spearo sea-state engine: consensus of up to 6 models + satellite clarity (ZSD) + buoy-bias checks
Freshness
Re-read every hour, per coast
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.
How we score the water
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.
01
Swell & wave memory
Height, period and direction of the swell, plus the wake of recent storms — an old storm still stirs the water, and the engine remembers.
02
Wind & gusts
Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
03
Tide phase
Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
04
Water temperature
Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
05
Currents & outflow
Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
06
Rain runoff & air clarity
Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
07
Coast shape & exposure
How the coast faces the swell — a sheltered cove keeps the water clean; an exposed, head-on point takes a penalty.
Safety gates
Thunderstorm forecast — an instant red, no exceptions.
An official warning (MeteoAlarm / IPMA) — yellow, or red for the higher ranks.
Missing input data — a would-be green is capped to yellow rather than overstated.
Strong disagreement between forecast models — a green day is pulled back to yellow.
Night hours — where night spearfishing is banned by law the window is forced red; where it is legal (Australia outside NSW, New Zealand, South Africa) it is capped at yellow, never green.
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
Entry points with coordinates
Seabed relief — promising ground
This verdict — in your pocket. Open the app for the week's window.
point your camera
0 m
Surface
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
spearo.app
no dataupdated 03:36
Alcúdia — solo, off the rocks
BORDERLINE
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · cross sea from several directions
What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.
Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.
point your camera
−10 m
The water column
Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.
What it is
A marine instrument, go / no-go for solo hunting.
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.
An early-hour place with a long season, May to October, because the water warms fast at the head of the bay. In July and August, from mid-morning on, the shore fills with bathers and rental boats and you are better off already out. As in the rest of Spain, sunrise to sunset only.
tide
Negligible tide, around twenty-five centimetres on the biggest days, which on such a gently sloping shore you do not even notice on the way in. What does change the level is easterly wind pushing water toward the head of the bay, and in those hours the water clouds and a soft current runs parallel to the shore. Go by the wind, not the tide.
shelter
We are in the inner corner of the Badia d'Alcúdia, with the bulk of La Victoria acting as a lid to the north-west: under pure Tramuntana you can still work here while it is blowing out outside. What gets in is the 340–90° arc once it veers east, and the north-east Gregal sends a short dirty sea right into the bay.
conditions
Sand, posidonia matte and loose stone around the islet: in calm you see well, but this water dirties easily because the bottom is soft and a touch of easterly is enough to lift it. After rain, the runoff from the sa Pobla and Muro plain takes its toll too. Two calm sunny days and the meadow reads perfectly.
hazard
Inside the bay itself we have no reserve mapped, but closed water begins to the east: the Llevant de Mallorca reserve, where spearfishing is not allowed. If you work your way toward that end, know exactly where your zone stops. There is also heavy pleasure-boat traffic in summer, and the posidonia meadows are protected: no anchoring, no tearing the matte.
access
You get there on the road from Alcúdia toward the ermita, leave the car in the pull-offs and walk down a couple of minutes to the shore. Entry is easy, a mix of sand and low slabs, and the islet is a short swim off. Be careful on the way back with the boats anchored nearby: come out where you went in, not in the middle of the inlet.
Rocky ground inside the bay; more sheltered from the Tramuntana, easy entry.
A narrow window: from late May to September, on calm mornings after several days without north. With the afternoon breeze and the constant passage of tourist boats toward Formentor the place loses its charm. Remember the common legal frame: no night hunting, sunrise to sunset only, and always on breath-hold, with no breathing apparatus of any kind.
tide
The tidal travel does not reach a hand's width and in these coves it changes neither the step over the rocks nor the depth at the entry. What raises the water is a Tramuntana storm, which pushes level against the north coast and drives surge to the back of the cove. Here you plan on the height and period of the northern sea, and on nothing else.
shelter
The Sant Vicenç coves, under the bulk of Cavall Bernat, and the whole coast toward Formentor face open north: the 340–90° sector arrives with nothing in front of it and bearing 20 is what breaks inside the coves. It only works with southerly wind, when the sierra blows overhead and leaves the shore flat but with gusts falling off the ridge.
