Limassol spearfishing forecast — Cyprus

Q: Where can you spearfish in Limassol?

The listed entries are Cape Gata, Lady's Mile outer reef, Moni / Pentakomo, Amathus E, Cape Zevgari and Kourion / Episkopi Bay. Check MPA and SBA boundaries first.

Q: Can you spearfish around the Akrotiri peninsula?

Do not assume it. Several western entries sit in or beside the Akrotiri SBA, where UK jurisdiction applies and the RoC licence is not guaranteed.

Q: Do you need a license to spearfish in Cyprus?

Yes. You need the dedicated SPEAR GUN licence, obtained online at licence.dfmr.moa.gov.cy for 35 EUR.

Q: Is there a seasonal spearfishing ban in Cyprus?

Cyprus has no May spearfishing ban, unlike Greece. Always check current DFMR conditions for other restrictions.

Q: How far from swimmers and fish farms must you spearfish in Cyprus?

Treat distance rules as DFMR guidance unless confirmed for the current conditions. Do not rely on one fixed number without checking DFMR.

Q: What fish can you spearfish in Limassol?

The local notes list sea bream, octopus, grouper, dentex and amberjack. National guidance also covers seabream sizes, grouper caution, lionfish and pufferfish.

Q: What is the daily catch limit in Cyprus?

DFMR common-practice guidance gives about 5 kg plus one larger fish per day. Confirm current conditions with DFMR before diving.

Limassol · Cyprus

8.3

wave 0.5 m

visibility6m

Dive today — wave, wind and visibility.

Sources: MeteoAlarm · Open-Meteo · Copernicus · Sentinel-2 — high confidence · data 05:09

Sources & confidence

Sources: MeteoAlarm · Open-Meteo · Copernicus · Sentinel-2
Method: spearo sea-state engine: consensus of up to 6 models + satellite clarity (ZSD) + buoy-bias checks
Freshness: Re-read every hour, per coast

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.

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.
Wind & gusts: Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
Tide phase: Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
Water temperature: Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
Currents & outflow: Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
Rain runoff & air clarity: Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
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.

Google Play — QR code — point your camera

0 m

Surface

Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.

spearo.app

MeteoAlarm no dataupdated 05:09

Exposed coast — Akrotiri & Episkopi — solo, off the rocks

BEST WINDOW

best weather window · solo, stay careful, run the checklist · calm conditions: swell, wind and visibility all normal

wave 0.5 mwind 5 km/hvisibility ~6 mwindow 06:00–21:00

today, best window 06:00–09:00

fish · Visibility 6 m · Water 24.4°C

confidence medium · verdict for the selected day

Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.

Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.

Selected day

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

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.

Sunday · today2026-10-25

07:01–18:01 · full moon

▼ 04:00▲ 10:00▼ 16:00▲ 22:00 · 0.4 m

Hours (06→20)

Day's trends

Tide-0.20 m

Wave0.46 m

Wind6 km/h

Water24 °C

fish activity: moonset 06:02 · moderate · moon underfoot 11:40 · high · moonrise 17:19 · moderate · moon overhead 00:00 · high

Conditions window06:00–09:00

best weather window · solo, stay careful, run the checklist fish

Hs 0.46 m · slightperiod 7.3 swind 5→8surge 0.4viz 6 m

0.46 mslight · up to ~0.92 · 275° at an angle

7.3 sswell moderate

5→8gusts 8 km/h

0.4weak surge

0.08m/s

6 mrecent swell

24.4°C5 mm + hood

▲10:00tide rising

Atmosphere32 kmlandmarks visible

moderatemoonset

calm conditions: swell, wind and visibility all normal
dawn/dusk

confidence mediumtwilight

Open the seafloor map with entry points

Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.

−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: 3016 spots across 406 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.

See all spots

−20 m

The seabed

Relief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.

On the rock

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

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.

Entry points

Where to get in
off the rocks.

