Karaburun spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras

Karaburun · Turkey
5.5
wave 0.4 m
visibility6m

Today — right on the edgewave, wind and visibility.

Sources: IPMA · NDBC · Copernicushigh confidence · data 06:51

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

This verdict — in your pocket. Open the app for the week's window.

Android: the public release is in Google Play review — leave your email and we'll send beta access today.

Android beta — QR code
point your camera
0 m

Surface

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

spearo.app
calmupdated 06:51
Karaburun — solo, off the rocks
BORDERLINE
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · wind-wave — choppy surface
wave 0.4 mwind 11, gusts 41 km/hvisibility ~8 mwindow 06:00–18:00
today, best window 06:00–09:00
fish · Visibility 8 m · Water 25°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.

Thursday · today2026-07-23
06:0820:33 · first quarter
04:00 07:00 11:00 · 0.0 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide-0.42 m
Wave0.58 m
Wind12 km/h
Water25 °C
fish activity: moonset 00:46 · moderate · moon underfoot 08:20 · high · moonrise 15:52 · moderate · moon overhead 20:40 · high
Conditions window06:00–09:00
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish
Hs 0.38 mperiod 4 swind 11→41surge 0.1viz 6 m
0.38 mup to ~0.76 · 325° at an angle
4 sswell moderate
11→41gusts 41 km/h
0.1weak surge
0.08m/s
6 mrecent swell
25°C5 mm + hood
▲11:00tide turn near
Atmosphere33 kmlandmarks visible
highmoon underfoot
  • wind-wave — choppy surface
  • strong wind 11 km/h, gusts 41 — caution
  • dawn/dusk
confidence mediumtwilight
Open the seafloor map with entry points

Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.

Android: the public release is in Google Play review — leave your email and we'll send beta access today.

Android beta — QR code
point your camera
−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: 1152 spots across 189 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.

See all spots
−20 m

The 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
BüyükadaKaraburun
borderline
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
tide
shelter
hazard
access

Island 5–30 m, swim-out/boat; dentex, sea bream, pandora, good rocky structure, current present. Coords approx.

Google Maps
DenizgirenKaraburun
borderline
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
tide
shelter
hazard
access

West-shore rocks, 0–18 m, shore/boat; clear but meltemi-exposed. Coords approx.

Google Maps
Küçük AdaKaraburun
borderline
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
tide
shelter
hazard
access

Islet 8–30 m, swim-out/boat; dentex, pandora, octopus, good rocky structure, current present. Coords approx.

Google Maps
Mordoğan (leeward)Karaburun
borderline
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
tide
shelter
hazard
access

Leeward east shore, rock/sand 0–15 m, shore; a refuge in the meltemi, the safest option. Coords approx.

Google Maps
Sarpıncık FeneriKaraburun
borderline
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
tide
shelter
hazard
access

NW lighthouse point, rock/deep edge 0–25 m, shore/boat; WARNING: meltemi-exposed, hits hard, calm days only. Verified coord.

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.

One morning glance — and you know.

Android: the public release is in Google Play review — leave your email and we'll send beta access today.

Android beta — QR code
point your camera

Surfacing

Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.

