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.
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.
01
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.
02
Wind & gusts
Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
03
Tide phase
Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
04
Water temperature
Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
05
Currents & outflow
Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
06
Rain runoff & air clarity
Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
07
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 — where night spearfishing is banned by law the window is forced red; where it is legal (Australia outside NSW, New Zealand, South Africa) it is capped at yellow, never green.
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.
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0 m
Surface
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
spearo.app
calmupdated 11:46
Lagos / Praia da Luz — solo, off the rocks
BORDERLINE
caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · steep wind-wave — choppy surface, careful on entry
What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.
Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.
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−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: 1391 spots across 205 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
Praia da Luz — west-end rocks (Fortaleza / Rocha Negra)Praia da Luz bay, rocky end by the Fortaleza · Praia da Luz (rochas do extremo poente / Rocha Negra)
borderline
best candidate for today
swell on the quarter today
window
Early morning before the beach crowd and boats; water 18–22 °C in summer, clearest June–September.
tide
Works on any tide; high water makes the sandy entry easier, low water exposes the rocky crevices where octopus sit.
shelter
The bay opens SSW, but the rocky headlands shelter it from W wind and swell; N/NE (offshore) wind gives the glassiest water.
conditions
Best with small swell (<1 m) from W/SW and offshore wind; flat most summer days. Skip it after a storm — stirred-up murk by the rocks.
hazard
Main danger is shallow submerged rock right at the edge (easy to cut yourself on exit) and heavy bather/tourist traffic: summer brings swimmers and rental kayaks — stay on the ends and tow a buoy.
access
Walk down the palm-lined promenade to the west end of the beach by the Fortaleza; free parking in the village, enter over sand then out to the rocks in reef shoes.
The town's best-documented freedive spot: 2–6 m, octopus/urchins/small fish in the crevices. It is a swimming beach — spear only well away from bathers and outside the lifeguard/buoy zone.
Praia dos Estudantes — sheltered cove by the Ponta da Piedade archesLagos town, rocky arches by Ponta da Piedade · Praia dos Estudantes
borderline
⛔ Banned here
swell on the quarter today
window
Early morning only — a tiny in-town cove, packed with bathers by day; summer 18–22 °C.
tide
Works on both low and high tide; low tide exposes more mussel-covered rock with sargo along the edges.
shelter
Hemmed by rock and arches on the Ponta da Piedade side — more sheltered than most neighbouring coves; only suffers with strong S/SW swell.
conditions
Almost always diveable in summer calm — enclosed cove; avoid on big southerly swell when waves and current push inside.
hazard
The entry itself is benign (sand, ~4 m), but it's an in-town swimming beach — spearfishing is BANNED here (no spearing in bathing areas). The hazard is crowds and boat/kayak traffic from Ponta da Piedade, not the bottom.
access
On foot from Lagos centre; steps/tunnel down to the cove, enter over sand anywhere (sandy bottom, no dangers). Free parking by Mar Restaurante & Bar.
A safe base to practise freediving / scout the Ponta da Piedade relief in calm — NOT a hunting spot (bathing zone). Sargo/seabream/seabass/mullet on the edge rocks; fewer fish than neighbouring Praia do Camilo.
Praia do Porto de Mós — reef under the cliffs (Paredes)Exposed beach west of Ponta da Piedade, between two cliffs · Praia do Porto de Mós
borderline
swell on the quarter today
window
Early morning in summer calm, before the thermal wind and surfers; the glassy conditions are exactly when people hunt here.
tide
High tide gives a sandy bottom and softer entry; low tide exposes small rocks at the waterline — enter in shoes. The reef under the cliffs fishes on any tide.
shelter
The two high cliffs give partial cover, but the beach faces open Atlantic swell from W/SW — less sheltered than the Luz bay. Best window is offshore N/NE wind.
conditions
Only when the sea is genuinely flat and clean (glassy): in summer that's most days. It's a surf beach — with any real swell the exit through shorebreak gets dangerous.
hazard
Dominant danger is shorebreak and rip near the rocky ends: if swell builds, the exit through breakers onto rock is a trap. Bottom drops to ~15 m (a long swim out solo). Less boat traffic than Praia da Batata, but tow a buoy/flag.
access
~4 km / 5–10 min by car from Lagos; large free parking above the beach, enter over sand, work the reef under the cliffs at each end.
A locally named pesca-submarina/freedive spot for glassy conditions (mullet, sea bass); offshore the Paredes wall drops to ~19 m (that's a boat dive). Solo only in perfect calm.
