Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and surge pounding.
Sources & confidence
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.
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.
Safety gates
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
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
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.
Leave your email — and the moment a window opens at Kaikōura, we'll send the go / no-go verdict. Email is all we need.
What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.
Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.
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.
See all spotsRelief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.
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.
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 mapThe full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appThe full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appBoulder reef and kelp at Mangamaunu north of Kaikōura; butterfish, moki and cray, cold exposed E swell.
Google MapsRocky Oaro coast south of Kaikōura; butterfish, moki and cray in cold, kelp-rich water.
Google MapsThe full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appRock platforms off South Bay on the Kaikōura Peninsula; butterfish, moki and the famous cray — cold, GW present.
Google MapsThe full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appThe full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appSOLO 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.
Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
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».
Rules as of now — 25.10.2026 17:38 (Pacific/Auckland)
Spearfishing in Kaikōura is a cold-water, wildlife-aware discipline. The peninsula sits close to deep canyon country, and the local shore spots are rock platforms, boulder reef and kelp at South Bay, Mangamaunu and Oaro. Butterfish, blue moki and crayfish are the main draw, while great whites are part of the risk picture. No sea-fishing licence is required, but MPI Kaikōura area rules, DOC reserve boundaries and marine mammal protections must shape every dive plan.
These three spots are all open coast rather than protected water, but they are exposed enough to demand small swell, cold-water kit and a short harvest plan.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Bay Peninsula | Rock platforms | Shallow to moderate kelp reef | Intermediate | Shore entry off the Kaikōura Peninsula | South Bay is the peninsula option for butterfish, moki and the famous crayfish. It is cold and shark-aware water, so keep fish off the body. |
| Mangamaunu Reef | Boulder reef and kelp | Nearshore exposed reef | Intermediate | Shore entry north of Kaikōura | Mangamaunu is a north-of-town reef with butterfish, moki and crayfish. It faces exposed easterly swell and should be saved for settled windows. |
| Oaro Rocks | Rocky south coast | Cold kelp-rich water | Intermediate | Shore access south of Kaikōura | Oaro is the southern rock option, with butterfish, moki and crayfish in kelp. Its value comes when the coast is calm enough for a controlled exit. |
Rules change and are regional. Before heading out, check with MPI (regional fishing rules / the NZ Fishing Rules app), DOC (marine reserves) and local notices (rāhui/mātaitai).
Kaikōura compresses deep water, cold currents, marine mammals, reef and swell into a short coastline. That is why the fishing can be memorable and why the margin is thin. A good day has small swell, manageable wind and a buddy who is comfortable in cold water. A poor day is not rescued by the promise of crayfish.
None of the three listed shore entries is marked as protected, but New Zealand's marine reserves are absolute no-take zones, and mātaitai, taiāpure or rāhui closures can apply with little notice. Check DOC's marine reserves map and any local notice before diving new water. A reserve or rāhui boundary is a hard stop, not a rough guide.
The Kaikōura area has its own MPI recreational fishing rules. They set a combined daily finfish limit of 30 per fisher, with individual species settings such as a 33 cm minimum for blue cod. Check the current MPI blue cod limits for the area before diving, as they can be tighter than the general rule.
Crayfish are not a speargun target. New Zealand rules allow rock lobster to be taken only by hand or a hand-held loop and prohibit spears or puncturing devices for it; MPI's rules set no scuba ban for crayfish (the breathing-apparatus ban is for pāua). Measure tail width, release protected or berried animals, and keep the catch separate from your body while swimming. In Kaikōura, shark awareness should be part of the harvest plan from the first dive.
No sea-fishing licence is required, but the Kaikōura MPI area has its own recreational rules.
No. Fishing and spearfishing are banned in New Zealand marine reserves, so check DOC's marine reserves map for any protected water before diving.
MPI lists a combined daily limit of 30 finfish per fisher for the Kaikōura area.
The local coast is known for butterfish, blue moki and crayfish around peninsula and kelp rock.
Yes. Great whites are present around Kaikōura, so keep catches managed and avoid murky seal-heavy water.