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 map

Cape Gata (Akrotiri)Exposed coast — Akrotiri & Episkopi

borderline

swell on the quarter today

window: —

Cliff-drop reef, 5–25 m, grouper/dentex/amberjack. ⚠️ Akrotiri SBA — UK jurisdiction, rules differ; RoC licence not guaranteed here.

Google Maps

Cape Zevgari (Akrotiri S coast)Exposed coast — Akrotiri & Episkopi

borderline

swell on the quarter today

window: —

Rocky cliff coast on the south Akrotiri shore, 5–20 m, dentex/sea bream. ⚠️ Akrotiri SBA — UK jurisdiction, rules differ.

Google Maps

Kourion / Episkopi BayExposed coast — Akrotiri & Episkopi

borderline

swell on the quarter today

window: —

Sand + reef, 3–15 m, sea bream. ⚠️ Borders the Akrotiri/Episkopi SBA line.

Google Maps

Amathus E (outside MPA)Coast — Limassol east

borderline

swell on the quarter today

window: —

Rock reef, 3–12 m, sea bream. ⚠️ Stay E of the Amathounta no-take MPA line.

Google Maps

Lady's Mile outer reefCoast — Limassol east

borderline

swell on the quarter today

window: —

Sand-to-rock, 3–10 m, sea bream/octopus. ⚠️ Akrotiri SBA — UK jurisdiction, rules differ.

Google Maps

Moni / Pentakomo reefCoast — Limassol east

borderline

swell on the quarter today

window: —

Rock reef, 4–15 m, sea bream/octopus.

Google Maps

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.

≈

Surfacing

Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.

Live cameras, map & reference

Open the seafloor map →

Reference

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now

white grouper
Epinephelus aeneus · 15–45 m · ⚠️ release
Grouper (sfyrida/rofos): min 40–45 cm (DFMR). Vulnerable — release the big ones. Amateur limit 5 kg + 1 fish/day.
dusky grouper
Epinephelus marginatus · 8–35 m · ⚠️ release
Grouper (sfyrida/rofos): min 40–45 cm (DFMR). Vulnerable — release the big ones. Amateur limit 5 kg + 1 fish/day.
white seabream
Diplodus sargus · 0–12 m
gilthead seabream
Sparus aurata · 2–20 m
common dentex
Dentex dentex · 12–40 m
lionfish
Pterois miles · 5–40 m · invasive
Eastern-Med invasive (lionfish/pufferfish). Pufferfish ☠️ DO NOT eat (TTX toxin). Lionfish — venomous spines, handle carefully.
pufferfish
Lagocephalus spp. · 2–40 m · invasive
Eastern-Med invasive (lionfish/pufferfish). Pufferfish ☠️ DO NOT eat (TTX toxin). Lionfish — venomous spines, handle carefully.

