Malibu spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras

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◈Malibu · United States
2.7
visibility: 3 m
visibility~3m

Dayisover

Today — sit it out.

Sources: NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus — high confidence · data 14:26

Sources & confidence

Sources
NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus
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.

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.

Entry pointsNo-take zonesLive cams

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
NWS no dataupdated 14:26
Malibu — solo, off the rocks
Day is over
That is it for today — the day's windows have closed.
Tomorrow, best window 15:00–18:00
Best window · next 3 days

Next 3 days — not divable: wave up to 1.1 m

↓ low tide 14:30 · slack water ~13:45–15:15 bite times: 10:20–12:20 · 16:39–17:39

Tell me when it's on

Just your email — nothing else needed.

Before entering, check the camera and the surge
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.

Saturday · today2026-10-24
07:07–18:10 · full moon
▼ 02:00▲ 08:00▼ 15:00▲ 21:00 · 1.7 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide0.59 m
Wave0.80 m
Wind7 km/h
Water23 °C
fish activity: moonset 05:31 · moderate · moon underfoot 11:20 · high · moonrise 17:09 · moderate · moon overhead 23:50 · high
Open the seafloor map with entry points →

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: 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 →
Corral Beach kelpMalibu
dangerous
swell on the quarter today
window
—
Seabed depth of the selected area
≈10–13 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

Close-in kelp forest over reef straight off Corral Beach in Malibu, 4.5-9 m, with a short trail and a few steps to the sand. Fair spearfishing for calico bass and halibut plus a few lobster; mostly sheltered, but skip it during or after a storm or a south swell.

Google Maps
Deer Creek BeachMalibu
dangerous
swell on the quarter today
window
—
Seabed depth of the selected area
≈0.7–6.1 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

Deer Creek Beach is a shore entry about 18 km from Malibu. Marker position: 34.062° N, 118.987° W. Depths reach about 6 m. Bottom type: kelp and reef.

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».

more: Malibu Pier / Surfrider (HDOnTap) ↗ · Malibu Point surf cam (HDOnTap) ↗
Open the seafloor map →
Reference

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now
  • white seabass
    Atractoscion nobilis · 3–30 m · ⚠️ closed season/limit
    Year-round, min 28″ TL (71 cm), 3/day — BUT only 1/day south of Pt. Conception between Mar 15 and Jun 15 (spawning aggregations). The single most-broken rule among SoCal divers. T14 CCR §28.35.
  • California halibut
    Paralichthys californicus · 3–30 m · legal
    Year-round, min 22″ TL (56 cm). The bag splits at Pt. Sur (Monterey Co.): 2/day to the north, 5/day to the south. T14 CCR §28.15.
  • California yellowtail
    Seriola dorsalis · 3–40 m · legal
    Year-round, min 24″ FL (61 cm), 10/day — of which no more than 5 may be under 24″ FL. T14 CCR §28.37.
  • California sheephead
    Bodianus pulcher · 3–25 m · legal
    Spear-critical: the Jan 1–end of Feb closure does NOT apply to divers — divers and shore anglers fish year-round (T14 CCR §28.26(a)(2)). During that closure no gear other than spearfishing gear may be aboard the vessel. Min 12″ TL (30 cm), 2/day.
  • kelp/sand bass
    Paralabrax spp. · 2–20 m · legal
    Year-round, min 14″ TL (36 cm). Bag 5/day for all three species combined, of which no more than 4 may be barred sand bass (sub-limit in force until Jun 1 2028). T14 CCR §28.30.
La Jolla
  • Pacific Beach (Mission Bay)
  • Grover Beach
  • San Diego (Point Loma)
  • National City
  • Imperial Beach
  • Morro Bay
  • Cayucos
  • San Simeon
  • Carmel
  • Monterey
  • Marina
  • Pacific Grove
  • Soquel
  • Santa Cruz
  • Menlo Park
  • San Mateo
  • San Leandro
  • Half Moon Bay
  • South San Francisco
  • Alameda

    • All 367 spots → · Region: California · spearo.app — All countries

    transparency nearby ~21 m · satellite, 2 days agosatellite estimate · may differ right at the shore

    Google Maps
    Leo Carrillo (Sequit Point)Malibu
    dangerous
    swell on the quarter today
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈7.4–13 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

    Rocky point with arches and channels, 3–12 m, west of the Point Dume zone cluster: calico bass and sheephead. Exposed to west swell — flat days only. Park in the state park and enter off the beach.

