Carmel
Surf spot · United States
Is it worth the trip?
63Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sun 8: 7 ft swell at 11 s
Tue 3 · 55 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft14 smushy
- Energy
- 1,637kJ
- Wind
- SSW 7 kn
- Temp
- 17°C
Wed 4 · 66 out of 100
- Swell
- 9 ft9 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,192kJ
- Wind
- NW 4 kn
- Temp
- 18°C
Thu 5 · 52 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft8 ssoft
- Energy
- 533kJ
- Wind
- ESE 7 kn
- Temp
- 19°C
Fri 6 · 65 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,190kJ
- Wind
- NE 4 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Sat 7 · 48 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft12 ssoft
- Energy
- 3,013kJ
- Wind
- NE 6 kn
- Temp
- 22°C
Sun 8 · 76 out of 100
- Swell
- 7 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 1,107kJ
- Wind
- NE 5 kn
- Temp
- 20°C
Mon 9 · 59 out of 100
- Swell
- 10 ft11 ssoft
- Energy
- 2,352kJ
- Wind
- ENE 2 kn
- Temp
- 21°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 260, good
- Tue 355, fair
- Wed 466, good
- Thu 552, fair
- Fri 665, good
- Sat 748, fair
- Sun 876, good
- Mon 959, fair
- Tue 1044, poor
- Wed 1169, good
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
The score doesn't know rips, currents, rocks or your skill.
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 60, good | 6 ft16 scrumbling9 ft at break (est.) | 1,611kJ | wind from the west, 2 knots | 19°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 55, fair | 7 ft14 smushy9 ft at break (est.) | 1,637kJ | wind from the south-south-west, 7 knots | 17°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 66, good | 9 ft9 ssoft10 ft at break (est.) | 1,192kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 18°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 52, fair | 7 ft8 ssoft7 ft at break (est.) | 533kJ | offshorewind from the east-south-east, 7 knots, offshore | 19°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 65, good | 10 ft11 ssoft11 ft at break (est.) | 2,190kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 4 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 48, fair | 10 ft12 ssoft12 ft at break (est.) | 3,013kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 6 knots, offshore | 22°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 76, good | 7 ft11 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 1,107kJ | offshorewind from the north-east, 5 knots, offshore | 20°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 59, fair | 10 ft11 ssoft12 ft at break (est.) | 2,352kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 21°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 44, poor | 7 ft10 ssoft9 ft at break (est.) | 915kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 5 knots | 19°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 69, good | 9 ft11 ssoft11 ft at break (est.) | 1,793kJ | offshorewind from the east-north-east, 2 knots, offshore | 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
- 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
- Wed 4 NovLow 00:07 −0.8 mHigh 06:44 +0.7 mLow 12:59 −0.5 mHigh 18:52 +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 Tue 3 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 experts: 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 2 November 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$262–US$537 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$20–US$34 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$302–US$503 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$148–US$242 |
| 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
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 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
about 15 min by car · 80 places to stay
- Beds in Pacific Grove on Booking.com
about 15 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 2 November 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 · AviasalesAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.