Cefalù · Italy

5.6

wave <0.1 m head-on

visibility7m

Today — right on the edge — wave <, wind and visibility.

Sources: IPMA · buoys · Copernicus · Sentinel-2 — high confidence · data 13:00

Sources & confidence

Sources: IPMA · NDBC & IH buoys · Copernicus Marine · Sentinel-2
Method: spearo sea-state engine: 6-model consensus + 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.

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 — 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.

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0 m

Surface

Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.

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MeteoAlarm no dataupdated 13:00

Cefalù — solo, off the rocks

BORDERLINE

caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · northerly wind picks up after midday

wave <0.1 m head-onwind 11 km/hvisibility ~7 mwindow 12:00–21:00

today, best window 15:00–18:00

fish · Visibility 7 m · Water 29.3°C

confidence high · 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 · today2026-09-09

06:40–19:21 · new moon

▼ 02:00▲ 08:00▼ 14:00▲ 21:00 · 0.4 m

Hours (06→20)

Day's trends

Tide-0.30 m

Wave0.14 m

Wind5 km/h

Water29 °C

fish activity: moonrise 04:32 · moderate · moon overhead 11:30 · high · moonset 18:29 · moderate · moon underfoot 00:00 · high

Conditions window12:00–15:00

caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish

Hs 0.04 m · calmperiod 2 s head-onwind 10→18surge 0viz 7 m

0.04 mcalm · up to ~0.08 · 343° head-on

2 sswell moderate

10→18gusts 18 km/h

0weak surge

0.11m/s

7 mrecent swell

29.3°C5 mm + hood

▼14:00tide turn near

Atmosphere39 kmlandmarks visible

highmoon overhead

northerly wind picks up after midday
visibility ~7 m

confidence highday

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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.

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CalduraCefalù

borderline

swell on the quarter today (city-level)

window: Sixteen years of age is the legal minimum for handling a speargun in the water. The 500 m from used beaches is measured from the water's edge, and here the shore is 20 m from the mark: in bathing season do the arithmetic before getting in. With the 680 m that separate you from five metres of water, the return in daylight is planned from the start. Note the hour you will come out before you get in: from 20 m of shore the way back always looks shorter than it is.
tide: At Cefalù nobody plans an outing around the tide, and they are right not to. The current you will find towards the south will nearly always be wind-driven and not tidal. The ten-metre line, 720 m offshore, does not move with the level: it moves with the swell. The way back, 680 m to the five-metre band, is decided beforehand and not on the way.
shelter: The good sector is the one opposite the opening: from the north the water stays still even in a steady blow. On the point at Cefalù it is the flank that gives you the shelter, not the general lie of the coast. If the swell starts working inside the 680 m of coastal strip, the session is over. The 720 m that separate the shore from ten metres of water tell you how much sea it takes to ruin the day.
conditions: The good day here is not made by the depth but by the water: if you can see, you can work in five metres. With twenty metres at 820 m from the shore the session is organised in bands rather than in points. By 720 m from the shore you already know whether it is worth going on. Past 720 m from the shore it is the water that decides the day and not the willingness.
hazard: The marker has to follow you even when you are working 720 m from the shore: 50 m from the vertical below it is the legal maximum. The current running over the point is stronger than at the sides, and you meet it on the way out more than on the way in. At Cefalù the real risk is not the depth: it is the combination of tiredness and swell. The way back from 720 m out is longer than it looks once you are tired.
access: On the cape an entry that is comfortable in a flat sea may not exist at all in half a metre of swell. From here to the 5 m contour is about 680 m, and it pays to measure them on the way out so as not to find them long on the way back. Count the 680 m that separate you from the five-metre contour: they are the measure of the way back. At Cefalù the accesses change with the bathing season.

Rocky point east of the harbour; sea bream, octopus. The corner shelters from the NW.

Google Maps

Capo PlaiaCefalù

borderline

Pro · subscribers

swell on the quarter today (city-level)

window: —

The full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.