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.
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≈
Surfacing
Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
Live cameras, map & reference
Cameras · live
Look at the water right now.
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».
Lagos — Meia Praia (Windy)Live Windy webcam — Meia Praia (Lagos). Official keyless player, plays inline. Read the water and swell before you go.camera: windy ↗
In season now: Sea bass, White seabream, Gilthead bream, Salema, Octopus, Mullet
In season now
Robalo (sea bass)
<4 m · end of ebb → start of flood · dawn/dusk
Prime target. Shy of light — pick early/twilight windows.
Sargo (white seabream)
1–5 m · flood (rides the surf onto the reef) · dawn
Dominant reef target. Visibility matters more than time of day.
Dourada (gilthead bream)
1–4 m · flood over sand/weed · dawn
Very skittish — static ambush.
Salema
0–2 m · — · daytime
Easiest target at 0–6 m. ⚠️ Do NOT eat the head/guts (ichthyosarcotoxism).
Polvo (octopus)
1–6 m · high water · twilight
Peaks in autumn. Spot the den by the pile of shells. Don't take egg-bearing females. Min. weight 750 g (DGRM).
Tainha (mullet)
0–2 m · — · —
Extremely wary; murky water HINDERS it. Opportunistic, in calm coves.
Santola (spider crab)
1–10 m · low water (reef shelf exposed) · calm morning (≤force 2)
Carapace ≥12 cm. Peaks Jul–Aug. CLOSED 15.02–15.06. Limit 2 kg/day.
Law
🦀 spider crab open (season 16.06–14.02)
✓Spearfishing licence required, daily/monthly/annual (~€25/yr). Speargun = licence required. (DL 246/2000, art. 12.º + 12.º-A; fees in , .) There is no minimum age for the licence, but under-16s are exempt from holding one when fishing accompanied by a licence holder (art. 12.º n.º 2 al. b).
✓Hand-gathering shellfish with NO gear — no licence; but if a speargun is on the dive, a spearfishing licence is required (DL 246/2000, art. 12.º n.º 1; ).
✓Night prohibited: spearfishing only in daylight (sunset→sunrise not allowed). Artificial light as a means of finding/attracting fish is banned — a torch for safety only (, art. 8.º/3 + 3.º/5; DL 246/2000, art. 14.º n.º 1 d).
✓Signalling buoy MANDATORY for spearfishing: buoy/float with an «Alfa» flag (red/orange/yellow, ≥8 L), no more than 30 m from the diver (, art. 4.º/2).
✓Spearfishing daily limit: fish + cephalopods — 15 kg (excluding the largest specimen). General rod-and-line recreational fishing — 10 kg (, art. 12.º/1).
✓Spider crab: min. carapace 12 cm; (closed season) 15.02–15.06 — applies to recreational gathering too (, ; table).
✓Min. sizes: robalo 36 cm, sargo 17 cm, dourada 19 cm, choupa 23 cm, corvina 42 cm; octopus 750 g ( + EU Reg. 2019/1241; minimum-size table).
✓Grouper — fully protected, may not be taken (
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. At Cabo Raso/Arriba a 0.5 m rise in swell makes a boulder exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer here.
Headland rip: at Cabo Raso there is 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.
Nortada (Jun–Sep): wind builds from midday — be out of the water by ~11:00; 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 · Lagos / Praia da Luz
Spearfishing in Lagos / Praia da Luz: spots, seasons and rules
Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher
Lagos/Praia da Luz has clear water and short entries, but the hunting plan is selective. Praia da Luz, at the western rocks, is the main option: a SSW-facing bay with partial shelter and sand access. Porto de Mos is only for glassy summer conditions. Praia dos Estudantes is urban, with kayaks and boats, so keep it for apnea.
TL;DR
Main entry: Praia da Luz west rocks by Fortaleza/Rocha Negra.
Porto de Mos is flat-sea only; shorebreak exits get dangerous fast.
Praia dos Estudantes is for apnea, not spearfishing.
Best spearfishing entries around Lagos and Praia da Luz
Praia da Luz is the first choice; Porto de Mos needs a flat sea and a cautious exit. Urban bathing coves around Lagos stay off the hunting list.
Spot
Type
Depth
Level
Access
Notes
Praia da Luz, west-end rocks
Rocky point by the Fortaleza and Rocha Negra
Shallow rock work, locally described around 2 to 6 m
Easy to intermediate
Walk to the west end of the beach, enter from sand, then move onto the rocks with water shoes.
