Capo SandaloCarloforte
borderlineexposed head-on to the swell today (city-level)
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
West cliff and drop; amberjack, dentex, open. On the Mistral's firing line.
Google MapsCarloforte spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras
5.3
wave 0.5 m
visibility4m
Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and visibility.
Sources: IPMA · NDBC · Copernicus — high confidence · data 16:13
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 16:13
Carloforte — solo, off the rocks
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · wind-wave — choppy surface
wave 0.5 mwind 25, gusts 40 km/hvisibility ~6 mwindow 15:00–21:00
today, best window 18:00–21:00
fish · Visibility 6 m · Water 27.8°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
06:18–20:48 · first quarter
▲ 03:00▼ 11:00▲ 18:00▼ 22:00 · 0.1 m
Hours (06→20)
15
18
Day's trends
Tide-0.50 m
Wave0.48 m
Wind10 km/h
Water28 °C
fish activity: moonset 00:31 · moderate · moon underfoot 07:50 · high · moonrise 15:07 · moderate · moon overhead 20:00 · high
Conditions window15:00–18:00
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish
Hs 0.46 mperiod 4.5 swind 24→38surge 0.1viz 4 m
0.46 mup to ~0.92 · 305° at an angle
4.5 sswell moderate
24→38gusts 38 km/h
0.1weak surge
0.25m/s
4 mrecent swell
27.8°C5 mm + hood
▲18:00tide turn near
Atmosphere41 kmlandmarks visible
moderatemoonrise
- wind-wave — choppy surface
- strong wind 24 km/h, gusts 38 — caution
- visibility ~4 m
confidence highday
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
Capo Sperone / Sant'AntiocoCarloforte
borderlineexposed head-on to the swell today (city-level)
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Granite to the S; gilthead, dentex, exposed to the S/SW.
Google MapsLa Punta / Punta delle ColonneCarloforte
borderlineexposed head-on to the swell today (city-level)
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Rocky columns to the E; sea bream, shelter on westerly winds.
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
- European seabassmin. 25 cm · legal target
- Gilthead seabreammin. 20 cm · legal target
- White seabreammin. 23 cm · legal target
- Two-banded seabreammin. 18 cm · legal target
- Sharpsnout seabreammin. 18 cm · legal target
- Annular seabreammin. 12 cm · legal target
- Common dentexmin. 15 cm · Sardinia 30 cm · legal target
- Red porgymin. 18 cm · legal target
- Common pandoramin. 18 cm · Sardinia 20 cm · legal target
- Axillary seabreammin. 15 cm · Sardinia 18 cm · legal target
- Blackspot seabreammin. 33 cm · legal target
- Striped seabreammin. 20 cm · legal target
- Black seabreammin. 15 cm · legal target
- Boguemin. 15 cm · legal target
- Salemamin. 15 cm · legal target
- Dusky groupermin. 45 cm · RESTRICTED · max 1 grouper/day; BANNED in Sardegna & MPAs
- Wreckfishmin. 45 cm · RESTRICTED · max 1 grouper/day; BANNED in Sardegna & MPAs
- Brown meagremin. 20 cm · RESTRICTED · protected in several MPAs · (verify against the norm in force)
- Greater amberjackmin. 15 cm · Sardinia 60 cm · legal target · (verify against the norm in force)
- Leerfishmin. 15 cm · Sardinia 60 cm · legal target
- Grey mulletmin. 20 cm · Sardinia 25 cm · legal target
- Red scorpionfishmin. 15 cm · legal target
- Moray eelmin. 25 cm · Sardinia 60 cm · legal target
- European congermin. 25 cm · Sardinia 50 cm · legal target
- Wrassemin. 15 cm · legal target
- Red mulletmin. 11 cm · legal target
- Atlantic bonitomin. 25 cm · legal target
- Common octopusmin. 450 g · legal target
- Cuttlefishlegal target · (verify against the norm in force)
Law
- ✓NO paid licence, but a free MASAF REGISTRATION is mandatory (recreational sea-fishing declaration, online via SIAN/SPID, annual) — it is not a «licence».
- ✓Free-diving only (16+): scuba/rebreather/hookah BANNED (art. 128-bis DPR 1639/68). A speargun may not be handed to under-16s.
- ✓Night prohibited: spearfishing only from dawn to sunset (art. 129e DPR 1639/68).
- ✓Distances (art. 129 DPR 1639/68): ≥500 m from beaches with bathers; ≥100 m from fixed gear/set nets and from vessels anchored outside ports.