Law

✓Fishing recreationally without a licence is an OFFENCE, not a formality: NO ONE may fish recreationally at sea, or in lakes, rivers and reservoirs, without first obtaining the licence the Regulations under this Law require (ΚΕΦ. 135, art. 3Β(1)); breaching it carries up to 2 years' imprisonment or up to €10,000, or both (art. 3Β(2)). The speargun is its own licence class: €35, valid to the end of the calendar year of issue; apply through the DFMR platform (gov.cy → «Apply and pay for a recreational fishing license») and pay by JCC via the SMS link. The fee itself is set by the Regulations made under art. 6(2)(η).
•The speargun is set by the ACT, not by practice: 5 kg in total plus one specimen of any weight, per fishing trip and per 24 hours (ΚΔΠ 416/2019, reg. 17Β(1)(ε)(ii)). The same regulation prohibits commercial exploitation of the recreational catch (reg. 17Β(1)(α)). Gear and closed areas come from the Regulations too. The minimum grouper size and the marker-buoy duty, by contrast, were NOT found in the text we read — those are DFMR practice and guidance, so confirm them before you dive.
✓☠️ Speargun + any breathing apparatus is a CRIMINAL offence, not a fine: up to 2 years' imprisonment and/or up to €50,000 (ΚΕΦ. 135, art. 5(δ) — the same article as dynamite and poisons). The 2019 regulation replaced the old rules outright and removed the former «with the Director's written permission» carve-out — it is GONE (ΚΔΠ 416/2019, reg. 17). The speargun is now prohibited: from sunset to sunrise; while diving with any auxiliary apparatus; IN COMBINATION WITH LIGHT SOURCES; in bathers' areas; and in areas the Director designates by decision published in the Gazette (reg. 17(2)) — that is the instrument behind the DFMR no-take map. Separately prohibited: possessing or carrying an apparatus and a speargun TOGETHER on ANY vessel, and carrying a speargun on a vessel from sunset to sunrise (reg. 17(3)). Age: reg. 17(1)(α) allows the speargun to «persons older than fifteen (15) years», while reg. 17(1)(β) separately regulates the «15 to 17» band — the licence issues only in a guardian's presence and the minor must be accompanied on trips by an adult spearfishing licence holder. The two sub-paragraphs do not read the same way; that wording is the act's own and we do not resolve it for it — check with DFMR if you are 15.
✓In the two British Sovereign Base Areas — Akrotiri (Cape Gata, Lady's Mile) and Dhekelia (Cape Pyla, Ayios Nikolaos) — a SEPARATE legal regime applies — not the Republic's rules plus something, but its own instrument: the SBA Fisheries Regulations 2012. A spear gun licence is required (reg. 44(1)); the WHOLE OF MAY is closed (reg. 44(2)); sunset to sunrise is closed (reg. 44(3)); with the gun you may use no other fishing gear, no aqualung and no means of lighting (reg. 44(4)), and you may not have a speargun and an aqualung on the same vessel (reg. 44(5)). Stay within 50 m of a float or vessel flying a red flag with a white diagonal stripe, visible from 300 m (reg. 44(6)–(7)). Selling the catch is prohibited (reg. 7).
✓The Base Areas also have their own closures and limits (SBA Fisheries Regulations 2012): the Akrotiri fish reserve is closed outright — no taking fish and no placing gear (reg. 11); fishing is banned in designated sea-bathing areas (reg. 12); no spearfishing within 100 m of a fish farm (reg. 14); the speargun is 5 kg per 24 hours (reg. 25). That is STRICTER than the DFMR guidance above, and it is what the Base Areas police enforce.

⛔ Fan mussel (Pinna nobilis) — strictly protected, taking/disturbing prohibited (mass die-off from a pathogen).
⛔ Date mussel (Lithophaga lithophaga) — harvesting strictly banned (destroys the reef).
⛔ Seahorses (Hippocampus), loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and monk seal (Monachus monachus) — protected, taking/disturbing prohibited.

Rules change and the on-water conditions are not consolidated in one act. Before heading out, get the dedicated «Ψαροντούφεκο» licence and confirm the current limits/sizes with the Department of Fisheries (DFMR) — licence.dfmr.moa.gov.cy.

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. 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.

Local guide · Limassol

Spearfishing in Limassol: spots, seasons and rules

Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher

Spearfishing in Limassol starts with jurisdiction and exposure. The city is an open south coast with visibility often noted at 5-15 m, not the sheltered clarity of Ayia Napa. Moni / Pentakomo and Amathus E are the cleaner east-side references, while Cape Gata, Lady's Mile, Cape Zevgari and Kourion / Episkopi bring the Akrotiri or Episkopi SBA line into the plan. The Cyprus SPEAR GUN licence is required and costs 35 EUR online, but it should not be assumed to cover UK-base waters. Water rules such as bag, buoy, distances and grouper size should be treated as DFMR guidance to confirm before entering.

TL;DR

Limassol is an open south-coast plan, not a sheltered cove. SW swell and the 150-260 degree bad sector decide many shore entries fast.
Cyprus requires a dedicated SPEAR GUN licence for spearfishing. It costs 35 EUR, is obtained online at licence.dfmr.moa.gov.cy and is valid to 31 Dec of the issue year.
Unlike Greece, Cyprus has no May spearfishing ban. Do not cancel a Cyprus trip because you are thinking of the Greek May closure.
Cape Gata, Lady's Mile and Cape Zevgari sit in or by the Akrotiri SBA. UK jurisdiction applies there, and a Republic of Cyprus licence is not guaranteed to be enough.

