Today — sit it out — wave, wind and noticeable surge.
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
Leave your email — and the moment a window opens at Kodiak, 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.
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.
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 mapA rocky, kelp-lined coast inside the state park, 3–15 m: black rockfish and greenling among the slabs. Water 5–10 °C even in summer — a drysuit is advised. Check ADF&G limits and seasons before you go.
Google MapsA north-facing rocky bay just above town, 3–12 m, sheltered from south swell: greenling and black rockfish. A good option when the exposed side of the island is shut down by weather.
Google MapsCameras, 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».
All 367 spots → · Region: Alaska · spearo.app — All countries
transparency ~8 m · satellite, 2 days agosatellite estimate · may differ right at the shore
Submerged rock piles and pinnacles off the cape, 10–30 m, holding big lingcod and rockfish. Boat only and in calm conditions — the Gulf of Alaska turns fast. Lingcod seasons vary by area, so verify.
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.
US spearfishing law is state-by-state. License, spearable species, powerhead rules and distances vary; federal sanctuaries (Gray's Reef, the Keys, Flower Garden Banks) ban spearfishing. Always confirm with the state agency and local ordinances.
Kodiak is not a casual reef stop. The useful window is cold, kelpy and short: small seas, weak current, enough visibility to find the exit, and a same-day legal check. Monashka Bay is the more protected north-facing option near town. Fort Abercrombie adds rocky state-park coastline and kelp lanes. Cape Chiniak is for experienced freedivers with a boat, not a backup when town is rough. If an Alaska emergency order, refuge line or lingcod period is unclear, do not enter with a loaded gun.
These Kodiak spots are not listed as protected no-take zones, but Alaska closures can change the plan. Treat every entry as a cold-water route back to the same rock, beach or boat.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Abercrombie / Miller Point | Rocky kelp shore | Shallow rock and kelp edge | Intermediate cold-water freediver | Shore entry near the state park coast | Good for black rockfish and kelp greenling when the sea is small. Avoid surge, fog and any swell pushing into the northeast-facing coast. |
| Monashka Bay | Protected rocky bay | Shallow kelp and reef fingers | Intermediate, better with a buddy | Shore approach just north of town | The most sheltered Kodiak option in the record. It still has cold water, kelp drag and variable visibility, so keep the dive short. |
| Cape Chiniak pinnacles | Outer rock piles and pinnacles | Pinnacles and deeper rock piles | Advanced boat-based freediving | Boat support only | This is the lingcod and rockfish structure. If the offshore forecast is uncertain, fail closed and stay off the pinnacles. |
Kodiak water visibility follows swell angle, tide stage and recent weather. The record flags northeast-to-east energy as the bad sector, so an easterly sea can close familiar rock lines. A light window after several settled tides is the one to watch. Use NOAA Station 46080 for offshore trend and a camera for surface texture. If either source shows building energy, freediving Kodiak becomes scouting only.
The local mix is cold Pacific rather than tropical reef. Black rockfish and kelp greenling fit the shallow kelp lanes. Lingcod belongs on pinnacles and rock piles but carries Alaska season and emergency-order risk. Pacific halibut is possible with legal spear gear, usually on deeper sand edges. Sea turtles, marine mammals, refuges and seasonal closures are off limits.
An Alaska sport fishing license is the baseline. Spear and speargun gear are allowed for listed sport species only without explosive charge. Printed rules can be displaced by in-season emergency orders, which matters in a place where weather already narrows the decision. If a closure boundary or lingcod rule is doubtful, treat the water as closed.
Yes. Use an Alaska sport fishing license and check emergency orders before the trip.
It is not marked no-take here, but state park access and ADF&G orders still need checking.
Only when Alaska rules and emergency orders allow it. Treat lingcod conservatively.
Use true cold-water exposure protection. The hazards are cold, kelp, low visibility and exit difficulty.
NOAA NDBC Station 46080 is the offshore reference used for this Kodiak check.
buoy Portlock Bank, AK: 8.2° · 1 h ago
