Carmel River Beach
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This a popular dive site among free divers and spear fishermen. The beach is long and sloped and much more forgiving than nearby Monastery Beach. Additionally, there are a few other accesses south of the beach on Ribera Road across the river that are slightly longer walks but with similar exposures. There are some healthy stands of kelp forest that still thrive close to shore.
| Coordinates | 36.538333, -121.929099 |
| Depth | 0-80ft |
| Skill Level | Intermediate |
| Access Method | Shore |
| Protection Status | Spear fishing is permitted |
Contents
Amenities
Carmel River Beach is a State Park and offers free parking, restrooms and running potable water. For more information, visit the California Department of Parks and Recreation web page. For the sites farther south, drive up along Ribera Road and park on the street and hike down to the water.
Attractions & Wildlife
Close to shore there are healthy patches of bull kelp with some scattered giant kelp, feather boa and pterogophyra. Most of the rockfish and lingcod seem to have been fished out but you'll still see plenty of perches and senoritas.
Entry & Access
There is a parking lot to the south of the site with free parking and a short walk along the sand to get to safe entry points. There are also two sets of stairs to the north where divers can park on the street and make the long trek down (and even longer trek back up).
The entry into the water is much more forgiving than the steep slope at Monastery Beach. It's shallower and offers a couple of protected stretches with calmer waves for ingress and egress. Download a map of this site to your phone with AvenzaMaps.
Skill Level & Hazards
There are some wash rocks to the north edge of the beach that can be treacherous when the water is moving. Past the kelp, the slope on the bottom drops off precipitously and, like Monastery, this site can potentially as deep as you need it to be so keep an eye on your depth gauge.
Nearest Emergency Medical Facilities
Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula 23625 pacific Grove-Carmel Hwy, Monterey
EMS activation by boat: Notify Coast Guard boat crew on channel 16 or call 911. Patient transfer at Fuel Dock or at sea.
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