Best spearfishing spots in Limassol and Akrotiri peninsula

Limassol's list is split between east-coast reefs and western jurisdiction traps. Moni / Pentakomo is a rock reef. Amathus E is specifically outside the Amathounta no-take MPA line, and you need to stay east of that boundary. The western names are more complicated: Cape Gata and Cape Zevgari are in the Akrotiri SBA, Lady's Mile also carries the SBA warning, and Kourion / Episkopi Bay borders the Akrotiri / Episkopi SBA line. The entries do not include separate access or safety ratings.

Spot	Type	Depth	Level	Access	Notes
Cape Gata (Akrotiri)	Cliff-drop reef	5-25 m	Not separately rated	Access note not specified	Grouper, dentex and amberjack are listed. Akrotiri SBA means UK jurisdiction and different rules; a RoC licence is not guaranteed here.
Lady's Mile outer reef	Sand-to-rock reef	3-10 m	Not separately rated	Access note not specified	Sea bream and octopus are listed. The Akrotiri SBA warning is explicit, so confirm the jurisdiction before diving.
Moni / Pentakomo reef	Rock reef	4-15 m	Not separately rated	Access note not specified	Sea bream and octopus are named. This is the simpler east-side Limassol reference in the list.
Amathus E (outside MPA)	Rock reef	3-12 m	Not separately rated	Access note not specified	Sea bream is listed. Stay east of the Amathounta no-take MPA line; the Amathus coast is a no-take concern.
Cape Zevgari (Akrotiri S coast)	Rocky cliff coast	5-20 m	Not separately rated	Access note not specified	Dentex and sea bream are listed. The spot sits on the Akrotiri south coast under the SBA caveat.
Kourion / Episkopi Bay	Sand and reef	3-15 m	Not separately rated	Access note not specified	Sea bream is listed. It borders the Akrotiri / Episkopi SBA line, so the boundary is part of the dive plan.

Spearfishing conditions in Limassol today

Limassol is exposed to SW swell. The coast's bad sector is 150-260 degrees, with the worst direction around 220 degrees, so a southwest pulse can turn rock exits and cliff entries from workable to poor quickly. The visibility note is 5-15 m, and there is no local buoy station to quote for these spots. Use the forecast, live coast view if available and the real exit. On the Akrotiri side, also check whether the jurisdiction permits the dive before you worry about fish.

Spearfishing distance from fish farms, swimmers and beaches in Limassol

Cyprus water rules are not consolidated in one official act. DFMR common-practice guidance mentions about 5 kg plus one larger fish per day, a marker buoy and a minimum grouper size. Treat distances from beaches, ports or fish farms the same way: do not present a single number as settled law unless DFMR confirms it for the current conditions. Around Limassol, that matters at busy beaches and anywhere near installations or navigation routes.

Spearfishing white bream, grouper and amberjack in Limassol

The Limassol spot notes mention sea bream, octopus, grouper, dentex and amberjack. Cyprus's national table gives white seabream a 15 cm minimum, gilthead seabream 20 cm and common dentex 30 cm. Grouper is the fish to handle conservatively: DFMR guidance notes 40-45 cm for sfyrida and rofos, and those fish are vulnerable. Release large grouper. Lionfish is invasive and has venomous spines; pufferfish should not be eaten because of TTX toxin.

Do you need a licence to spearfish in Limassol?

Yes. Cyprus requires the dedicated SPEAR GUN licence. It costs 35 EUR, is obtained online at licence.dfmr.moa.gov.cy, is paid through JCC and is valid to 31 Dec of the year of issue. Non-residents can apply. Unlike Greece, Cyprus has no May spearfishing ban. The licence is a Republic of Cyprus licence, so do not assume it settles Akrotiri SBA or Episkopi SBA access. For those western Limassol points, confirm the local jurisdiction and current conditions before diving.

