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.
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0 m
Surface
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
spearo.app
no dataupdated 12:50
Almería — solo, off the rocks
BORDERLINE
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · wind-wave — choppy surface
wave 0.6 m head-onwind 7 km/hvisibility ~4 mwindow 06:00–21:00
today, best window 09:00–12:00
fish · Visibility 4 m · Water 23.5°C
confidence low · verdict for the selected day
Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.
›
Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.
Selected day
Windows, hours and the day's trends.
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.
Thursday · today2026-09-10
07:47–20:24 · new moon
▲ 02:00▼ 09:00▲ 15:00▼ 21:00 · 0.3 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide-0.50 m
Wave0.28 m
Wind3 km/h
Water24 °C
fish activity: moon underfoot 01:10 · high · moonrise 06:54 · moderate · moon overhead 13:30 · high · moonset 20:02 · moderate
Conditions window06:00–09:00
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish
Hs 0.64 m · slightperiod 4.5 swind 8→15surge 0.7viz 6 m
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.
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−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: 1391 spots across 205 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
The tide in the Alborán Sea is more noticeable than in the rest of the Mediterranean: the level moves half a metre, sometimes seventy centimetres, but it does not decide your day. Something else does — the along-shore drift after a settled wind and the cold water rising with Poniente. After a downpour the ramblas and the Andarax mouth cloud things for a day or two.
shelter
The west side of the bay of Almería: the town sits under the cliffs of the Sierra de Gádor, and together with the Aguadulce and La Bajadilla breakwaters they keep the water almost flat. Divers from the port say both Poniente and Levante take longer to reach this corner. The bay opens south and south-west, so the 110-240 sector comes straight in.
conditions
Come with Levante or a light northerly: the water settles and over the rock at El Cañarete or in Cala de la Garrofa you see far more than over sand. Swell arrives from the 110-240 sector, worst around 130 — then the shoreline lifts sand and you are left with a couple of metres. Strong Poniente adds cold green water from below.
hazard
Aguadulce harbour works all year and boats run right along the breakwater: a buoy is compulsory and you may not stray more than 25 metres from it. Scuba is banned for spearfishing anywhere in Spain, and so is a loaded gun out of the water. In summer 2026 stinging Pelagia jellyfish sat off Roquetas. The catch may not be sold and the daily cap is 5 kg.
access
Turn-offs from the old El Cañarete road between Almería and Aguadulce: short pull-ins above Cala de la Garrofa and Cala de los Ahogados, with a rocky path down. In the town itself there is tarmac and parking by the promenade, entry off sand. From the beach to the rock ridges is about a ten-minute swim; boots are needed either way.
Rock and breakwaters to the west; mixed bottom, sea bream and gilthead, exposed to the westerly (Poniente, W).
The Alborán tidal signal is not felt in the harbour at all: the level moves half a metre and behind the mole you cannot see it. What does work is the Andarax runoff and the city storm drains after rain, and at the harbour mouth propellers stir the water constantly — the load stays in suspension and never gets time to settle.
shelter
The harbour mole cuts the south and south-west swell, and inside the water is almost always flat. The outer face is the opposite: it takes the wave from the 110-240 sector head-on and the backwash slams between the concrete blocks. There is no shelter in the usual sense here — there is concrete and whatever sits behind it.
conditions
Straight up: this is port water, fishing here is only possible with the port authority's permission, and the estate itself is closed to entry. The water is murky with suspended matter and moored ships even in dead calm; the bottom is rock, silt and rubbish. If you have come with a gun, drive to the rock at El Cañarete or to Aguadulce instead.
hazard
Traffic rules here: Almería runs regular ferries to Melilla, Nador, Oran and Ghazaouet, up to twenty-nine departures a week, plus container feeders. You do not cross the approach channel. Port authority permission is required, a buoy too, scuba is banned while spearfishing and selling the catch is banned outright.
access
The port estate is closed to passage, and in 2025 the expansion works cut the routes across the Muelle de Levante. Locals say the only practicable piece is the breakwater by the red lighthouse of the fishing harbour. Parking is the paid municipal one along the promenade. In practice this is not a spot but a lesson in port geography.
Boulders with octopus and sea bream; semi-sheltered, good for beginners.
