Block Island Sound is a large, open-ocean sound located between the Rhode Island mainland and Block Island, offering a challenging and exposed paddling environment. The shortest crossing to Block Island from the mainland is approximately 8 nautical miles from Point Judith, Rhode Island. A primary launch point on Block Island itself is Settler's Rock at the island's northern tip, providing access to the sound. This site is for experienced paddlers only, as it launches directly into open waters with strong currents and heavy waves. The area around Sandy Point, just northwest of this launch, is particularly hazardous, with tidal currents reported to run at 4 to 5 knots, creating very rough seas that can be impossible to paddle against even in calm conditions. Paddlers can portage across the tip of Sandy Point to avoid this bar, but will remain in unprotected ocean waters.

The sound is exposed from all directions, with conditions from the open Atlantic arriving with little attenuation, especially from the south. There is no shelter from weather once on the water. Summer often provides stretches of calm weather, but afternoon sea breezes are common and can generate challenging waves. Swells of two to three feet rolling in from the Atlantic are typical even on calm days. Navigation requires careful judgement, as summer haze can obscure the low horizon line of Block Island from the mainland. For those crossing from the mainland, the Block Island Ferry from Point Judith can serve as an emergency return option if conditions deteriorate. The paddle offers a true open-ocean experience, testing a paddler's skills in navigation, weather assessment, and rough-water handling. The island features long sandy beaches, grassy dunes and bluffs, and warm turquoise waters in the summer, with dramatic coastlines like the Clay Head Bluffs along its eastern side.