FAQ

Where can you spearfish in Limassol?

The listed entries are Cape Gata, Lady's Mile outer reef, Moni / Pentakomo, Amathus E, Cape Zevgari and Kourion / Episkopi Bay. Check MPA and SBA boundaries first.

Can you spearfish around the Akrotiri peninsula?

Do not assume it. Several western entries sit in or beside the Akrotiri SBA, where UK jurisdiction applies and the RoC licence is not guaranteed.

Do you need a license to spearfish in Cyprus?

Yes. You need the dedicated SPEAR GUN licence, obtained online at licence.dfmr.moa.gov.cy for 35 EUR.

Is there a seasonal spearfishing ban in Cyprus?

Cyprus has no May spearfishing ban, unlike Greece. Always check current DFMR conditions for other restrictions.

How far from swimmers and fish farms must you spearfish in Cyprus?

Treat distance rules as DFMR guidance unless confirmed for the current conditions. Do not rely on one fixed number without checking DFMR.

What fish can you spearfish in Limassol?

The local notes list sea bream, octopus, grouper, dentex and amberjack. National guidance also covers seabream sizes, grouper caution, lionfish and pufferfish.

What is the daily catch limit in Cyprus?

DFMR common-practice guidance gives about 5 kg plus one larger fish per day. Confirm current conditions with DFMR before diving.

Sources

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Spots in Cyprus

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Limassol · Cyprus

8.3

wave 0.5 m

visibility6m

Dive today — wave, wind and visibility.

Sources: MeteoAlarm · Open-Meteo · Copernicus · Sentinel-2 — high confidence · data 05:09

Sources & confidence

Sources: MeteoAlarm · Open-Meteo · Copernicus · Sentinel-2
Method: spearo sea-state engine: consensus of up to 6 models + satellite clarity (ZSD) + buoy-bias checks
Freshness: Re-read every hour, per coast

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.

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.
Wind & gusts: Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
Tide phase: Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
Water temperature: Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
Currents & outflow: Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
Rain runoff & air clarity: Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
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.

0 m

Surface

Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.

spearo.app

MeteoAlarm no dataupdated 05:09

Exposed coast — Akrotiri & Episkopi — solo, off the rocks

BEST WINDOW

best weather window · solo, stay careful, run the checklist · calm conditions: swell, wind and visibility all normal

wave 0.5 mwind 5 km/hvisibility ~6 mwindow 06:00–21:00

today, best window 06:00–09:00

fish · Visibility 6 m · Water 24.4°C

confidence medium · verdict for the selected day

Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.

Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.

Selected day

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

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.

Sunday · today2026-10-25

07:01–18:01 · full moon

▼ 04:00▲ 10:00▼ 16:00▲ 22:00 · 0.4 m

Hours (06→20)

Day's trends

Tide-0.20 m

Wave0.46 m

Wind6 km/h

Water24 °C

fish activity: moonset 06:02 · moderate · moon underfoot 11:40 · high · moonrise 17:19 · moderate · moon overhead 00:00 · high

Conditions window06:00–09:00

best weather window · solo, stay careful, run the checklist fish

Hs 0.46 m · slightperiod 7.3 swind 5→8surge 0.4viz 6 m

0.46 mslight · up to ~0.92 · 275° at an angle

7.3 sswell moderate

5→8gusts 8 km/h

0.4weak surge

0.08m/s

6 mrecent swell

24.4°C5 mm + hood

▲10:00tide rising

Atmosphere32 kmlandmarks visible

moderatemoonset

calm conditions: swell, wind and visibility all normal
dawn/dusk

confidence mediumtwilight

Open the seafloor map with entry points

Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.

−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.

Now live: 3016 spots across 406 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.

See all spots

−20 m

The seabed

Relief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.

On the rock

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

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.

Entry points

Where to get in
off the rocks.