In the Alborán the level moves half a metre and changes nothing for hunting. What you watch is runoff: the Rambla del Agua and Rambla Morales leave a murky plume for one to three days after a storm, and it drags along the coast with the wind-driven drift. With a long Poniente cold water rises and visibility over the posidonia meadow drops.
shelter
The straight sandy shore between El Toyo and the mouth of the Rambla del Agua faces south and south-east, with the Cabo de Gata massif shielding it from the east — which is why Retamar is the Levante-day option. There is no sheltering relief of its own: with Poniente and with hard Levante the shorebreak clouds up just the same.
conditions
Come with Levante, but do not work the shoreline: over sand it clouds up, and the ground to fish is the stone slabs towards Torregarcía. And the key point: east of the Rambla del Agua mouth the Cabo de Gata-Níjar reserve begins, where spearfishing is expressly banned (Orden ARM/1744/2011, art. 5). With a gun you enter west of the mouth only.
hazard
Legal first: the Cabo de Gata reserve boundary runs at the Rambla del Agua mouth, east of it you do not shoot, and the similarly named San Miguel de Cabo de Gata beach is already inside the park — do not mix it up with the town one. Off Retamar the Guardia Civil has pulled poachers' nets and stopped spearos on scooters: propulsion devices are banned.
access
From Almería along the coast road to El Toyo: a housing estate, a promenade and free parking right by the sand. The entry is gentle, the bottom coarse sand and gravel, and the stone slabs towards Torregarcía are a few hundred metres away on foot or by swimming. Below there is posidonia meadow: it orients you, but it also holds the murk after a blow.
Low rocky ground on the east side of the bay; easy entry, moderately exposed to the easterly (E).
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.
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≈
Surfacing
Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
Sin prohibición estatal de captura (NO está en el Catálogo Español, RD 139/2011).
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.
FAQ — spearfishing in Almería
Where can I spearfish in Almería?
Almería has rock entry points such as Aguadulce / Punta del Río, Retamar / Cala de San Miguel and Escollera del puerto de Almería. Spearfishing in Almería: sea forecast and shore-entry spots. Below you'll find each spot (access, shelter and hazards) and today's forecast.
When is the best season in Almería?
Long season in the Alborán Sea. Currents off the Strait can pull, and the tide — though weakened — is still felt; the Atlantic inflow keeps it cooler and sometimes greener than the rest of the Med.
How cold is the water in Almería?
~15–23 °C: the Alborán Sea is cooler and sometimes greener than the rest of the Med, from the Atlantic mixing. A 3 mm suit in summer, 5 mm in the shoulder months.
Is Almería good for a beginner?
Intermediate: currents off the Strait can pull and visibility swings with the Atlantic mixing. Pick a day of weak current and small sea; keep the buoy in sight.
Do I need a licence in Almería?
Yes — in Almería you need a recreational sea-fishing licence (issued by the autonomous community); breath-hold only (no scuba), with a marker buoy and no night diving. See the guide.
✓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.
•Andalusia: spearfishing licence; requires a medical certificate (NO civil-liability insurance — a responsible health declaration replaces it, ); applied for at the Junta de Andalucía. Confirm the exact procedure page at juntadeandalucia.es.
✓Andalusia: minimum licence age (incl. spearfishing/class 4) — 14; under-14s only surface modalities accompanied by an adult (Decreto 205/2023, art. 4.2/4.3). No civil-liability insurance: a responsible health declaration (, Annex IV).
✓Bans: RMIP Cabo de Gata-Níjar and Alborán island — spearfishing banned (see zones).
✓Andalusia: licence from age 14 (Decreto 205/2023, art. 4.2), minors accompanied (art. 5.3). The cap is 5 kg live weight or 4 kg gutted per licence per day (art. 9.1). Selling the catch (art. 12.a), powder or gas guns (art. 12.l), autonomous equipment and underwater scooters (art. 12.m) are prohibited. Buoy red or orange with the «Alfa» flag (art. 20.2); keep 250 m from people on the beach, bathing places, busy areas, port areas and navigation channels, and the same from set gear and professional vessels (art. 20.3). Allowed every day of the year, but only from sunrise to sunset (art. 22).
⛔ 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.
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