Tide conditions for Carmel-by-the-Sea surf spots
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
Updated Refreshed hourly · Tide data refreshes every 30 minutes from NOAA stations.
A foot of tide swing can shut down one break and light up another in Carmel-by-the-Sea. These 3 spots all respond differently - some need the low to expose the bar, others clean up on a rising mid.
Current Tide
Next Low
05:00 AM
1.2 ft
NOAA tide data via Cached Tide Data
Tide Chart
7-Day Tide Schedule
| Day | High 1 | Low 1 | High 2 | Low 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 11:00 AM(5.2ft) | 5:00 AM(1.2ft) | -- | 6:00 PM(0.6ft) |
| Tomorrow | 12:00 AM(4.4ft) | 5:00 AM(1.9ft) | 12:00 PM(5.3ft) | 7:00 PM(0.5ft) |
| Tue, Sep 29 | 1:00 AM(4.0ft) | 6:00 AM(2.1ft) | 12:00 PM(5.6ft) | 7:00 PM(0.3ft) |
| Wed, Sep 30 | 2:00 AM(3.8ft) | 6:00 AM(2.7ft) | 1:00 PM(5.7ft) | 9:00 PM(0.2ft) |
| Thu, Oct 1 | 4:00 AM(3.4ft) | 7:00 AM(3.0ft) | 2:00 PM(5.5ft) | 10:00 PM(0.1ft) |
| Fri, Oct 2 | 5:00 AM(3.4ft) | 8:00 AM(3.3ft) | 3:00 PM(5.3ft) | 11:00 PM(-0.0ft) |
| Sat, Oct 3 | 7:00 AM(3.6ft) | -- | 4:00 PM(5.3ft) | -- |
Today
Tomorrow
Tue, Sep 29
Wed, Sep 30
Thu, Oct 1
Fri, Oct 2
Sat, Oct 3
Beach Tide Preferences
Each beach performs best at a specific tide range and direction. Plan your session around these windows.
Top spot recommendations
Sort your quiver, choose the right tide window, and jot down a backup in case the main peak gets stacked.
Featured Beaches
3 spots
Carmel Beach
IntermediateMain 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
IntermediateA 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)
IntermediateRemote, 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.
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What to focus on today
- Annotated tide windows tied to specific breaks
- How lunar cycles reshape sandbars through the season
- Safety notes for rip-prone outbound tides
- Session planning tips for dawn patrol versus sunset
Frequently Asked Questions
About surfing in Carmel-by-the-Sea
- Tide preferences vary by spot in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Generally, incoming mid-tides work well for most beaches, offering a good balance of wave shape and power. Check individual spot guides for specific tide recommendations.
- Tides significantly impact surf conditions in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Low tide can expose reefs and sandbars creating hollow waves, while high tide often creates softer, more forgiving waves. Mid-tide transitions typically offer the most consistent conditions.
- You can check tide charts for Carmel-by-the-Sea on Quiver's surf forecast pages, NOAA tide predictions, or various surf forecast apps. Quiver provides real-time tide information integrated with surf conditions for accurate session planning.
Check it, surf it, log it
Check the forecast, surf the session, log what happened — and build the record you'll compare every next call against.
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