conditions
When the north has rested for several days this is postcard water: rocky bottom, little fine sand and very long visibility under the cliffs. The problem is that the clarity is short-lived, because a northerly storm leaves it milky and it takes two or three days to come back. Do not drive out with northerly swell running, even if the wind has dropped.
hazard
Cliff coast with no intermediate exits and heavy rebound whenever northern sea lingers: if the wind catches you out on the point, getting back into the cove costs a lot. Add summer excursion and rental-boat traffic passing close to shore; keep a clearly visible buoy and stay within 25 m of it. The current tightens as you turn toward Formentor.
access
Park in the village of Cala Sant Vicenç and enter over the sand of Cala Barques or Cala Molins, or off the rock at Cala Carbó if it is crowded. From there you fin outward along the Cavall Bernat cliff. With north coming in, the wave breaks inside the coves themselves and the sandy exit becomes a tumbling: better not to get in at all.
Rocky coves toward Formentor; deep bottom, grouper and dentex, very exposed to the N, advanced.
The best mornings run from June to September with the north asleep; the midday embat is gentler here than on the south coast, but once the breeze is up the glare off the pale rock is annoying. Autumn gives excellent days between fronts. And as everywhere in the country, sunrise to sunset only — hunting at night is banned.
tide
Insignificant tide, barely a quarter of a metre on the biggest days, and on this high rock coast it changes neither the access nor exposes any slab. What does move the water is the north: hours of Tramuntana pile water against the peninsula, the level lifts a few centimetres and a current runs tight along the shore. The swell decides, not a tide clock.
shelter
The La Victoria peninsula is a rock wedge between two bays and its good face depends on the day: it looks north-east, so the 340–90° sector punishes it and the worst bearing is 20, with Tramuntana and Gregal building sea over the points. Under south and south-west wind the pine ridge cuts it and a strip of still water stays at the foot.
conditions
After a few days without northerlies, the water over the La Victoria rock is among the best on the island's north-east side and you read the bottom effortlessly. Tramuntana ruins it: two days of north leave the shoreline battered with the Coll Baix sand in suspension, and you have to wait. With northerly swell, do not even plan the entry.
hazard
The tip of Cap des Pinar is a military zone and land access is restricted: do not force fences or closed tracks, get in only where it is allowed. In the water, northerly rebound off the cliffs and the current bending round the point mean you go with a margin. Sizes: grouper 45 cm, 50 inside reserves, and it must be marked with a cut in the lower tail lobe.
access
You drive up to the Ermita de la Victòria car park, or leave the car below by S'Illot beach, and drop to the rock along the pine-wood paths. Entry is over bare stone with natural steps; comfortable exit points are few, so memorise yours. Once the north-east starts coming in, getting out over that rock turns harsh very quickly.
La Victoria peninsula rocky ground; rock drop-offs, sea bream and dentex, exposed to the Gregal/Tramuntana (N-NE).
A good point for an early start and also for winter afternoons with a gentle southerly, when half the island is shut down by the north. In summer get up early: by mid-morning the moorings and the paddleboards arrive and the water fills with people. Keep the common rule in mind: nothing at night, sunrise to sunset, buoy always visible.
tide
The lunar cycle is barely noticeable here: on the biggest days the water rises a few centimetres, and on such a gently shelving bottom that does not change a single step of the entry. What you do feel is the north-east push, which lifts the level a little inside the bay and sets a drift hugging the shore. Watch the wind forecast and forget the table.
shelter
A low rocky shore inside the Badia de Pollença, shielded by land from the whole south and south-west quadrant: with those winds it turns to a mirror. It spoils with the 340–90° sector, and on bearing 20 a short locally generated sea builds inside the bay — annoying rather than dangerous, because the fetch is brief.
conditions
Shallow, mild water, so clarity depends a lot on the day: in calm you make out the stone-and-weed bottom well, but any wave stirs the fine sand and the view shortens. After heavy rain, the input from the nearby albufereta subtracts as well. If it blows hard from the north-east, this is not the day for this point.
hazard
A quiet point but with plenty of life on the surface: anchored boats, mooring buoys and bathers, so your own float has to be visible from a distance. Bear in mind that the coast east of Alcúdia ends in closed water, the Llevant de Mallorca reserve, where hunting is not allowed. Reference sizes: meagre 30 cm, dentex 35, scorpionfish 30, grouper 45.
access
Leave the car in the village streets, which are narrow, and get in from a boat ramp or off the low slabs at the water's edge, with no jump at all. The bottom drops away very slowly, so you have to swim a bit to reach interesting stone. With the north-east up, the edge fills with foam and it is wiser to come out at the ramp, not among the rocks.
