Carmel River, United States

No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Carmel By The Sea, 2 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: MRY (MRY), 9 km.

Watch this spot We email you when Carmel River is worth the trip.

About Carmel River

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details 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. No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Carmel By The Sea, 2 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: MRY (MRY), 9 km. 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.

Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.

Book the trip

From Chicago: about 7 h door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to MRY, direct.
See flights ORD → MRY · Skyscanner from about £225 returnAd
Getting there. 30 min from the airport to Carmel River.
Car hire · Discover CarsAd
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Carmel By The Sea, 2 km away, is the nearest town we list. Nearest airport: MRY (MRY), 9 km.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Carmel River · GetYourGuideAd Board and wetsuit hire in Carmel River · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Carmel River on Google Maps · Directions

Surf spot

The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.

One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

Carmel River does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Carmel River, each day
Day	Scorefor Intermediate	Swell	Energy	Wind	Temp
Sun 18Oct	55, good	4 ft10 shollow	374kJ	wind from the south-south-west, 2 knots	21°C
Mon 19Oct	0, too big	7 ft8 shollow	594kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 5 knots	16°C
Tue 20Oct	0, too big	6 ft10 shollow	713kJ	wind from the east-north-east, 3 knots	17°C
Wed 21Oct	54, good	5 ft8 shollow	274kJ	wind from the west-north-west, 3 knots	16°C
Thu 22Oct	52, good	4 ft7 shollow	114kJ	wind from the north-north-west, 2 knots	16°C
Fri 23Oct	34, poor	5 ft6 smushy	178kJ	wind from the north-west, 3 knots	18°C
Sat 24Oct	10, poor	6 ft7 smushy	279kJ	wind from the north-west, 6 knots	18°C
Sun 25Oct	47, fair	3 ft8 shollow	107kJ	wind from the west-south-west, 4 knots	16°C
Mon 26Oct	21, poor	5 ft7 smushy	300kJ	wind from the south, 6 knots	12°C
Tue 27Oct	50, good	5 ft7 shollow	211kJ	wind from the north-north-east, 4 knots	15°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

Mon 19 Oct
Travel out
Direct flight ORD to MRY, then 30 min by road. About 7h door to door
Tue 20 Oct
Rest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
Wed 21 Oct
Surf Carmel River
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 5 ft at 8 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).
Thu 22 Oct
Surf Carmel River
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 4 ft at 7 s, wind 2 kn (3 km/h).
Fri 23 Oct
Surf Carmel River
Best 11:00 to 14:00 local time: 5 ft at 6 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).
Sat 24 Oct
Surf Carmel River
Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 6 ft at 7 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).
Sun 25 Oct
Travel home
Direct flight ORD to MRY, then 30 min by road. About 7h door to door

Rough cost

About £650–£1,230 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.

Rough cost per person for this trip
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	£225–£465
To the UK airport	parking or the train, there and back	£35–£65
Taxi	airport and back, shared	£15–£30
Food	7 days eating out	£260–£480
Board and wetsuit	5 days, or about £85 to fly your own	£115–£190
Total		£650–£1,230

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.