap it up: sit tight until the end of the month. Your two real shots are Friday morning, August 28th, and the glassy window on Saturday afternoon, August 29th. The rest of the time, the board stays in the car.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Wed morning. Warm (max 25°C on Tue night, min 20°C on Tue morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 24°C on Fri afternoon, min 18°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Sat afternoon, light winds from the SSE by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 6 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 4 | SE 12 | S 5 | S 6 | S 7 | S 7 | SSW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
91 | 97 | 51 | 42 | 33 | 22 | 25 | 19 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 43 | 37 | 20 | 23 | 43 | 52 | 85 | 89 | 73 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | cross | cross-off | cross | off |
High Tide | 12:54PM0.90m | 1:02AM0.69m | 1:51PM0.84m | 1:59AM0.63m | 2:56PM0.80m | 3:09AM0.60m | 4:02PM0.79m | 4:20AM0.60m | 5:03PM0.80m | 5:21AM0.64m | 5:53PM0.83m | 6:12AM0.69m | 6:36PM0.86m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:31PM0.20m | 6:30AM0.19m | 8:37PM0.25m | 7:19AM0.23m | 9:43PM0.27m | 8:42AM0.25m | 10:43PM0.26m | 10:14AM0.24m | 11:34PM0.23m | 11:15AM0.22m | 00:18AM0.20m | 12:06PM0.18m | 00:57AM0.14m | ||||||||
5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 7:40 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:31 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 24 |
Feels °C | 24 | 24 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 19 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 18 | 19 | 21 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSE 7 | SSE 7 | SE 8 | SE 7 | SE 6 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 7 | SE 7 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | SSE 6 | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | SE 11 | SSW 7 |
91 | 97 | 51 | 42 | 33 | 22 | 25 | 19 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 22 | 52 | 85 | 19 | 73 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | ENE 4 | S 7 | SSW 6 | SE 9 | SSE 6 | S 6 | ESE 9 | SE 8 | SSW 5 | S 5 | S 5 | SE 13 | SE 9 | SE 9 | ESE 7 | ENE 4 | SE 12 | SE 12 | SE 11 | SE 11 |
3 | 1 | 34 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 21 | 31 | 18 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SE 12 | SSE 11 | SE 10 | SSE 9 | SE 9 | SE 9 | S 5 | SSW 4 | E 7 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SW 5 | SE 13 | SE 13 | SE 12 | ESE 7 | ESE 7 | — | ESE 7 | ESE 7 |
— | 6 | 12 | 15 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 23 | 9 | 4 | — | 5 | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 4 | — | — | SSW 2 | SSW 6 | SSW 3 | SW 3 | SW 4 | — | NE 4 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | ENE 5 | ENE 4 | E 4 | S 5 | — | — | S 7 | W 3 |
3 | — | — | 1 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | 13 | 22 | 13 | 43 | 37 | 20 | 9 | 43 | — | — | 89 | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 198 | 160 | 159 | 198 | 159 | 634 | 85 | 207 | 425 | 665 | 59 | 160 | 138 | 25 | 25 | 159 | 24 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Rhode Island | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Block Island Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Block Island provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Block Island can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Block Island surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Block Island) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Block Island may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Block Island is 33 km (20 miles) from Westerly. If you plan a vacation in Rhode Island, look for hotels and other accommodation in Westerly. Westerly has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