Low rocky ground on the east coast; lightly exposed, good for beginners.
SOLO 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.
One morning glance — and you know.
point your camera
≈
Surfacing
Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
Live cameras, map & reference
Cameras · live
Look at the water right now.
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».
Sin prohibición estatal de captura (NO está en el Catálogo Español, RD 139/2011). Baleares: 45 cm en aguas interiores, 50 cm en reservas marinas; marcado obligatorio (corte en el lóbulo inferior de la aleta caudal, también en submarina) — Decret 34/2014, art. 12.
red scorpionfish
Scorpaena scrofa · Mediterranean · RD 560/1995 Anexo II
Baleares: cap-roig 30 cm + marcado obligatorio (Decret 34/2014; subida a 30 por Orden 17/2025).
common octopus
Octopus vulgaris · Mediterranean · 1 kg
Talla por PESO: mín. 1 kg (RD 560/1995, todos los anexos). No coger hembras con huevos.
Law
✓Spearfishing licence mandatory; the AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY issues it (not the State) and it is valid in the exterior waters of the whole coast. Free-diving only — scuba is banned (, art. 3).
✓Spearfishing catch may not be sold or traded — it is non-commercial fishing ().
✓Night prohibited: spearfishing only in daylight (sunset to sunrise not allowed) — , art. 16.d.
✓Marker buoy MANDATORY: mark your position with a clearly visible buoy and stay within 25 m of it — , art. 15.
✓Never keep the speargun loaded out of the water — , art. 16.a.
✓Keep at least 300 m from professional fishing vessels that are working — , art. 12.b.
✓The state act (, art. 16) bans, for spearfishing: a loaded gun out of the water; explosive/electric points and lamps (hand torches excepted); underwater scooters; night — from sunset to sunrise. Plus art. 12 b), d), e): 300 m from professional fishing vessels, light as an attractant, poisons/explosives. A ban in a PARTICULAR reserve, port or beach comes from that place's OWN instrument (the reserve's order, the autonomous community's rules, the port authority) — see the no-take zones on the map and your community's rules.
✓Min. sizes by ( + + EU 2019/1241): sea bass 42 cm (rec.) / 36 cm / 25 cm Mediterranean / 22 cm Canaries; gilthead bream 20 cm and white seabream 23 cm in the Mediterranean (EU 2019/1241); grouper 45 cm. See your zone's species card.
✓Only species in Annex I of may be taken; keeping, landing or transporting undersized specimens is prohibited.
✓The licence needs a medical fitness certificate for free-diving and civil-liability insurance (or a federative licence, which includes it). Mandatory in the Basque Country/Murcia/Asturias/Galicia; the federative licence covers it in Galicia/Balearics/Cantabria; the Canaries and Andalusia do NOT require it for the individual licence (a responsible health declaration). Minimum age generally 16 (14 in Andalusia).
Safety protocol
Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
Headland rip: prominent points often have a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; the chop builds — get out.
UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.
Local guide · Alcúdia
Spearfishing in Alcúdia: spots, seasons and rules
Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher
Alcúdia is about north exposure. S'Illot inside Badia d'Alcúdia and Es Barcarès / Manresa are the easier checks; Cap des Pinar and the Formentor coves need clean Tramuntana and Gregal conditions. The legal frame is Balearic plus Mediterranean: Govern licence, freediving only, reserve checks, Natura 2000 caution, and Balearic marking notes for species such as grouper, dentex, corb and scorpionfish.
TL;DR
Easiest entries: S'Illot inside the bay and Es Barcarès / Manresa.
Main weather risk: Tramuntana and Gregal, with north-northeast worst.
Legal split: Balearic licence, Mediterranean sizes, Natura 2000 and reserve checks.
Best legal spearfishing spots near Alcúdia
These shore-entry zones should only be used with settled sea, a visible buoy and confirmed local limits.
