Dawn patrol surfing in Carmel

Carmel, California

Sunrise and first light times for planning your dawn patrol session.

First light in Carmel means glass, empty peaks, and the best conditions of the day before thermal onshores build. These 1 spots are worth the 5am alarm.

Sunrise

6:24 AM
First Light: 5:54 AM

Day length: 13h 40m

-2 min vs yesterday

Sunrise

6:24 AM

First light: 5:54 AM

Sunset

8:04 PM

Last light: 8:34 PM

Data from Monastery Beach / San Jose Creek Beach· Updated daily

7-Day Sun Schedule

Today(Today)

Sunrise

6:24 AM

Sunset

8:04 PM

Day Length

13h 40m

Tomorrow

Sunrise

6:25 AM

Sunset

8:02 PM

Day Length

13h 38m

Sat, Aug 15

Sunrise

6:25 AM

Sunset

8:01 PM

Day Length

13h 36m

Sun, Aug 16

Sunrise

6:26 AM

Sunset

8:00 PM

Day Length

13h 34m

Mon, Aug 17

Sunrise

6:27 AM

Sunset

7:59 PM

Day Length

13h 32m

Best dawn patrol spots in Carmel

Loading map...

Featured Beaches(4)

Carmel Beach

Intermediate

Main Carmel-by-the-Sea surf zone with several shifting beach-break peaks along the white-sand beach. Better for research as the core local spot, but conditions can change quickly with sandbars, tide, and wind.

Carmel River State Beach

Intermediate

A hazardous Carmel-area rivermouth and sandbar zone at Carmel River State Beach. Include for research completeness, but this is not a casual surf recommendation.

Garrapata State Beach (southern coves)

Intermediate

Remote, exposed beach-break zone on the north Big Sur coast. Garrapata is a coastal state park surf zone with meaningful rips, undertow, rocks, and shark risk.

Monastery Beach / San Jose Creek Beach

Intermediate to expert

Monastery Beach is included only as an expert and hazard research entry. Reliable public sources emphasize scuba use and dangerous water conditions more than ordinary surf use.

Dawn patrol access guide for Carmel

Parking and access info for early morning sessions before sunrise.

Monastery Beach / San Jose Creek Beach
beach
expert

Monastery Beach is included only as an expert and hazard research entry. Reliable public sources emphasize scuba use and dangerous water conditions more than ordinary surf use.

Early access

Do not treat this as a normal beach-break access. Shorebreak and drop-off can make entry and exit dangerous.

Parking

Roadside and state beach access near Highway 1. Parking can be tight and conditions should be checked before stopping.

Dawn patrol tips

  • Glassy morning conditions before onshore winds
  • Less crowded lineups at sunrise
  • East-facing beaches for sunrise views
  • Spots with easy parking for early arrivals

Surf Guides for Carmel

Conditions

Dawn Patrol
You're here
Sunset Sessions
Evening golden hour spots
Tide Windows
Optimal tidal conditions
Water Temperature
Conditions & wetsuit guide

Style

Less Crowded
Quieter lineups & backups

Frequently Asked Questions

About surfing in Carmel

Dawn patrol in Carmel typically starts at first light, around 30 minutes before sunrise. This gives you the glassiest conditions before onshore winds develop.
Early morning offers glassy conditions, fewer crowds, and calmer winds. Water temperature is also warmer relative to air temperature at sunrise.

Make the next surf call sharper

Check the forecast, surf the session, log what happened, and help Quiver keep tuning your local calls.

Learn More

iPhone app is live. Android beta is open.