Carmel
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
14Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Mon 2: 4 ft swell at 17 s
Mon 2 · 41 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft17 scrumbling
- Energy
- 894kJ
- Wind
- ENE 3 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tue 3 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft14 scrumbling
- Energy
- 1,576kJ
- Wind
- SSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Wed 4 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,382kJ
- Wind
- E 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 29 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft10 smushy
- Energy
- 342kJ
- Wind
- WNW 6 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,840kJ
- Wind
- NE 2 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Sat 7 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,156kJ
- Wind
- NNE 6 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sun 8 · 0 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 996kJ
- Wind
- NNE 2 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 154, fair
- Mon 241, poor
- Tue 30, too big
- Wed 40, too big
- Thu 529, poor
- Fri 60, too big
- Sat 70, too big
- Sun 80, too big
- Mon 90, too big
- Tue 100, too big
The spot in six facts
- Faces Wtakes swell from the W
- Offshore: Ewind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 2–9 ftof swell
- Water 15 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
- Best Aug–Nov2 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
Carmel does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 54, fair | 3 ft13 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 353kJ | wind from the north-west, 6 knots | 16°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 41, poor | 4 ft17 scrumbling7 ft at break (est.) | 894kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 3 knots, offshore | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft14 scrumbling9 ft at break (est.) | 1,576kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 5 knots | 18°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft10 ssoft11 ft at break (est.) | 1,382kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 29, poor | 4 ft10 smushy6 ft at break (est.) | 342kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 6 knots | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 0, too big | 8 ft12 ssoft10 ft at break (est.) | 1,840kJ | wind from the north-east, 2 knots | 19°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft12 ssoft11 ft at break (est.) | 2,156kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 6 knots | 21°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 0, too big | 7 ft10 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 996kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 2 knots | 21°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 0, too big | 9 ft11 ssoft10 ft at break (est.) | 1,599kJ | wind from the south-south-east, 1 knot | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 0, too big | 6 ft11 scrumbling8 ft at break (est.) | 702kJ | wind from the south, 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 on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of Carmel
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More surf near here
5 places
- Carmel River 1.7 km away
- Ghost tree 2.3 km away
- Cypress 5.4 km away
- Asilomar 6.7 km away
- The Wharf 6.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Carmel
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces W (257°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (77°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 400 m out (1 in 40). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would crumble. 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, 0.7 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
1 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
11 min by car · 80 places to stay
- Beds in Pacific Grove on Booking.com
14 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.