Today — sit it out — wave, wind and surge pounding. 💧 Water should clear by Saturday (~3d)
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.
Leave your email — and the moment a window opens at Lihue (Nawiliwili), we'll send the go / no-go verdict. Email is all we need.
Every covered town has its own live forecast, cameras and entry points. Choose where you're diving.
What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.
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: 1391 spots across 205 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 remote reef on the island's southeast side with no crowds, 3–12 m: uku, kumu, ulua and roi. Access is by a dirt road that needs four-wheel drive, and the private gate shuts at dusk. The same rocks also appear under Poipu.
Google MapsAn offshore reef fronting the golf course, 2–10 m, excellent when the sea is calm: taape, weke, uhu and roi. WARNING: stay north — in the regulated Hanamāʻulu area swimming is prohibited and a spear restriction applies by the pier.
Google MapsA rocky point and reef at the north entrance to Nāwiliwili Bay, 3–15 m: uhu, weke, taape and papio. It sits outside the regulated harbour area — but confirm where the limit runs before working toward the jetty.
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.
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».
Lihue is a shore-and-reef plan around Nawiliwili, not a bluewater shortcut. Running Waters at Ninini Point sits by the north entrance of Nawiliwili Bay but outside the Nawiliwili Harbor FMA. Nukolii reef can be excellent when calm, provided you stay north of Hanamaulu Bay FMA. Mahaulepu and Kawailoa Bay add a remote southeast reef with fewer crowds and harder access. For spearfishing Lihue, verify the boundary before loading.
These Kauai entries are open in the city record, but each depends on staying out of nearby regulated areas. Use a float, keep the exit simple, and do not guess on FMA lines.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Running Waters / Ninini Point ledge | Rocky point and reef | Shallow ledge and reef edge | Intermediate | Near the north entrance of Nawiliwili Bay | A close Lihue option for uhu, weke, taape and papio. Confirm it remains outside Nawiliwili Harbor FMA before diving. |
| Nukolii reef | Offshore reef fronting Wailua Golf Course | Reef top and outer edge | Intermediate when calm | Shore approach with a careful swim | Can be strong for taape, weke, uhu and roi. Stay north of Hanamaulu Bay FMA, where spearing is flagged as banned. |
| Mahaulepu / Kawailoa Bay reef | Remote southeast reef | Reef, sand lanes and outside edge | Advanced shore logistics | Remote access, often rough-road planning | A quiet option for uku, kumu, ulua and roi. The tradeoff is isolation, so use a conservative buddy plan. |
SpainUS 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.
The spot notes name Nawiliwili Harbor FMA and Hanamaulu Bay FMA. Running Waters is useful because it sits outside the harbor FMA, while Nukolii needs a north-of-Hanamaulu plan. If you cannot place yourself confidently outside those regulated areas, leave the gun unloaded. Hawaii MLCDs elsewhere should also be treated as no-take for spearing decisions.
Southeast Kauai can look protected on a map, but visibility still falls apart with trade-wind chop, rain and harbor-stained water. Dry mornings after calmer nights are the best starting point. NOAA Station 51208 gives the offshore trend, and the Kalapaki Beach camera helps with nearshore texture near Nawiliwili.
The practical Kauai list includes uhu, weke, taape, papio, uku, kumu, ulua and roi. Roi and taape are invasive targets, though roi can carry ciguatera. Sea turtles, monk seals and cetaceans are protected. Residents do not need a marine license, while nonresidents need the NRMFL. Species limits and area exceptions still come from DAR.
Do not assume it is. The listed Running Waters spot is outside that FMA.
Stay north of Hanamaulu Bay FMA, where spearing is banned.
Yes. Nonresidents need the Nonresident Recreational Marine Fishing License.
Uhu, weke, taape, papio, uku, kumu, ulua and roi are the names to know.
NOAA NDBC Station 51208 is the offshore station used for Lihue.
buoy Hanalei, Kauai, HI: 25.7° · wave 2.8 m/10 s · 1 h ago
Portugal
