Adolphus Busch SrBig Pine Key
borderlineexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Intact 210-ft wreck, outside the Looe Key/Newfound Harbor SPAs.
Google MapsBig Pine Key spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras
5.3
wave 0.7 m head-on
visibility4m
Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and noticeable surge.
Sources: IPMA · NDBC · Copernicus — high confidence · data 18:02
Sources & confidence
- Sources
- IPMA · NDBC buoys · Copernicus Marine
- Method
- Model consensus, read per window
- Freshness
- Re-read every hour, per coast
Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine
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.
- 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.
- Wind & gusts
- Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
- Tide phase
- Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
- Water temperature
- Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
- Currents & outflow
- Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
- Rain runoff & air clarity
- Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
- 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 — forced red; the window is closed after dark.
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
Surface
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
spearo.app
calmupdated 18:02
Big Pine Key — solo, off the rocks
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · wind 17 km/h
wave 0.7 m head-onwind 17 km/hnoticeable surgevisibility ~5 m
today, best window 18:00–21:00
fish · Visibility 5 m · Water 31.3°C
confidence medium · 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.
Wednesday · today2026-07-22
06:49–20:14 · first quarter
▲ 04:00▼ 11:00▲ 17:00▼ 22:00 · 0.4 m
Hours (06→20)
18
Day's trends
Tide-0.22 m
Wave0.70 m
Wind17 km/h
Water31 °C
fish activity: moonset 01:05 · moderate · moon underfoot 07:50 · high · moonrise 14:48 · moderate · moon overhead 20:10 · high
Conditions window18:00–21:00
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish
Hs 0.74 mperiod 4 s head-onwind 17→21surge 1.3viz 4 m
0.74 mup to ~1.48 · 123° head-on
4 sswell moderate
17→21gusts 21 km/h
1.3noticeable surge
0.11m/s
4 mrecent swell
31.3°C5 mm + hood
▼22:00tide falling
Atmosphere21 kmlandmarks visible
highmoon overhead
- wind 17 km/h
- cross sea from several directions
- ebb — weaker inshore
confidence mediumtwilight
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: 1152 spots across 189 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
See all spotsThe seabed
Relief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.
On the rock
The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.
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.
Entry points
Where to get in
off the rocks.
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 map
American Shoal Reef #2Big Pine Key
borderlineexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Shallow concrete on the lighthouse reef line.
Google MapsAmerican Shoal Reef #3Big Pine Key
borderlineexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Concrete patch; snapper and hogfish.
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.
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».
Reference
What's in season,
what the law says.
In season now
- sheepshead
- mangrove/mutton snapper
- gag/red grouperSeason is state-set — check before you go.
- hogfish
- cobia
- flounder
Law
- ✓Florida: saltwater licence $17 res / $47 non-res; reef fish need the free State Reef Fish Angler (SRFS) designation. NC: CRFL; SC/GA: saltwater licence.
- ✓Distances (FL): 100 yd from beaches/piers/bridges, 100 ft from the above-water part of a jetty. banned in FL and SC; rebreathers are illegal for spearfishing in FL.
- ✓SC: gamefish (red drum/seatrout/cobia/tarpon/striped bass) hook-and-line only (§50-5-1700). GA: speargun doubtful in state water — real hunting on federal reefs.
- ⛔ 🚫 Do not spear (FL FAC 68B-20.005): snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, tarpon, bonefish, pompano, goliath/Nassau grouper, billfish, sharks, rays + ornamental reef families.
- ⛔ 🚫 Spiny lobster/stone crab — hand-take only (no puncturing). banned in FL and SC. Monroe County (Long Key north to the Miami-Dade line — incl. Key Largo): spearfishing banned; the lionfish licence exemption does NOT override it — hand-held nets only there.
US spearfishing law is state-by-state. License, spearable species, powerhead rules and distances vary; federal sanctuaries (Gray's Reef, the Keys, Flower Garden Banks) ban spearfishing. Always confirm with the state agency and local ordinances.
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.