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Capo Rais Gerbi / PollinaCefalù

borderline

swell on the quarter today (city-level)

window: On a shore oriented at 315° the usable light ends before the legal hour, which stays the hour of the sun. The recreational fishing declaration to MASAF has to be made before you go down, and it is renewed every year. At Cefalù in summer the bathing strip changes the usable distances completely. Keeping to the hours is also the simplest way of having no trouble.
tide: The level barely moves: the 10 m contour stays 760 m from the shore at any hour of the day. High water pushed by Maestrale counts for more than a spring tide. At Cefalù the level changes little, but the current towards the northwest can be noticeable in the channels. In a channel it is the current that decides the route: plan it before getting in.
shelter: A headland gathers sea from a wide sector, so yesterday's swell counts for as much as today's wind from northwest. The opening to the northwest is wide: no nearby storm is needed here, an old sea from that sector is enough. At Cefalù the difference between a bad day and a good one is a hundred metres of coast, not an hour of waiting. With Maestrale building, shorten the session instead of lengthening the route.
conditions: The slope is regular: ten metres about 760 m out, twenty at 920 m. If you cannot see the bottom 500 m out, the day is over before it starts. At Cefalù the good days are few and have to be taken when they come. The best water nearly always arrives from offshore on a light Scirocco.
hazard: The cape exposes you to two seas at once, and the way back can be harder than the way out. On the shoreline at Cefalù the same national rules apply without discounts: breath-hold, daylight, marker in sight. If you find lost gear — weights, lines, nets — take it out: the next thing it snags may be yours. With 500 m out to five metres, the exit is short only if you decide on it in time.
access: At Cefalù the point is reached on foot, and the long part of the day is the part out of the water. With the shore 40 m away and five metres of water at 500 m, the band to cross is a short one. In a hard Maestrale the windward exit becomes unusable: check an alternative. Get in where you get out: the symmetry is the safest thing about it.

Long cape to the east; dentex, amberjack, grouper. Open to the N.

Google Maps

Capo RaisigerbiCefalù

borderline

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swell on the quarter today (city-level)

window: —

The full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.

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Scoglio Grande (Finale di Pollina)Cefalù

borderline

Ultra · subscribers

swell on the quarter today (city-level)

window: —

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Secche dei CampanariCefalù

borderline

swell on the quarter today (city-level)

window: Breathing apparatus is prohibited: you go down on breath-hold and nothing else. Sardinia and Sicily are autonomous regions and can have rules of their own on top. A shore oriented at 26° loses the sun before sunset: take it into account for the last descent. At Cefalù the season conditions the law more than it conditions the sea.
tide: Even at springs the band out to five metres stays 740 m wide: the level does not change the route. In a hard Grecale the level rises more than any spring tide manages. If the current takes you past the 700 m of the ten-metre line, head straight back for land. At Cefalù the local currents depend more on the shape of the bottom than on the hour.
shelter: The shore in front of the mark faces northeast, about 26°, so everything arriving from that sector gets in unobstructed. The channel between the rock and the coast is the part that settles first and the part that turns awkward last. At Cefalù whoever gets in first checks, whoever gets in out of habit is trusting yesterday. A metre of long swell from the northeast is worth more than two metres of short chop raised inshore.
conditions: The outside water arrives when the wind from the southwest pushes it in; with an old sea it stays offshore for days. Getting twenty metres under you takes about 910 m of swimming, so it pays to get in already decided on where to go. After three calm days the water at Cefalù is a different water. If the water gets worse while you are out, head for land rather than along the coast.
hazard: The 500 m from used beaches starts at the water's edge, which is 30 m from here: in summer it is the first calculation to make. Over the cap of a shoal the water stands up and the ascent can put you in the middle of a breaker. With Grecale strengthening the margin is spent without your noticing. At Cefalù the conditions change faster than the forecast does.
access: In Grecale the crossing out to the shoal is worth thinking about twice, because on the way back you will have it against you. Under the shore the bottom is what you see from above, 30 m from the coastline. Look at the exit point before getting in: from inside everything looks the same. If an access is closed, that is not an invitation to go through anyway.

Offshore rock; grouper in calm, swim from shore.

Google Maps

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.

