Tidepooling and beach in Monterey/Carmel?

[wnissen]

Hi All,
We are heading for a nice -1 tide in a couple weeks to go tidepooling in Monterey. We'll be staying at the Lone Oak Lodge just north of town but will have a car. Any good tidepooling spots? Maybe Whaler's Cove in Point Lobos?

Also we'd like to sit on the beach for a bit, would the one by Clinton Walker House (aka Copper Roof House) be likely to be less crowded on a weekend? Any suggestions for that are welcome, we don't need a lifeguard or services, but would like to go in the water so, e.g., Monastery is out.

Thanks!

 

[runsongas]

copper roof and carmel river state beach still get some crowds, parking fills up between 9 am to 10am usually then it clears a little when some leave for lunch.

 

[Brett Hatch]

I've never been tidepooling in Monterey/Carmel before. But I have heard that the South side of Pt Lobos has great tidepooling, and their website has this this useful-looking brochure. Let us know how it goes

Edit to add: I'm sure you know this already, but somebody else might not. Pt Lobos is a marine reserve, and there is absolutely zero collecting allowed, of any animal, mineral, or vegetable, alive or dead.

 

[elgoog]

Whaler's Cove is not good for tidepooling. The only access to the water is the boat ramp and I've never seen any meaningful pools form there or among the rocks bordering the parking lot at any tide. Some of the other trails at Pt Lobos go down to the water line and there are some coves along them which could have tide pools. I walked the trails a month or so ago when our dive got blown out and most of the cove access was blocked off by the park so it doesn't look like you can even get down there now.

 

[wnissen]

Whaler's Cove is not good for tidepooling. The only access to the water is the boat ramp and I've never seen any meaningful pools form there or among the rocks bordering the parking lot at any tide. Some of the other trails at Pt Lobos go down to the water line and there are some coves along them which could have tide pools. I walked the trails a month or so ago when our dive got blown out and most of the cove access was blocked off by the park so it doesn't look like you can even get down there now.

Thanks, everyone, those are some very helpful notes. We are going in the morning so we should be able to get parking, and then beaching in the afternoon, so hopefully it will start clearing out by then. I called Point Lobos and they said Weston Beach is open to the public right now, so that looks like a good choice. The person also recommended Lover's Point in Monterey for tidepooling.

Any other lesser trafficked beaches would be welcome. Thanks again.

 

[Shasta_man]

This might be too late but I spend some time in Pacific Grove.

The beach at Lovers Point is pretty close to a lake. Well, a lake in Minnesota. Very gentle wave action. The beach is pretty nice though walking in the water is better with reef shoes because of small pebbles. You get some people there but it can be a little spread out so not bad. There are actually multiple sides to the place with a couple beaches on one side and a rock formation on the other end. There are multiple places for some tide pooling there. Many people go swimming out to the buoys there and they rent kayaks and paddleboards where people go way out. I did some dives there where I encountered otters and seals and was there a couple weeks ago where a seal came close to the beach so neat for the kids to see. There is parking nearby on the road along the water.

If you continue on the coast road past Lovers Point going south, there are many spots for tidepooling if you are there when tide is out. Not a place for swimming really because you'll be dashed against the rocks but plenty of tide pool spots.

There are also some nice beaches down in Carmel. Directly exposed to the surf so be careful but nice beach and view.

Be very careful in Carmel or any beach besides Lovers Point, not just Monastary that is specifically known as the washing machine. Multiple people have died this year after they, their kids or both were swept into the surf by sleeper waves or rip currents. Some terrible stories about people who don't realize every so many waves comes a big wave that washes higher and can knock you down and pull you out. Then everyone risks exposure due to the ice chest water temperature. So always eyes on the ocean, but if you pay attention to that always, then you will be fine.

 

[wnissen]

This might be too late but I spend some time in Pacific Grove.

The beach at Lovers Point is pretty close to a lake. Well, a lake in Minnesota. Very gentle wave action. The beach is pretty nice though walking in the water is better with reef shoes because of small pebbles. You get some people there but it can be a little spread out so not bad. There are actually multiple sides to the place with a couple beaches on one side and a rock formation on the other end. There are multiple places for some tide pooling there. Many people go swimming out to the buoys there and they rent kayaks and paddleboards where people go way out. I did some dives there where I encountered otters and seals and was there a couple weeks ago where a seal came close to the beach so neat for the kids to see. There is parking nearby on the road along the water.

If you continue on the coast road past Lovers Point going south, there are many spots for tidepooling if you are there when tide is out. Not a place for swimming really because you'll be dashed against the rocks but plenty of tide pool spots.

There are also some nice beaches down in Carmel. Directly exposed to the surf so be careful but nice beach and view.

Be very careful in Carmel or any beach besides Lovers Point, not just Monastary that is specifically known as the washing machine. Multiple people have died this year after they, their kids or both were swept into the surf by sleeper waves or rip currents. Some terrible stories about people who don't realize every so many waves comes a big wave that washes higher and can knock you down and pull you out. Then everyone risks exposure due to the ice chest water temperature. So always eyes on the ocean, but if you pay attention to that always, then you will be fine.

Hi, thanks for that!

We did end up going to Lovers Point and it was great. Saw a ton of stuff. Due to a stiff breeze it was a bit wavy, I lent an elbow to a diver getting out of the water at one point. Seemed too rocky for swimming, but protected from the usual northwest swell. There's another spot called the Great Tidepool that is supposedly nice but also directly exposed to the northwest, so we didn't go there.

Thanks for the reminder about Monastery. I think most divers in the area know its reputation for fatalities almost every year, but it bears repeating. Only certified divers should enter the water, and then only when conditions are good.