Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and visibility.
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.
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 big island east of La Paz, rock flanks at 5–26 m; it is quicker by panga from La Ventana (8–12 km) than from La Paz itself. No marine park covers it — one of the few legal options in this area. The pin lands on the island.
Google MapsLighthouse point off Cerralvo's northern tip: the sounding drops past 1,000 m all around, so the structure ends abruptly and current is the norm, 5–26 m, boat only. Advanced level. Sea lions are present — leave them be.
Google MapsA genuine shallow bank (sounding ~15 m) in the channel between the peninsula and Espíritu Santo, 8–22 m, a short run from La Paz; the tide pushes hard through here. ⚠️ It sits by the park's southern limit — be sure which side you are on before you shoot.
Google MapsSeamount 9 nm NW of the archipelago, ~35 km from La Paz; seasonal aggregations of hammerheads, mantas and whale shark. ⚠️ CONANP describes it at 100 m depth, not the 16–25 m on record. Subzone ASRN-2, where spearing is permitted.
Google MapsSecond peak of the same seamount, 1.7 km NNE of the main one, 16–28 m on record. The available bathymetry cannot resolve the pinnacles, so the exact position stays unconfirmed. Same ASRN-2 subzone — spearing permitted.
Google MapsIslets off the western face of Espíritu Santo, sheltered from the prevailing NW, 5–22 m, 25–30 km by panga from La Paz. This is subzone ASRN-1, where sport fishing is by rod and spear — the no-take cores are San Gabriel, La Bonanza and Los Islotes.
Google MapsLighthouse islet with a sea-lion colony at the mouth of La Paz bay, 5–18 m, a short panga hop from Pichilingue. It is outside the Espíritu Santo park, but shooting at an active haul-out is a bad idea — the no-harassment rules apply.
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.
Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
Rules change. Before heading out, check with CONAPESCA/SADER (E5CINCO permit), CONANP (no-take marine ANPs) and NOM-059; apnea only.
Spearfishing in La Paz starts with the legal map and the boat plan. Cerralvo, La Reina and outer banks are the practical hunting names. Espíritu Santo and Balandra are no-take cores; nearby reefs in ANP buffers need zoning checks. Carry the CONAPESCA/SADER recreational permit, hunt breath-hold only, use one speargun, and do not plan any scuba session with a gun.
La Paz spots are areas, not exact promises. Most require a boat and several carry current. The conservative plan is Cerralvo and outer banks, with Espíritu Santo and Balandra left out of the catch plan.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isla Cerralvo (Jacques Cousteau) | Rocky island flanks | 5 to 26 m | Intermediate by boat | Boat from La Paz or nearby launch points | Broad island structure for snapper, cabrilla and reef fish. Coordinates are approximate, so confirm the drop and pickup line. |
| La Reina (faro, N de Cerralvo) | Current-prone pinnacle and reef | 5 to 26 m | Advanced | Boat to the north end of Cerralvo | A stronger-water option. Use it only when the boatman can manage drift, float line and pickup without guesswork. |
| El Bajo Norte (2º pico del seamount) | Offshore seamount | 16 to 28 m | Advanced bluewater | Longer boat run | Outer-bank hunting for amberjack, wahoo and tuna. It is treated as outside reserves, but current and traffic still decide the day. |
| Bajo de San Lorenzo (Canal San Lorenzo) | Rocky pinnacle in the channel | 8 to 22 m | Intermediate to advanced | Boat with ANP zoning check | Listed in an ANP zone or buffer. Do not treat it as open water until the zoning is checked locally. |
The bay can look calm while Cerralvo or the outer banks are running current. Northwest to northeast energy is the problem sector, and the sheltered feel of La Paz does not remove that offshore check. Use the malecón camera as a first read, then ask the boatman about current, pickup angle and traffic.
There is no local ocean buoy connected for La Paz, so visibility is a field call. Recent wind, water colour and tide-change strength matter more than the town forecast. Clear water with hard current is still a bad beginner day. Around San Rafaelito, San Lorenzo and Ballena, zoning comes before visibility.
The useful breath-hold list is dog snapper, leopard grouper, yellowtail, Pacific sierra, white seabass, California sheephead and yellow snapper. Snapper peak in warm months on moving water. Yellowtail and sierra lean cooler. Mexico keeps mahi-mahi, roosterfish, marlin, sailfish, swordfish and tarpon for rod sport fishing, not spearguns. Lobster, conch and octopus are not sport spearing targets either.
Plan as if the answer is no inside the cores. Espíritu Santo and Balandra are treated as no-take, and Los Islotes sea lions are wildlife to avoid disturbing. If a reef sits near the ANP boundary, do not rely on a map pin. Confirm the current zoning with the operator and move the hunt to Cerralvo or an outer bank if there is any doubt.
Carry the individual CONAPESCA/SADER recreational-sport fishing permit through E5CINCO. Use the portal for current duration and fee information. Mexico spearfishing is apnea-only, one band or pneumatic gun, no hooks or tridents, and a five-fish daily limit. Keep distance from swimmers and commercial gear.
Cerralvo, La Reina and outer banks are the cleaner hunting line. Avoid Espíritu Santo and Balandra cores, and check any ANP buffer before entering.
There is no wired local buoy. Read recent wind, water colour and current, then confirm with the boatman before leaving the bay.
Dog snapper, leopard grouper, yellowtail, Pacific sierra, white seabass, California sheephead and yellow snapper. Do not spear roosterfish or mahi-mahi.
Not in the no-take cores. Treat Espíritu Santo and Balandra as closed and verify any nearby buffer with the managing authority or operator.
Warm months favour snapper and cabrilla activity; cooler months bring yellowtail and sierra. Current and visibility still decide the trip.
Yes. You need an individual CONAPESCA/SADER recreational-sport fishing permit.
Get it through E5CINCO. The portal lists the current fee for each duration, so do not rely on copied numbers.
No. Mexico spearfishing is framed as apnea-only; do not use a tank with a speargun.
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