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now

European seabass
<4 m · — · dawn/dusk
min. 25 cm · legal target
Gilthead seabream
1–4 m · over sand/weed · dawn
min. 20 cm · legal target
White seabream
1–5 m · in the surf on the reef · dawn
min. 23 cm · legal target
Two-banded seabream
1–8 m · — · dawn
min. 18 cm · legal target
Sharpsnout seabream
2–10 m · — · dawn
min. 18 cm · legal target
Annular seabream
0–5 m · — · daytime
min. 12 cm · legal target
Common dentex
min. 15 cm · Sardinia 30 cm · legal target
Red porgy
min. 18 cm · legal target
Common pandora
min. 18 cm · Sardinia 20 cm · legal target
Axillary seabream
min. 15 cm · Sardinia 18 cm · legal target
Blackspot seabream
min. 33 cm · legal target
Striped seabream
0–5 m · — · dawn
min. 20 cm · legal target
Black seabream
2–6 m · — · —
min. 15 cm · legal target
Bogue
min. 15 cm · legal target
Salema
0–2 m · — · daytime
min. 15 cm · legal target
Dusky grouper
5–40 m · — · daytime
min. 45 cm · RESTRICTED · max 1 grouper/day; BANNED in Sardegna & MPAs
Wreckfish
min. 45 cm · RESTRICTED · max 1 grouper/day; BANNED in Sardegna & MPAs
Brown meagre
2–15 m · — · twilight
min. 20 cm · RESTRICTED · protected in several MPAs · (verify against the norm in force)
Greater amberjack
min. 15 cm · Sardinia 60 cm · legal target · (verify against the norm in force)
Leerfish
min. 15 cm · Sardinia 60 cm · legal target
Grey mullet
0–2 m · — · —
min. 20 cm · Sardinia 25 cm · legal target
Red scorpionfish
3–20 m · — · daytime
min. 15 cm · legal target
Moray eel
1–15 m · — · twilight
min. 25 cm · Sardinia 60 cm · legal target
European conger
2–25 m · — · night
min. 25 cm · Sardinia 50 cm · legal target
Wrasse
min. 15 cm · legal target
Red mullet
min. 11 cm · legal target
Atlantic bonito
min. 25 cm · legal target
Common octopus
1–6 m · — · twilight
min. 450 g · legal target
Cuttlefish
legal 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: scuba/rebreather/hookah BANNED (art. 128-bis DPR 1639/68). The 16+ rule comes from a different act — D.Lgs 4/2012, art. 6 c. 5; handing a speargun to an under-16 is an offence (art. 13-octies c. 3 b, as replaced by L. 75/2026).
✓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.
✓The spearfisher may NOT gather corals, crustaceans or molluscs — the second paragraph of the same article (art. 128-bis DPR 1639/68; the same rule in D.M. 249/1987, art. 2). BUT cephalopods are EXCLUDED: octopus, cuttlefish and squid may be taken — the exception is kept in terms by the official guidance (circolare 6227201 of 23.07.1987). Mussels — up to 3 kg per person per day, but only with the Capo del Compartimento Marittimo's authorisation. The 5 kg daily cap counts EVERYTHING taken that day (D.Lgs 4/2012, art. 13-octies c. 4, as replaced by L. 75/2026).
✓You MAY carry a speargun and a breathing apparatus on the same boat — but at most ONE cylinder of up to 10 L per vessel, and using it to fish is prohibited (art. 128-ter DPR 1639/68). While you are down, at least one person must stay aboard ready to intervene, and there must be a rope long enough to recover the diver.
✓Sale of recreational catch is PROHIBITED (EU control regime, Reg. CE 1224/2009).
✓The 5 kg/person daily cap IS in force and carries a fine: €500–3 000 up to 10 kg, €2 000–12 000 up to 50 kg, €12 000–50 000 above (D.Lgs 4/2012, art. 13-octies c. 4, as replaced by Law 21 Apr 2026 no. 75). Exception: a single fish heavier than 5 kg. Recovery-plan species and bluefin tuna: +1/3 (c. 5).
✓Sicily (autonomous): on top of the national frame,

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 Cefalù

Where can I spearfish in Cefalù?

Cefalù has rock entry points such as Caldura, Capo Rais Gerbi / Pollina and Secche dei Campanari. Spearfishing in Cefalù: 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 Cefalù?

You can dive almost all year, with first-rate visibility; summer and autumn remain the best months. The Tyrrhenian side (San Vito, Cefalù) and the Ionian/south (Siracusa, Portopalo) are complementary: pick the headland with the day's sheltered side.

How cold is the water in Cefalù?

Warm and among the clearest in Italy: ~15–27 °C. A 3 mm suit in summer, 5 mm in the shoulder months. Visibility often over 15–20 m on calm days.

Is Cefalù good for a beginner?

Intermediate: superb water, but the best fish is often near the MPAs where it's banned — know the boundaries exactly. Rock and reefs on every side; pick the lee side. Buoy always.

Do I need a licence in Cefalù?

No — in Cefalù there is no paid licence; a free MASAF declaration is mandatory (the recreational sea-fishing communication, online via SIAN/SPID, renewed each year), which is not a «licence». Breath-hold only (no scuba), with a marker buoy and no selling the catch. See the guide.

Full guide: spearfishing in Italy →

Cefalù spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility & live cameras

Windows, hours and the day's trends.

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FAQ — spearfishing in Cefalù

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Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

Where to get in
off the rocks.

What's in season,
what the law says.