Live cameras, map & reference
Open the seafloor map →
Reference

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now
  • European seabass
    Dicentrarchus labrax · 0–15 m · tebliğ 6/2
  • gilthead seabream
    Sparus aurata · 2–20 m · tebliğ 6/2
  • common dentex
    Dentex dentex · 12–40 m · tebliğ 6/2
  • white seabream
    Diplodus sargus · 0–12 m · tebliğ 6/2
  • two-banded seabream
    Diplodus vulgaris · 1–15 m · tebliğ 6/2
  • common pandora
    Pagellus erythrinus · 10–40 m · tebliğ 6/2
  • meagre
    Argyrosomus regius · 5–30 m · tebliğ 6/2
  • leerfish
    Lichia amia · 2–20 m · tebliğ 6/2
  • bluefish
    Pomatomus saltatrix · 0–20 m · tebliğ 6/2
    Min 18 cm (lüfer <14 cm = «çinekop» — separate rule).
  • red mullet
    Mullus barbatus · 3–30 m · tebliğ 6/2
  • tub gurnard
    Chelidonichthys lucerna · 5–30 m · tebliğ 6/2
  • white grouper
    Epinephelus aeneus · 15–45 m · ⚠️ 1/day
    ⚠️ Lagos: min 50 cm, with a speargun max 1/day, closed season 1 Jun–31 Aug (Çizelge 7). A vulnerable, slow-growing species — do NOT take it. Its cousin orfoz is FULLY BANNED.
  • dusky grouper
    Epinephelus marginatus · 8–35 m · 🚫 BANNED (Çizelge 1)
    🚫 Orfoz is FULLY BANNED (Çizelge 1, RG 11.08.2024 №32629) — not a legal target. Size is irrelevant: do not take it, release it.
  • pufferfish
    Lagocephalus spp. · 2–40 m · invasive
    ☠️ DO NOT EAT: deadly TTX toxin (not destroyed by cooking, no antidote). Amateur rule: kill it and throw it back to open sea — bringing it ashore/into a harbour is BANNED (3,770 TL fine). No bounty for amateurs (commercial SUBİS boats only).
  • lionfish
    Pterois miles · 5–40 m · invasive
    Invasive (venomous spines!). There is NO official amateur permit/reward for culling — never grab bare-handed, treat a sting with hot water (>45 °C). Flesh is edible.
  • rabbitfish
    Siganus spp. · 2–20 m · invasive
    Invasive (Eastern Med). Apparently no dedicated size/count/season limit (not confirmed against the current tebliğ — verify). Venomous spines — remove carefully.
Law
  • Sturgeon (Acipenseridae, mersin) — total ban (Çizelge 1, whole country).
  • Sea trout (Salmo, deniz alası) — take prohibited.
  • Orfoz / dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) — TOTAL ban (Çizelge 1, RG 11.08.2024 №32629). Lagos (E. aeneus) is allowed with a limit (50 cm, 1/day, closed 1 Jun–31 Aug).
  • Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) — strictly protected; in its shelter caves any diving/hunting/anchoring is banned (m.17/2).
  • Sea turtles (Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas) — protected, taking/disturbing prohibited.
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.
Local guide · Karaburun

Spearfishing in Karaburun: spots, seasons and rules

Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher

Karaburun is a wind-geometry read. The west and north faces are among the most meltemi-exposed in the Aegean; Sarpıncık Feneri gives 0-25 m rock and deep edge, but only on calm days. Mordoğan sits on the leeward east shore, a 0-15 m rock/sand refuge and the safest local option. Denizgiren is clear west-shore rock, also exposed. local notes also note two sunken ferry reefs, Alaybey and 9 Eylül, plus Büyükada/Küçükada as mostly boat-only points. First-degree military zones are not published and must be checked locally, with a Coast Guard post at Mordoğan. The legal check is separate: since 1 January 2026 the Amatör Balıkçı Belgesi must include the diving method; use apnea only and do not hunt at night.

TL;DR

  • Karaburun splits sharply: the west/north face is heavily exposed to meltemi, while Mordoğan is the leeward refuge.
  • Sarpıncık and Denizgiren need calm weather; many island and wreck points are boat-led, with unpublished military zones requiring local verification.
  • From 1 January 2026, the diving-method permit is required; spearfishing stays breath-hold and daylight only.

Where does Karaburun become leeward?

Sarpıncık and Denizgiren are exposed west/north reads. Mordoğan is the leeward east-shore alternative. Because unpublished military zones are part of local notes, local verification is not optional here.

SpotTypeDepthLevelAccessNotes
Sarpıncık FeneriRocky point0-25mExperiencedShore or boatNW lighthouse point, 0-25 m rock/deep edge, shore or boat; strongly meltemi-exposed, calm days only.
Mordoğan (leeward)Rock/sand shore0-15mIntermediateShoreLeeward east shore, 0-15 m rock/sand from shore; the safer refuge when the meltemi is working.
DenizgirenRock/sand shore0-18mExperiencedShore or boatWest-shore rocks, 0-18 m, shore or boat; clear water but exposed to the same meltemi pattern.

What decides Karaburun?

Wind direction comes first. Sarpıncık and Denizgiren can be clean but harsh, while Mordoğan gives the leeward read. Then check unpublished military boundaries locally and avoid guessing from the beach. Protected species still stay off the list; verify grouper limits before targeting any allowed species.

FAQ

Is Sarpıncık a casual shore dive?

No. local notes marks it as strongly meltemi-exposed and suitable only on calm days.

Why choose Mordoğan?

It is the leeward east-shore refuge and the safest option in the local notes.

How are military zones handled?

They are not published in ordinary text, so verify locally and with nautical-chart information.

What document is needed?

From 1 January 2026, the Amatör Balıkçı Belgesi must show the diving method.

Are scuba or night hunts allowed?

No. Breath-hold only, and no night spearfishing.

Sources

Nearby towns

Coming soon

Get the go / no-go verdict for Karaburun by email

Leave your email — and the moment a window opens at Karaburun, we'll send the go / no-go verdict. Email is all we need.

Optional: city, channel, phone
What to send
Where to send it
26 countries · all spots

Pick your coast

Every covered town has its own live forecast, cameras and entry points. Choose where you're diving.

United StatesUnited States

USA map →
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.