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

• dusky groupermin 45 cm
  Epinephelus marginatus · 8–35 m · EU 1967/2006
  Grouper: max 1/day (shared genus-Epinephelus limit).
• white groupermin 45 cm
  Epinephelus aeneus · 15–45 m · EU 1967/2006
  Grouper: max 1/day (shared genus-Epinephelus limit).
• goldblotch groupermin 45 cm
  Epinephelus costae · 10–35 m · EU 1967/2006
  Grouper: max 1/day (shared genus-Epinephelus limit).
• common dentex
  Dentex dentex · 12–40 m · min 150 g
  Premier reef target. No EU size — the 150 g minimum only. Ethical ≥40 cm (not law).
• white seabreammin 23 cm
  Diplodus sargus · 0–12 m · EU 1967/2006
• saddled seabream
  Oblada melanura · 3–15 m · min 150 g
  No EU size — only the 150 g minimum applies.
• greater amberjack
  Seriola dumerili · 5–30 m · min 150 g
  No EU size — only the 150 g minimum applies.
• Mediterranean barracuda
  Sphyraena viridensis · 3–25 m · min 150 g
  No EU size — the 150 g minimum only. Histamine: bleed and chill at once.
• Mediterranean parrotfish
  Sparisoma cretense · 2–20 m · min 150 g
  Eastern-Med delicacy (Crete/Dodecanese). No EU size — the 150 g minimum only.
• brown meagre / corbmin 25 cm
  Sciaena umbra · 5–30 m · EU 1967/2006
• common octopus
  Octopus vulgaris · 0–15 m · weight ≥750 g
  Minimum by weight: ≥750 g (ΠΔ 62/2024). Don't take egg-bearing females.
• devil firefish (lionfish)
  Pterois miles · 5–40 m · invasive
  ⚠️ Invasive — removal encouraged, excellent flesh. Venomous spines: never grab bare-handed, cut the spines, treat a sting with hot water (>45 °C).
• silver-cheeked toadfish
  Lagocephalus sceleratus · 5–40 m · invasive
  ☠️ Invasive — kill, but DO NOT EAT: deadly toxin (TTX). Sale banned (EU 854/2004). Powerful beak bites — never string it live on a stringer.
• rabbitfish
  Siganus rivulatus / luridus · 2–20 m · invasive
  Invasive — removal encouraged, edible and tasty. Venomous dorsal/anal/pelvic spines — remove carefully, treat a sting with hot water.
• wreckfish / stone bassmin 45 cm
  Polyprion americanus · 30–60 m · EU 1967/2006
  Deep wreck species. Does NOT count toward the grouper limit (different genus). 45 cm — to verify.
• red porgymin 18 cm
  Pagrus pagrus · 15–40 m · EU 1967/2006
• gilthead seabreammin 20 cm
  Sparus aurata · 2–20 m · EU 1967/2006
• European seabassmin 25 cm
  Dicentrarchus labrax · 0–15 m · EU 1967/2006
• striped seabreammin 20 cm
  Lithognathus mormyrus · 2–15 m · EU 1967/2006
• striped red mulletmin 11 cm
  Mullus surmuletus · 3–30 m · EU 1967/2006
• leerfish / garrick
  Lichia amia · 2–20 m · min 150 g
  No EU size — only the 150 g minimum applies.
• flathead grey mullet
  Mugil cephalus · 0–8 m · min 150 g
  No EU size — only the 150 g minimum applies.

• ✓⚠️ MAY — a TOTAL spearfishing ban for the whole month, every year (ΠΔ 373/1985, art. 3§1α). This is law in force, not a draft.
• ✓No licence required (abolished 2014, Ν. 4256/2014). BUT Greece is rolling out a mandatory, FREE recreational-fisher registry (the ΟΣΠΑ state registry / Μητρώο Ερασιτεχνών Αλιέων, spearfishing included) — free until 31.12.2026. Check gov.gr before you travel.
• ✓Age: 16+ (under-16 spearfishing is forbidden; ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§1γ).
• ✓Daytime only: sunrise to sunset. Night is forbidden (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§1β).
• ✓Freediving only: scuba/any air-supply apparatus is banned — it may not even be carried aboard (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§2γ).
• ✓Distances: ≥200 m from bathers, harbours, moored vessels and marked nets; no hunting in fairways or harbour entrances/exits (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§1δ/ε).
• ✓Buoy MANDATORY: a yellow float + a yellow flag with a red diagonal stripe and the letters «Υ.Δ.», visible from ≥300 m; stay within 50 m of the buoy (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§3).
• ✓Limit: 5 kg/day (or one trophy heavier than the limit). Grouper (Epinephelus) — max 1/day, not banned (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 2§2).
• ✓Sale/trade of the recreational catch is prohibited (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 1§7).
• ✓Load the speargun only in the water — never keep it loaded out of the water (art. 3§2β). Underwater light while hunting is forbidden (art. 3§2ζ).
• ✓Pneumatic and band guns are ALLOWED (a myth in English guides). Only spears with an explosive/chemical charge — powerheads — are banned (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§2δ).
• ✓Min. sizes: seabass 25 cm · gilthead 20 cm · white seabream 23 cm · grouper 45 cm · octopus 750 g (ΠΔ 62/2024). Any fish — not under 150 g (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§2στ). No-size species (dentex, amberjack, barracuda, parrotfish) — the 150 g minimum only. See the species card.
• ✓Full ban on taking: Pinna nobilis (πίννα), corals and sponges (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 1§6 + Habitats Directive 92/43).
• ✓Invasives: taking the lionfish (λεοντόψαρο) is encouraged — ⚠️ venomous spines. The silver-cheeked toadfish (λαγοκέφαλος) ☠️ DO NOT EAT — deadly toxin (TTX), sale banned (EU 854/2004), it bites. The rabbitfish (γερμανός) is edible — venomous spines.
• ✓Do not touch antiquities (Ν. 3028/2002); diving is forbidden in declared underwater archaeological zones. Map of the zones — the ENALIA geoportal (thalchor-2.ypen.gov.gr/layers/geonode:ENALIA).
• ✓No-take zones: the national marine parks of Alonissos/N. Sporades and Zakynthos (Laganas) — spearfishing banned park-wide; the Southern Kynouria/Arcadia diving park (Ν. 4688/2020) — banned too. Check the no-take map.
• •Coming: two new national marine parks are being created (Ionian + South Cyclades, ~27,500 km²). NOT yet in force (ΠΔ under review, mid-2026). Once live — a trawl ban + a seasonal coastal closure 15.04–31.05; in the strict zones spearfishing will be banned. Check before the season.

• ⛔ Pinna nobilis (πίννα, fan mussel) — full ban on taking/killing (Habitats Dir. 92/43 Annex IV; critically endangered).
• ⛔ Corals and sponges — recreational taking PROHIBITED (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 1§6).
• ⛔ Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) — strictly protected, keep your distance.
• ⛔ Sea turtles (Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas) — protected, taking/disturbing is PROHIBITED.
• ⛔ Seahorses (Hippocampus) — protected.

Rules change, and the local Λιμεναρχείο (port authority) may impose local restrictions. Before heading out, check the current rules and the declared archaeological zones (ENALIA).

• 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.