Best with W/SW swell under 1 m and N/NE offshore wind. Keep clear of swimmers and kayaks.
Praia do Porto de Mos, Paredes reef
Reef below the cliffs west of Ponta da Piedade
Coastal reef, dropping farther offshore
Intermediate, flat sea only
Drive about 4 km from Lagos to the beach car park; enter from sand and work the reef by the points.
More exposed than Luz. Any swell turns the shorebreak exit by the rocks into the main danger.
Conditions and season essentials
Praia da Luz works best with W/SW swell under 1 m and N/NE offshore wind. Summer is often calm, with clearest water from June to September and water around 18 to 22 °C. High water eases the sand entry; low water exposes octopus cracks. Go early before swimmers, kayaks and boats. After storms, skip the rocks. Rules: licence from age 16, apnea only, daylight only, Alfa buoy within 30 m, sea bass 36 cm and octopus 750 g.
✓Breath-hold only: spearfishing may be practised in apnea alone. Scuba, rebreather and hookah are banned; the speargun may not be powered by a detonating charge or by compressed gas (DL 246/2000, art. 9.º n.º 3 — o antigo art. 6.º foi revogado).
✓The catch may NOT be sold: displaying for sale, offering or selling recreational catch is prohibited — it is for the fisher, the household, or donation to charitable, scientific or museum institutions (DL 246/2000, art. 7.º).
✓A loaded speargun out of the water is an offence (DL 246/2000, art. 14.º n.º 2 f). Same article: no fishing closer than the legally set distance from concessioned beaches during the bathing season (n.º 2 d), nor in places closed for health or marine-traffic reasons (n.º 2 e). The exact metres come from the regulation and the capitania — check before you go.
✓Distances between people: at least 20 m from another spearfisher (, art. 6.º n.º 3) unless you agree otherwise; from a boat, 50 m from other vessels, divers and set gear (art. 6.º n.º 2); every vessel must keep 50 m from your signalling buoy and from boats flying flag Alfa (art. 7.º n.º 6). The figure that circulates — «30 m between hunters» — is wrong: 30 m is the distance to YOUR OWN buoy.
✓What you may take into the water: the CAPTURE gear on a spearfishing dive is the speargun, a shellfish knife, a gaff (puxeiro) and an arrelhada (, art. 3.º n.º 3). That is not a ban on everything else: art. 4.º n.º 1 expressly allows equipment for cold protection, for buoyancy, for protection or safety and for carrying the catch, and any other equipment that does not permit the direct capture of specimens. Bait and groundbait are PROHIBITED in spearfishing (art. 5.º n.º 3). You may not carry or keep a speargun and a breathing apparatus aboard at the same time, nor carry the gun ready to fire out of the water or in a zone where spearfishing is banned (art. 3.º n.º 6). On any recreational-fishing boat the whole crew wears a lifejacket (art. 4.º n.º 3).
✓Where recreational fishing is closed altogether (, art. 8.º n.º 1): in marked shipyard zones (no exception) and in aquaculture establishments — in the LATTER only, fishing is possible when the concession-holder or owner formally authorises it; the shipyard bar has no such carve-out; within 100 m of the mouth of any marked sewage outfall; over beach-concession waters, to the extent the POOC sets; and in other zones closed by the port or maritime authority. For spearfishing and boat fishing specifically (n.º 2) the navigation channels of port and river bars, the approach channels and the buoyed channels are closed. There is NO «300 m from the beach» rule on the mainland — that number comes from Madeira's own act; on the mainland the distance is set by the POOC and by the capitania's edital.
✓The border rivers Minho and Guadiana: spearfishing is BANNED along both international stretches — bilateral Portugal-Spain agreements, art. 9.º n.º 3 (Minho, RAR 34/2023, in force since 26-05-2023) and art. 6.º n.º 1 (Guadiana, RAR 173/2025, in force since 07-12-2025), both reading «É proibida a pesca submarina». On the Guadiana it is also a serious offence (art. 19.º), and a 100 m strip alongside the Sapal de Castro Marim reserve is closed separately (art. 5.º). The stretches run from the confluence with the Trancoso / the Chança down to the closing line at each mouth.
✓On the other Portuguese-Spanish border river stretches (outside the TIRM and the Guadiana maritime-jurisdiction zone) — Decreto 30/88, art. 6.º n.º 1: harpoons, gigs, tridents and any blunt instrument used to take fish are prohibited (al. e), as is «a pesca ou caça subaquática» with artificial light, and night fishing (al. g).
Portugal
Spain