Carmel River
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
69Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 7 ft swell at 10 s
Mon 2 · 62 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft16 shollow
- Energy
- 1,541kJ
- Wind
- NW 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tue 3 · 72 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft14 shollow
- Energy
- 1,576kJ
- Wind
- SSW 4 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 60 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft10 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,382kJ
- Wind
- E 3 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 55 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 459kJ
- Wind
- ENE 3 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 68 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 1,840kJ
- Wind
- NE 2 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft12 shollow
- Energy
- 2,156kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sun 8 · 80 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 996kJ
- Wind
- WNW 1 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 121, too small
- Mon 262, good
- Tue 372, good
- Wed 460, good
- Thu 555, fair
- Fri 668, good
- Sat 769, good
- Sun 880, good
- Mon 964, good
- Tue 1079, good
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–8 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Aug–Nov2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 21, too small | 3 ft13 shollow3 ft at break (est.) | 364kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 16°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 62, good | 6 ft16 shollow9 ft at break (est.) | 1,541kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 72, good | 7 ft14 shollow10 ft at break (est.) | 1,576kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 4 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 60, good | 9 ft10 scrumbling11 ft at break (est.) | 1,382kJ | offshorewind from the east, 3 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 55, fair | 7 ft8 smushy8 ft at break (est.) | 459kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 68, good | 8 ft12 shollow11 ft at break (est.) | 1,840kJ | wind from the north-east, 2 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 69, good | 9 ft12 shollow12 ft at break (est.) | 2,156kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 22°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 80, good | 7 ft10 shollow9 ft at break (est.) | 996kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 1 knot | 22°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 64, good | 9 ft11 shollow11 ft at break (est.) | 1,599kJ | wind from the south, 2 knots | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 79, good | 7 ft10 shollow9 ft at break (est.) | 898kJ | wind from the west, 1 knot | 19°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Sun 1 NovHigh 04:35 +0.4 mLow 09:05 +0.1 mHigh 14:45 +0.7 mLow 22:16 −1.0 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:25 +0.5 mLow 10:41 −0.1 mHigh 16:13 +0.6 mLow 23:14 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:07 +0.6 mLow 11:57 −0.3 mHigh 17:38 +0.5 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Aug–Nov
Good days in a typical week, each month, for intermediate surfers, from 2016 on (history scored the same way).
- Jan1of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May1of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul1of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug2of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep2of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct2of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov2of 7: a trip from Mon 2 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical, not a forecast.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Carmel River on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for experts: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Carmel River
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More surf near here
5 places
- Carmel 1.7 km away
- Ghost tree 3.5 km away
- Cypress 6.6 km away
- The Wharf 8.2 km away
- Asilomar 8.4 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Carmel River
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (276°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (96°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 15). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 12°C in May, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 15°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually August, September, October and November, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Carmel By The Sea, 2.2 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 2 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 5 dive sites.
Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,070–US$1,950 each
about US$1,070–US$1,950 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to MRY, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | about US$261–US$536 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$33 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$301–US$502 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$147–US$241 |
| Total | about US$1,070–US$1,950 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
4 min by car · 58 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Carmel By The Sea its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Monterey on Booking.com
14 min by car · 80 places to stay
- Beds in Pacific Grove on Booking.com
17 min by car · 69 places to stay
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 7h
About 7h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MRY, direct, then 30 min by road
Flights ORD → MRY on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.