The Wharf
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
64Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: 6 ft swell at 13 s, 4 hours of offshore wind, sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Mon 2 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 5 ft16 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,176kJ
- Wind
- NW 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Tue 3 · 71 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft13 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,201kJ
- Wind
- SSW 5 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 63 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,032kJ
- Wind
- E 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 38 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft8 smushy
- Energy
- 380kJ
- Wind
- ENE 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Fri 6 · 70 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,604kJ
- Wind
- NW 5 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sat 7 · 69 out of 100
- Swell
- 8 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,365kJ
- Wind
- NW 3 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Sun 8 · 61 out of 100
- Swell
- 6 ft10 ssoft
- Energy
- 723kJ
- Wind
- ENE 3 kn
- Temp
- 23°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Sun 112, too small
- Mon 248, fair
- Tue 371, good
- Wed 463, good
- Thu 538, poor
- Fri 670, good
- Sat 769, good
- Sun 861, good
- Mon 980, good
- Tue 1067, good
The spot in five facts
- Faces Ntakes swell from the N
- Offshore: Swind from the land
- Beginner +who it suits
- Works 5–20 ftof swell
- Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
The Wharf does not suit intermediates. This is the forecast for experts, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Expert | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft13 ssoftunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 121kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 17°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 48, fair | 5 ft16 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 1,176kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 71, good | 6 ft13 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 1,201kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 5 knots, offshore | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 63, good | 8 ft9 ssoft3 ft at break (est.) | 1,032kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 38, poor | 6 ft8 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 380kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 4 knots | 20°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 70, good | 9 ft11 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 1,604kJ | wind from the north-west, 5 knots | 21°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 69, good | 8 ft11 ssoft8 ft at break (est.) | 1,365kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 21°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 61, good | 6 ft10 ssoft6 ft at break (est.) | 723kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots | 23°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 80, good | 8 ft11 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 1,252kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 1 knot | 22°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 67, good | 7 ft10 ssoft5 ft at break (est.) | 824kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-west, 8 knots, offshore | 18°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 04:33 +0.4 mLow 09:04 +0.0 mHigh 14:45 +0.7 mLow 22:15 −1.0 m
- Mon 2 NovHigh 05:24 +0.5 mLow 10:40 −0.1 mHigh 16:13 +0.6 mLow 23:14 −0.9 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 06:06 +0.6 mLow 11:57 −0.3 mHigh 17:37 +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.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
The Wharf on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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Photos of The Wharf
More surf near here
5 places
- Del Monte Beach 1.5 km away
- Seaside 3.4 km away
- Lover's Point 3.7 km away
- Asilomar 5.5 km away
- Boneyards 6.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About The Wharf
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces N (4°), so it takes swell from the N. The wind blows offshore from the S (184°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 5–20 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 900 m out (1 in 88). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. 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). The town to stay in is Monterey, 0.6 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 3 surf spots, 1 wind sports spot and 9 dive sites.
Water about 14°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 · 80 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Monterey its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Pacific Grove on Booking.com
6 min by car · 69 places to stay
- Beds in Carmel By The Sea on Booking.com
11 min by car · 58 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 6h 55m
About 6h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → MRY, direct, then 25 min by road
Flights ORD → MRY on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.