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 map

Cape Gata (Akrotiri)Exposed coast — Akrotiri & Episkopi

borderline

swell on the quarter today

window: —

Cliff-drop reef, 5–25 m, grouper/dentex/amberjack. ⚠️ Akrotiri SBA — UK jurisdiction, rules differ; RoC licence not guaranteed here.

Google Maps

Cape Zevgari (Akrotiri S coast)Exposed coast — Akrotiri & Episkopi

borderline

swell on the quarter today

window: —

Rocky cliff coast on the south Akrotiri shore, 5–20 m, dentex/sea bream. ⚠️ Akrotiri SBA — UK jurisdiction, rules differ.

Google Maps

Kourion / Episkopi BayExposed coast — Akrotiri & Episkopi

borderline

swell on the quarter today

window: —

Sand + reef, 3–15 m, sea bream. ⚠️ Borders the Akrotiri/Episkopi SBA line.

Google Maps

Amathus E (outside MPA)Coast — Limassol east

borderline

swell on the quarter today

window: —

Rock reef, 3–12 m, sea bream. ⚠️ Stay E of the Amathounta no-take MPA line.

Google Maps

Lady's Mile outer reefCoast — Limassol east

borderline

swell on the quarter today

window: —

Sand-to-rock, 3–10 m, sea bream/octopus. ⚠️ Akrotiri SBA — UK jurisdiction, rules differ.

Google Maps

Moni / Pentakomo reefCoast — Limassol east

borderline

swell on the quarter today

window: —

Rock reef, 4–15 m, sea bream/octopus.

Google Maps

One morning glance — and you know.

≈

Surfacing

Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.

Live cameras, map & reference

Open the seafloor map →

Reference

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now

white grouper
Epinephelus aeneus · 15–45 m · ⚠️ release
Grouper (sfyrida/rofos): min 40–45 cm (DFMR). Vulnerable — release the big ones. Amateur limit 5 kg + 1 fish/day.
dusky grouper
Epinephelus marginatus · 8–35 m · ⚠️ release
Grouper (sfyrida/rofos): min 40–45 cm (DFMR). Vulnerable — release the big ones. Amateur limit 5 kg + 1 fish/day.
white seabream
Diplodus sargus · 0–12 m
gilthead seabream
Sparus aurata · 2–20 m
common dentex
Dentex dentex · 12–40 m
lionfish
Pterois miles · 5–40 m · invasive
Eastern-Med invasive (lionfish/pufferfish). Pufferfish ☠️ DO NOT eat (TTX toxin). Lionfish — venomous spines, handle carefully.
pufferfish
Lagocephalus spp. · 2–40 m · invasive
Eastern-Med invasive (lionfish/pufferfish). Pufferfish ☠️ DO NOT eat (TTX toxin). Lionfish — venomous spines, handle carefully.