Spearfishing in Big Pine Key: spots, seasons and rules
Spearfishing Big Pine Key works because it sits in the Lower Keys, where the Adolphus Busch wreck and American Shoal reef line sit outside the Looe Key and Newfound Harbor Sanctuary Preservation Areas. That does not make the whole reef tract open. The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary map controls the plan, and any uncertain SPA boundary should be treated as closed. Expect warm, clear reef water and a 2 to 3 mm suit. Carry a Florida saltwater license, add the free State Reef Fish Angler designation for reef fish, and leave Florida protected species alone.
TL;DR
- Big Pine Key is a legal Florida Keys hunting base south of Long Key, but only outside Sanctuary Preservation Areas.
- The local huntable marks are the Adolphus Busch wreck and American Shoal concrete reefs, away from the Looe Key and Newfound Harbor SPAs.
- Florida requires a saltwater license, and reef fish require the free State Reef Fish Angler designation.
- No powerheads, no rebreathers, no spearing snook, redfish, seatrout, tarpon, Goliath grouper or Nassau grouper.
Where are the Big Pine Key spearfishing spots outside the SPAs?
These marks sit outside the named SPAs in this plan, but the Keys are boundary-heavy. Load the sanctuary zoning before the run and verify that the boat is outside every SPA before anyone enters with a gun.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adolphus Busch Sr | Intact 210 ft wreck | Verify wreck depth before diving | Intermediate to advanced boat dive | Boat, outside the Looe Key and Newfound Harbor SPAs by boundary check | A signature Lower Keys wreck for snapper, hogfish and grouper checks when seasons allow. The wreck is huntable only if the sanctuary boundary check agrees. |
| American Shoal Reef #2 | Shallow concrete on the lighthouse reef line | Shallow reef-line concrete | Intermediate reef dive | Boat on the American Shoal line | Use it as a clear-water reef option for hogfish and snapper style hunting. Stay out of nearby SPA water. |
| American Shoal Reef #3 | Concrete patch reef | Shallow patch reef; exact depth not stated | Intermediate reef dive | Boat on the American Shoal line | Another concrete patch with snapper and hogfish potential. Boundary discipline matters more than the short run between marks. |
Where are the Big Pine Key legal boundaries?
The legal pattern is clear: south of Long Key, spearfishing is legal again outside Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary SPAs. Big Pine still sits near Looe Key and Newfound Harbor protected water, so the official zone map decides the dive. If the GPS, chart or buoy line does not make the boundary obvious, treat the area as closed and move.
What fish are realistic around Big Pine Key?
Hogfish, mangrove or mutton snapper, sheepshead, flounder and cobia fit the Florida reef species list, while grouper is season-controlled. The protected list is long: snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, tarpon, bonefish, pompano, Goliath and Nassau grouper, billfish, sharks, rays and ornamental reef families are not spear targets.
Which Florida spearfishing rules matter most here?
Use a Florida saltwater license, add the free SRFS designation for reef fish, stay 100 yd from beaches, piers and bridges, and keep 100 ft from the above-water part of a jetty. Powerheads are banned, and rebreathers are illegal for spearfishing. Spiny lobster and stone crab are hand-take only; do not puncture them.
FAQ
Is spearfishing legal in Big Pine Key?
Yes, outside Sanctuary Preservation Areas and other closures. These listed marks sit outside the Looe Key and Newfound Harbor SPAs.
Do you need SRFS for Big Pine Key reef fish?
Yes. Florida reef fish require the free State Reef Fish Angler designation in addition to the saltwater license.
Can you spear lobster in the Keys?
No. Florida rules make spiny lobster and stone crab hand-take only, with no puncturing.
Are powerheads legal at Big Pine Key?
No. Florida rules say powerheads are banned, and rebreathers are illegal for spearfishing.
What is the main visibility factor?
Big Pine is warm, clear reef water when wind and swell settle, but sanctuary boundaries still decide where a good-looking reef can be hunted.
Sources
Nearby towns
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