- ✓Buoy MANDATORY (art. 130 DPR 1639/68): float with a red flag bearing a white diagonal stripe, visible ≥300 m; the diver stays within 50 m of the buoy/support boat.
- ✓The speargun may not be kept armed out of the water (art. 131 DPR 1639/68) — load only when submerged.
- ✓Hand-collecting crustaceans/molluscs is BANNED for the spearfisher (art. 128-bis): only cephalopods (octopus, cuttlefish). No crab lane for Italy.
- ✓Sale of recreational catch is PROHIBITED (EU control regime, Reg. CE 1224/2009).
- •Daily cap ~5 kg/person (or a single heavier fish) — set by a D.M. implementing Reg. CE 1224/2009, not by the DPR; max 1 grouper/day. Verify the current D.M. number.
- ✓Sardegna (autonomous): STRICTER minimum sizes (parenthetical in the species table: dentex 30, mullet 25, moray 60, conger 50, amberjack/leerfish 60 cm etc.) + FULL grouper (cernia) ban.
- ✓Sardegna: seasonal urchin/crustacean closures and regional enforcement (Corpo Forestale) — but hand-collecting crustaceans is already nationally banned for the spearfisher.
- ⛔ Date mussels (Lithophaga lithophaga) — TOTAL BAN: fishing, possession, transport, sale (D.M. 16/10/1998; EU-protected). Never touch.
- ⛔ Sturgeon (Acipenser sturio / naccarii) — capture BANNED (D.M. 3/5/89, D.M. 11/6/07).
- ⛔ Dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) — 45 cm, max 1 grouper/day (art.142 D.P.R.1639/68, amended by L.154/2016); fully BANNED in Sardegna & ALL .
- ⛔ Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) — MASAF RecFishing authorization only: season 16 Jun–14 Oct, 1 fish/outing, min 30 kg / 115 cm.
- ⛔ Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) — min 100 cm; seasonal closures, RecFishing declaration required.
Rules change. Before heading out, check with MASAF (registration) and the Guardia Costiera / Capitaneria di Porto; Sicily and Sardegna add regional tightening.
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 Carloforte: spots, seasons and rules
Spearfishing in Carloforte / Sant'Antioco depends on choosing the right side of the islands. Capo Sandalo is an exposed western cliff and drop in the Mistral line. La Punta / Punta delle Colonne offers relative shelter on westerly winds. Capo Sperone on Sant'Antioco is granite to the south, exposed to S/SW. The data shows no local plume or buoy. Pick the return route before loading.
TL;DR
- Carloforte / Sant'Antioco is exposure management: Capo Sandalo takes Mistral, La Punta can shelter from west, Capo Sperone opens S/SW.
- The general coast face is 270 degrees, with 205-335 degrees as the bad sector and 315 degrees the worst line.
- Sardegna adds stricter minimum sizes and a full grouper ban to Italy's MASAF, apnea-only, daylight, buoy and distance rules.
Where can you spearfish around Carloforte?
All listed spots are yellow, medium solo-severity shore entries and are not marked protected for these entries.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capo Sandalo | Western cliff and rockfall | Wall/drop; no number listed | Intermediate to advanced after Mistral settles | Shore entry; route not specified | Amberjack and dentex, but directly exposed to the Mistral. |
| La Punta / Punta delle Colonne | Rocky columns to the east | Rock columns; no numeric depth | Intermediate; relative west-wind shelter | Shore entry near the columns | Sea bream, with shelter when westerlies are the issue. |
| Capo Sperone / Sant'Antioco | Southern granite cape | Granite coast; no number listed | Intermediate; watch S/SW exposure | Southern shore entry | Gilthead and dentex; exposed to south and southwest. |
When are conditions worth it around Carloforte?
If 315 degrees is active, Capo Sandalo is the wrong idea. La Punta can be useful when west wind is the problem but the sea has settled. Capo Sperone needs a different filter: avoid south and southwest swell. Mediterranean tide is secondary.
FAQ
Do you need a license in Carloforte?
No paid license, but the free MASAF declaration via SIAN/SPID is required.
Is grouper legal in Sardegna?
No. The Sardegna rules set a full grouper ban.
Can you spearfish with scuba?
No. Italy allows spearfishing only while freediving and from age 16.
How far from beaches and nets?
Keep 500 m from beaches with bathers and 100 m from fixed gear, set nets and anchored vessels outside ports.
What daily catch limit should you use?
Use about 5 kg per person, or one heavier fish, then check current decrees and Sardegna size limits.
Sources
Nearby towns
Coming soon
Get the go / no-go verdict for Carloforte by email
Leave your email — and the moment a window opens at Carloforte, we'll send the go / no-go verdict. Email is all we need.