Law

✓Fishing recreationally without a licence is an OFFENCE, not a formality: NO ONE may fish recreationally at sea, or in lakes, rivers and reservoirs, without first obtaining the licence the Regulations under this Law require (ΚΕΦ. 135, art. 3Β(1)); breaching it carries up to 2 years' imprisonment or up to €10,000, or both (art. 3Β(2)). The speargun is its own licence class: €35, valid to the end of the calendar year of issue; apply through the DFMR platform (gov.cy → «Apply and pay for a recreational fishing license») and pay by JCC via the SMS link. The fee itself is set by the Regulations made under art. 6(2)(η).
•The speargun is set by the ACT, not by practice: 5 kg in total plus one specimen of any weight, per fishing trip and per 24 hours (ΚΔΠ 416/2019, reg. 17Β(1)(ε)(ii)). The same regulation prohibits commercial exploitation of the recreational catch (reg. 17Β(1)(α)). Gear and closed areas come from the Regulations too. The minimum grouper size and the marker-buoy duty, by contrast, were NOT found in the text we read — those are DFMR practice and guidance, so confirm them before you dive.
✓☠️ Speargun + any breathing apparatus is a CRIMINAL offence, not a fine: up to 2 years' imprisonment and/or up to €50,000 (ΚΕΦ. 135, art. 5(δ) — the same article as dynamite and poisons). The 2019 regulation replaced the old rules outright and removed the former «with the Director's written permission» carve-out — it is GONE (ΚΔΠ 416/2019, reg. 17). The speargun is now prohibited: from sunset to sunrise; while diving with any auxiliary apparatus; IN COMBINATION WITH LIGHT SOURCES; in bathers' areas; and in areas the Director designates by decision published in the Gazette (reg. 17(2)) — that is the instrument behind the DFMR no-take map. Separately prohibited: possessing or carrying an apparatus and a speargun TOGETHER on ANY vessel, and carrying a speargun on a vessel from sunset to sunrise (reg. 17(3)). Age: reg. 17(1)(α) allows the speargun to «persons older than fifteen (15) years», while reg. 17(1)(β) separately regulates the «15 to 17» band — the licence issues only in a guardian's presence and the minor must be accompanied on trips by an adult spearfishing licence holder. The two sub-paragraphs do not read the same way; that wording is the act's own and we do not resolve it for it — check with DFMR if you are 15.
✓In the two British Sovereign Base Areas — Akrotiri (Cape Gata, Lady's Mile) and Dhekelia (Cape Pyla, Ayios Nikolaos) — a SEPARATE legal regime applies — not the Republic's rules plus something, but its own instrument: the SBA Fisheries Regulations 2012. A spear gun licence is required (reg. 44(1)); the WHOLE OF MAY is closed (reg. 44(2)); sunset to sunrise is closed (reg. 44(3)); with the gun you may use no other fishing gear, no aqualung and no means of lighting (reg. 44(4)), and you may not have a speargun and an aqualung on the same vessel (reg. 44(5)). Stay within 50 m of a float or vessel flying a red flag with a white diagonal stripe, visible from 300 m (reg. 44(6)–(7)). Selling the catch is prohibited (reg. 7).
✓The Base Areas also have their own closures and limits (SBA Fisheries Regulations 2012): the Akrotiri fish reserve is closed outright — no taking fish and no placing gear (reg. 11); fishing is banned in designated sea-bathing areas (reg. 12); no spearfishing within 100 m of a fish farm (reg. 14); the speargun is 5 kg per 24 hours (reg. 25). That is STRICTER than the DFMR guidance above, and it is what the Base Areas police enforce.

⛔ Fan mussel (Pinna nobilis) — strictly protected, taking/disturbing prohibited (mass die-off from a pathogen).
⛔ Date mussel (Lithophaga lithophaga) — harvesting strictly banned (destroys the reef).
⛔ Seahorses (Hippocampus), loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and monk seal (Monachus monachus) — protected, taking/disturbing prohibited.

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. 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.

Local guide · Limassol

Spearfishing in Limassol: spots, seasons and rules

Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher

TL;DR

Limassol is an open south-coast plan, not a sheltered cove. SW swell and the 150-260 degree bad sector decide many shore entries fast.
Cyprus requires a dedicated SPEAR GUN licence for spearfishing. It costs 35 EUR, is obtained online at licence.dfmr.moa.gov.cy and is valid to 31 Dec of the issue year.
Unlike Greece, Cyprus has no May spearfishing ban. Do not cancel a Cyprus trip because you are thinking of the Greek May closure.
Cape Gata, Lady's Mile and Cape Zevgari sit in or by the Akrotiri SBA. UK jurisdiction applies there, and a Republic of Cyprus licence is not guaranteed to be enough.

