Surf spot

El Carmel Point

Forecast conditions and map view for El Carmel Point in USA, California, San Diego County. Open the interactive surf map to inspect wind, waves, and nearby spots.

Country: USA, California, San Diego County
Coordinates: 32.7782, -117.2534

Metric
Metric	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00	09:00	12:00	15:00	18:00	21:00	00:00	03:00	06:00
Wave height (m)	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.8	0.9	0.8	0.9	0.9	1	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.2	1.1	1.1	1	1	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.9	0.9	0.8	0.7	0.7	0.6	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6
Wave direction	SSW	SSW	SSW	SW	S	W	W	WSW	W	W	W	W	W	W	W	WNW	WNW	W	W	W	WNW	WNW	WNW	WSW	W	W	W	WNW	W	W	W	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW	SSW
Wave period (s)	11.8	11.4	11.3	11.3	10.3	6	6.5	9.7	4.5	4.7	4.5	5.2	5.3	5.5	5.8	5.8	5.8	5.7	5.6	5.9	6.2	6	6	5.7	4.8	5.1	6.5	6.3	6.2	5.8	5.8	9.6	10.9	12.8	10.9	13.7	13.6	13.4	12.6	12.4	12.2	12.1	11.9	11.7	11.5	11.3	11.2	11.8	12	11.8	11.7	11.6	11.4	11.1	10.9	9.1
Wave energy (kJ)	186	160	148	110	77	34	37	59	26	32	29	46	50	58	80	76	83	94	82	90	73	67	61	42	26	33	57	55	59	51	43	84	104	135	104	143	150	158	165	161	153	159	156	157	153	148	145	121	111	113	104	96	87	94	81	64
Wind speed (km/h)	7	4.9	8.9	15.9	15	11.1	8.3	6.8	8.3	8	6.9	13.4	15.5	12.3	6.1	4.9	6	8.2	8.4	15	16.8	13.8	8.9	8	8.8	7.2	4.4	13.4	15	11.8	6.9	4.7	4.7	4.7	4.1	10	15.2	12.9	9.9	10.4	8.4	8.4	8.2	11.4	18.5	17.6	14	13.2	12.3	12.4	11.4	13.5	19.2	14.2	12.5	10.9
Wind direction	SSWCross	SSWGlassy	SSWCross	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	WSWOnshore	WOnshore	WNWOnshore	WOnshore	WOnshore	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	WSWCross-on	WSWOnshore	SWGlassy	SSWCross-on	SSWCross-on	SCross	SSWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SCross	SSWCross	SSWCross-on	SGlassy	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	SWCross-on	WGlassy	WGlassy	WNWGlassy	WNWGlassy	WSWOnshore	WOnshore	WNWOnshore	WNWCross-on	NWCross-on	NWCross-on	NWCross-on	NWCross-on	WNWOnshore	WNWOnshore	WNWCross-on	NWCross-on	NWCross-on	NNWCross-on	NWCross-on	NNWCross-on	NWCross-on	WNWOnshore	WNWOnshore	NWCross-on	NWCross-on

El Carmel Point is a surf spot in San Diego County, California, on the La Jolla coastline. It’s known more as a scenic, localized reef-break area than a big-name, high-volume surf destination.

What it’s like

Wave type: Mostly reef break, with waves that can be fast and punchy when swell lines up.
Conditions: Works best on consistent southwest or west swells with favorable tide and light offshore winds.
Crowd: Can be localized and crowded when it’s working, especially because the area is popular with experienced surfers.
Skill level: Generally better suited for intermediate to advanced surfers, since reef setups can be shallow and takeoff zones are less forgiving.

Hazards

Reef/rocks: The main hazard is the shallow reef and rocky bottom.
Crowds/localism: Expect competition for waves.
Changing conditions: Tide can make a big difference; some sections may close out or become too shallow.

Nearby vibe

The La Jolla area around El Carmel Point is scenic, with cliffs, coves, and a classic Southern California coastline feel. It’s more of a beautiful, technical surf zone than an easy beginner beach break.