26 countries · all spots
Pick your coast
Every covered town has its own live forecast, cameras and entry points. Choose where you're diving.
Portugal
Portugal map →
North
Setúbal · Arrábida
Algarve
Spain
Spain map →Cantabrian coast
Andalusia (Atlantic)
Andalusia (Med)
Italy
Italy map →Tuscany
Central Adriatic
Northern Adriatic
Greece
Greece map →Attica · Saronic
Halkidiki
Thrace · Kavala
France
France map →Hauts-de-France
North Brittany
West Brittany
Pays de la Loire
Charente-Maritime
French Basque Country
Provence — Côte d'Azur
Turkey
Turkey map →
Croatia
Croatia map →Kvarner
North Dalmatia
Central Dalmatia (Split)
Cyprus
Cyprus map →
Malta
Malta map →
Brazil
Brazil map →South Coast
São Paulo Coast
Rio de Janeiro Coast
Bahia Coast
Coral Coast
Chile
Chile map →Norte Grande
Central Chile
Colombia
Colombia map →Caribbean · Guajira
Central Caribbean
Caribbean · Gulf
Islands (Colombia)
Pacific (Colombia)
Venezuela
Venezuela map →Central Caribbean (Venezuela)
Insular Venezuela
Ecuador
Ecuador map →
Mexico
Mexico map →Baja Pacific
Sea of Cortez
Pacific Mainland
Bahamas
Bahamas map →New Providence
Grand Bahama
Bimini
Long Island
San Salvador
Cat Island
Dominican Republic
Dominican Rep. map →Southeast Caribbean
South Caribbean
Southwest Caribbean
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico map →
Peru
Peru map →
Uruguay
Uruguay map →Uruguay · Río de la Plata
Uruguay · Rocha (Atlantic)
Argentina
Argentina map →Buenos Aires
Río Negro · San Matías
Chubut · Golfo Nuevo
Tierra del Fuego
Australia
Australia map →NSW North Coast
NSW Central — Sydney/Newcastle/Illawarra
QLD South-East
QLD Capricorn Coast
QLD Tropical North
Victoria
SA Gulfs & Fleurieu
SA Limestone Coast (Bonney)
WA South-West (Perth–Capes)
WA Mid-West (Geraldton–Kalbarri)
WA North (Ningaloo–Kimberley)
New Zealand
New Zealand map →Auckland & Hauraki Gulf
Coromandel
Bay of Plenty
East Cape / Gisborne
Hawke's Bay
Taranaki & Western NI
Wellington & Cook Strait
Canterbury & Banks Peninsula
Southland & Foveaux
West Coast (South Island)
South Africa
South Africa map →Western Cape
Garden Route
Eastern Cape
Wild Coast
United States
USA map →New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
North Carolina
Florida
- St. Augustine
- Port Canaveral
- Vero Beach
- Fort Pierce
- Jupiter
- Palm Beach
- Boynton Beach
- Pompano Beach
- Fort Lauderdale
- Miami
- Key Largo
- Islamorada
- Marathon
- Big Pine Key
- Key West
- Fernandina Beach
- Jacksonville Beach
- Ponce Inlet
- Cocoa Beach
- Sebastian Inlet
- Stuart
- Boca Raton
- Naples
- Venice (FL)
- Sarasota
- Clearwater
- Tarpon Springs
- Steinhatchee
- Apalachicola
- Port St. Joe
- Panama City Beach
- Destin
- Pensacola
- Marco Island
- Fort Myers Beach
- Boca Grande
- Crystal River
- Cedar Key
Mississippi
Texas
California
- San Diego (Point Loma)
- La Jolla
- Encinitas
- Oceanside
- Dana Point
- Laguna Beach
- Newport Beach
- Long Beach (San Pedro)
- Palos Verdes
- Redondo Beach
- Malibu
- Avalon (Catalina Island)
- Two Harbors (Catalina Island)
- Ventura
- Santa Barbara
- Morro Bay
- San Simeon
- Monterey
- Carmel
- Santa Cruz
- Half Moon Bay
- Fort Bragg
- Mendocino
- Pacific Beach (Mission Bay)
- Carlsbad
- San Clemente
- Huntington Beach
- Oxnard (Channel Islands Harbor)
- Goleta
- Cayucos
- Pacific Grove
- Bodega Bay
- Trinidad
- Crescent City
Washington
Philippines
Philippines map →NW Luzon
Western Visayas
Cebu & Negros
Feedback
Help us make it better
What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.