Located in Monterey County in Central California, Carmel Beach is a fun beach break. The waves here require some skill to surf and break for up to 100 meters onto a white sand beach, providing sections for manoeuvres and cruising. This is one of the most scenic beaches in California. Famous for the Pebble Beach Golf course and the intense concentration of wealth in the town.
What are the best surf conditions for Carmel Beach?
Gets good between waist high and triple overhead. We recommend a longboard for the smaller days and a shortboard when the swell hits. Carmel Beach is available to all levels of surfers. The surf here is decently consistent (5/10) and will always have a crew on it (7/10) although there are enough peaks to spread the groups out. The best winds come from the East, and the beach is sheltered from most bad winds. The best tides are mid to high, and the best swells come from the West, North, Northwest, South, and Southwest.
We recommend a 4/3 in the summer here as water temps climb to 15 degrees. In winter a 5/4 is best as water temps descend to 12 degrees. See the temperature chart below for more data on this.