Spot
Type
Depth
Level
Access
Notes
Badia d'Alcúdia (S'Illot)
Rocky ground inside the bay
Shore rock in shallow water
Careful beginner
Easy shore entry
Sheltered bay rock and easy entry. Best with low north wind. Check Natura 2000 rules.
Es Barcarès / Manresa
Low rocky ground on the east coast
Shallow rock and sand
Careful beginner
Shore entry with a clear exit route
Low rock, lightly exposed. Beginner-friendly in calm sea. Balearic licence required.
Cap des Pinar / La Victoria
La Victoria peninsula rocky ground
Rock ledges and drop-offs
Intermediate
Shore entry with a clear exit route
Rock ledges with sargo and dentex. Avoid N-NE sea. Confirm local limits.
Cap de Formentor
Rocky coves toward Formentor
Deep rocky ledges
Advanced
From the cove, away from bathing areas
Deep rocky coves with grouper and dentex. Advanced, north-exposed. Reserve checks before entry.
Conditions and season essentials
The bad sector runs from northwest to east, with north-northeast worst. Use the Platja de Muro / Badia d'Alcúdia webcam to see whether the bay is still smooth. S'Illot is more sheltered from Tramuntana and has easy entry. Es Barcarès / Manresa is low rock and lightly exposed. Cap des Pinar / La Victoria has rock ledges, sargo and dentex, but takes N-NE sea. Cap de Formentor toward Cala Sant Vicenç is advanced, deep and very exposed to north. Badies de Pollença i Alcúdia is Natura 2000, not an automatic ban, but local rules must be checked.
✓There is no fixed national catch cap (, art. 5 delegates it to the communities); the standard is 5 kg/person/day, with 1 specimen allowed not to count (Canaries — Decreto 182/2004, art. 38.3; Murcia; Galicia; Basque Country). Protected species have per-piece quotas.
✓Only a harpoon is allowed — hand-held or mechanically propelled, with one or several points (, art. 14.1). Carrying spearfishing gear and underwater breathing equipment aboard AT THE SAME TIME is prohibited (art. 14.2) — an offence in itself, even if you dived on a breath hold.
✓Spain is not one jurisdiction. The licence is issued by a coastal autonomous community, and you must comply with the rules of the administration on whose littoral you are in the water: «debiendo cumplir la normativa establecida por la administración en cuyo litoral se realice la actividad» (, art. 13). Interior waters — inside the straight baselines: bays, coves, rías, the whole coastal strip — are the community's competence; exterior waters are the State's. So the age, the days of the week, the distances and the are found in your community's act, not in the state one.
✓Balearic Islands: the spearfishing licence is issued by the Govern (CAIB). Key rule: spearfishing is BANNED in the marine reserves, EXCEPT in Badia de Palma, Migjorn de Mallorca and Llevant de Mallorca (there, with a licence).
✓Balearics: grouper/anfós — 45 cm in interior waters, 50 cm in marine reserves; mandatory marking (a cut in the lower caudal-fin lobe, spearfishing included) — Decreto 34/2014, art. 12 + Annex 3. The «50 cm in reserves» figure comes from the official DG de Pesca table (Aug 2025).
✓Bans: Toro/Malgrats (Ponent), Freus d'Eivissa-Formentera, northern Menorca, etc.; the state RMIP Llevant de Mallorca–Cala Rajada also bans it (see zones).
✓Balearics: in the marine reserves of the interior waters spearfishing is NOT allowed. Where the decree makes an exception it takes an individual authorisation from the Direcció General, and only on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and two weekdays a week set by resolution (Decret 41/2015, art. 6). Which reserves are excepted — see the no-take zones on the map and each reserve's own decree.
⛔ Seahorses (Hippocampus) — protected (RPE).
Rules change and are REGIONAL. Before heading out, check with the competent autonomous community (licence) and the min-size table in force.
FAQ
Where should beginners start?
S'Illot or Es Barcarès / Manresa, based on the listed sheltered character.
What wind is worst?
Tramuntana and Gregal, especially north-northeast.
Is Natura 2000 an automatic ban?
No, but it requires checking local spearfishing rules.
What licence applies?
The Balearic spearfishing licence from the Govern.
Spain
