Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and surge pounding.
Sources & confidence
Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine · How it works →
The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.
Our own model
Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.
Safety gates
It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.
A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.
Where to get in, where to hunt
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
The day is picked above, in the hero. Here are that day's windows, the hour-by-hour map and the trends. Tap a window to break down the conditions.
Leave your email — and the moment a window opens at Akaroa, we'll send the go / no-go verdict. Email is all we need.
What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.
Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.
spearo.app folds wind, wave, swell period, visibility, tides, water temperature and risk into a single verdict — go to the spot or not. It computes 7 days ahead from open marine models (Open-Meteo, IPMA), with no sign-up and no accounts. Built for solo spearfishing off the rocks, where any mistake costs dearly.
Now live: 3016 spots across 406 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
See all spotsRelief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.
The models set the window. Whether you go in is read only at the water: count the sets, watch the surge on the entry. If in doubt, you don't get in.
Scouted entries, coloured by today. The colour is the sea state at the spot, not a guarantee: the wash and a slippery entry you judge on site.
Open the seafloor mapThe full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appRocky western head of Akaroa Harbour at Damons Bay, OUTSIDE the Akaroa Marine Reserve; butterfish, blue cod and cray in cool clear water.
Google MapsThe full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appThe full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appThe full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appThe full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appOuter SW bay of Akaroa Harbour at Wainui, outside the marine reserves; kelp reef with butterfish, blue cod and cray — Hector's dolphins about.
Google MapsSheltered inner SE Akaroa Harbour at Ōnuku, north of the marine reserve; blue cod and butterfish in calm water.
Google MapsSOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.
Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
Check the cam BEFORE you leave. Foam, brown/green murk, or waves washing the entry rocks = No-go. At night/in fog the cam is useless — treat it as «unknown», NOT «green».
Rules as of now — 25.10.2026 17:37 (Pacific/Auckland)
Spearfishing in Akaroa is more sheltered than the open Canterbury coast, but it is also more boundary-sensitive. The usable shore entries are around harbour rock at Damons Bay, Ōnuku Bay and Wainui Bay, while the outer peninsula includes no-take marine reserves. The water is cool, with butterfish, blue cod and crayfish named for the area. New Zealand has no recreational sea-fishing licence, yet MPI South-East rules and DOC reserve restrictions decide what can be taken.
Akaroa spots should be chosen with reserve edges and dolphin presence in mind. The following entries are framed as outside the named marine reserves, but the exact line still needs checking before entering.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damons Bay (Akaroa Western Head) | Rocky harbour headland | Shallow to moderate kelp reef | Intermediate | Shore or small-boat access at the western head | Damons Bay is marked outside Akaroa Marine Reserve. It offers cool, clear rock with butterfish, blue cod and crayfish habitat, but the reserve boundary must be treated carefully. |
| Ōnuku Bay | Sheltered inner harbour bay | Calm shallow reef and edges | Beginner to intermediate | Sheltered shore access in south-east Akaroa Harbour | Ōnuku is the calmer harbour option north of the marine reserve. It is a blue cod and butterfish plan for days when the outer headlands are less inviting. |
| Wainui Bay (Akaroa) | Outer south-west harbour bay | Kelp reef and rock edge |
Rules change and are regional. Before heading out, check with MPI (regional fishing rules / the NZ Fishing Rules app), DOC (marine reserves) and local notices (rāhui/mātaitai).
| Intermediate |
| Shore entry at Wainui Bay |
| Wainui Bay is listed outside the marine reserves and gives kelp reef with butterfish, blue cod and crayfish. Keep watch for Hector’s dolphins and give them space. |
Akaroa is a drowned volcanic harbour, so it gives more shelter than the Pegasus Bay and Sumner coast. That shelter is useful, but it also means boat traffic, private-land access points and reserve boundaries matter. A calm harbour does not make every shoreline open for harvest. Build the dive around the named bay, the DOC map and a conservative swim back to the chosen exit.
DOC lists Akaroa Marine Reserve at the mouth of Akaroa Harbour and Pōhatu Marine Reserve at Flea Bay on the outer coast. In marine reserves, no fishing and no taking of animals or natural material is allowed. The three listed hunting entries are described as outside those reserves, but a GPS check and local signs should settle the final call.
Akaroa sits under MPI South-East rules. The combined daily finfish limit is 30 per fisher, and the species table includes blue cod at a 33 cm minimum and butterfish at 35 cm. Inside the Akaroa Taiāpure and the Lyttelton Harbour/Whakaraupō mātaitai reserves the combined limit is 10 finfish, counted within the 30. Pāua and crayfish are not speared; pāua must be taken free-diving (no underwater breathing apparatus), crayfish by hand or a hand-held loop, under the shellfish and rock lobster rules.
The local coast is part of the Hector’s dolphin setting, and your dive plan should never turn a marine mammal encounter into a chase. If dolphins, seals or penguins appear, slow down, keep distance and do not block their path. A float, low boat speed and a short shore plan are better than pushing wider into traffic.
No sea-fishing licence is needed, but MPI South-East rules, reserve closures and local notices still apply.
No. DOC says no animals or natural items may be taken from Akaroa Marine Reserve.
MPI lists a combined daily bag limit of 30 finfish per fisher in the South-East area (10 inside Akaroa Taiāpure, Lyttelton/Whakaraupō mātaitai), with local notices sometimes stricter.
MPI South-East rules list blue cod at 33 cm, with additional blue cod settings to check before fishing.
They are described as outside the marine reserves, but you should still verify the exact DOC boundary before entering.