Best spearfishing spots in Limassol and Akrotiri peninsula

Spot	Type	Depth	Level	Access	Notes
Cape Gata (Akrotiri)	Cliff-drop reef	5-25 m	Not separately rated	Access note not specified	Grouper, dentex and amberjack are listed. Akrotiri SBA means UK jurisdiction and different rules; a RoC licence is not guaranteed here.
Lady's Mile outer reef	Sand-to-rock reef	3-10 m	Not separately rated	Access note not specified	Sea bream and octopus are listed. The Akrotiri SBA warning is explicit, so confirm the jurisdiction before diving.
Moni / Pentakomo reef	Rock reef	4-15 m	Not separately rated	Access note not specified	Sea bream and octopus are named. This is the simpler east-side Limassol reference in the list.
Amathus E (outside MPA)	Rock reef	3-12 m	Not separately rated	Access note not specified	Sea bream is listed. Stay east of the Amathounta no-take MPA line; the Amathus coast is a no-take concern.
Cape Zevgari (Akrotiri S coast)	Rocky cliff coast	5-20 m	Not separately rated	Access note not specified	Dentex and sea bream are listed. The spot sits on the Akrotiri south coast under the SBA caveat.
Kourion / Episkopi Bay	Sand and reef	3-15 m	Not separately rated	Access note not specified	Sea bream is listed. It borders the Akrotiri / Episkopi SBA line, so the boundary is part of the dive plan.

Spearfishing conditions in Limassol today

Spearfishing distance from fish farms, swimmers and beaches in Limassol

Spearfishing white bream, grouper and amberjack in Limassol

Do you need a licence to spearfish in Limassol?

FAQ

Where can you spearfish in Limassol?

The listed entries are Cape Gata, Lady's Mile outer reef, Moni / Pentakomo, Amathus E, Cape Zevgari and Kourion / Episkopi Bay. Check MPA and SBA boundaries first.

Can you spearfish around the Akrotiri peninsula?

Do not assume it. Several western entries sit in or beside the Akrotiri SBA, where UK jurisdiction applies and the RoC licence is not guaranteed.

Do you need a license to spearfish in Cyprus?

Yes. You need the dedicated SPEAR GUN licence, obtained online at licence.dfmr.moa.gov.cy for 35 EUR.

Is there a seasonal spearfishing ban in Cyprus?

Cyprus has no May spearfishing ban, unlike Greece. Always check current DFMR conditions for other restrictions.

How far from swimmers and fish farms must you spearfish in Cyprus?

Treat distance rules as DFMR guidance unless confirmed for the current conditions. Do not rely on one fixed number without checking DFMR.

What fish can you spearfish in Limassol?

The local notes list sea bream, octopus, grouper, dentex and amberjack. National guidance also covers seabream sizes, grouper caution, lionfish and pufferfish.

What is the daily catch limit in Cyprus?

DFMR common-practice guidance gives about 5 kg plus one larger fish per day. Confirm current conditions with DFMR before diving.

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Limassol spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility & live cameras

Windows, hours and the day's trends.

A marine instrument, go / no-go for solo hunting.

The forecast is the plan.The call is on the rock.

Where to get in off the rocks.

What's in season, what the law says.

TL;DR

Best spearfishing spots in Limassol and Akrotiri peninsula

Spearfishing conditions in Limassol today

Spearfishing distance from fish farms, swimmers and beaches in Limassol

Spearfishing white bream, grouper and amberjack in Limassol

Do you need a licence to spearfish in Limassol?

FAQ

Sources

Nearby towns

Get the go / no-go verdict for Limassol by email

Spots in Cyprus

🇨🇾Cyprus

Limassol

Larnaca

Paphos

Polis

Famagusta

Help us make it better

Limassol spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility & live cameras

Windows, hours and the day's trends.

A marine instrument, go / no-go for solo hunting.

The forecast is the plan.The call is on the rock.

Where to get in off the rocks.

What's in season, what the law says.

TL;DR

Best spearfishing spots in Limassol and Akrotiri peninsula

Spearfishing conditions in Limassol today

Spearfishing distance from fish farms, swimmers and beaches in Limassol

Spearfishing white bream, grouper and amberjack in Limassol

Do you need a licence to spearfish in Limassol?

FAQ

Sources

Nearby towns

Get the go / no-go verdict for Limassol by email

Spots in Cyprus

🇨🇾Cyprus

Limassol

Larnaca

Paphos

Polis

Famagusta

Help us make it better

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

Where to get in
off the rocks.

What's in season,
what the law says.

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

Where to get in
off the rocks.

What's in season,
what the law says.