    Google Maps
    🔒 Malibu Artificial ReefMalibu
    dangerous
    Ultra · subscribers
    swell on the quarter today
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈15–18 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

    The full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.

    Open in the app →
    Nicholas CanyonMalibu
    dangerous
    swell on the quarter today
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈0.7–4.4 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

    Nicholas Canyon is a shore entry about 12 km from Malibu. Marker position: 34.042° N, 118.916° W. Maximum depth is around 8 m. Bottom type: rock. The nearest protected area on our map, Point Dume SMCA, is about 1.8 km away.

    Google Maps
    🔒 Paradise Cove Artificial ReefMalibu
    dangerous
    Pro · subscribers
    swell on the quarter today
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈16–21 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

    The full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.

    Open in the app →
    Paradise Cove ReefMalibu
    dangerous
    186 m from the boundary of Point Dume SMR (no-take zone)
    swell on the quarter today
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈1.7–7.5 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

    Sheltered reef east of Point Dume, 3–12 m, with calico bass and halibut over rock and sand. WARNING: the no-take Point Dume SMR starts 240 m west and the drift pushes that way — do not work westward.

    Google Maps
    Point DumeMalibu
    dangerous
    ⛔ Banned here
    ⚠️ This point is inside the restricted zone “Point Dume SMCA”: fishing there is regulated (season, gear, permit), not banned outright. Read the zone's rules before you go.
    swell on the quarter today
    window
    —
    Seabed depth of the selected area
    ≈3.4–16 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

    WARNING: a spur-and-groove headland, 5–20 m, entirely inside the Point Dume SMR — no-take, viewing only. One of Malibu's best reliefs for freediving and photography. To hunt, look east or west of the complex.

    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.

  • rockfish
    Sebastes spp. · 5–50 m · ⚠️ closed season/limit
    The headline fact for divers: GMA seasons and depth limits do NOT bind spearfishers — divers may take the RCG complex year-round at any depth (§27.20(b)(1)(D)). BUT zero limit on bronzespotted, cowcod, QUILLBACK and YELLOWEYE rockfish. Overall 10 RCG fish/day.
  • lingcod
    Ophiodon elongatus · 5–50 m · legal
    Open to divers year-round at any depth (§27.20(b)(1)(D)); the GMA seasons bind boat and shore. Min 22″ TL (56 cm), 2/day. Closed year-round inside the Groundfish Exclusion Areas. T14 CCR §28.27.
  • cabezon
    Scorpaenichthys marmoratus · 3–25 m · legal
    A primary California reef/kelp target from Point Loma to Crescent City. Divers year-round at any depth. No minimum size — the old 15″ floor is gone from the 2026 text. 10/day within the RCG complex. T14 CCR §28.28.
  • kelp and rock greenling
    Hexagrammos spp. · 2–20 m · legal
    A standard central/northern California shallow-reef target. Divers year-round at any depth, no minimum size, 10/day within the RCG complex. T14 CCR §28.29.
  • California scorpionfish (sculpin)
    Scorpaena guttata · 5–40 m · legal
    One of the few groundfish explicitly EXEMPT from season and depth restrictions (§27.20(b)(1)(B)): year-round, all GMAs, any depth. No minimum size, 5/day. The dorsal spines are venomous — handle by the lower jaw. T14 CCR §28.54.
  • California barracuda
    Sphyraena argentea · 1–25 m · legal
    A classic SoCal blue-water target. Year-round, min 28″ TL (71 cm), 10/day as part of the 20-fish general bag limit. T14 CCR §28.25.
  • Pacific bonito
    Sarda chiliensis · 0–30 m · legal
    The main SoCal pelagic within breath-hold range. Year-round, min 24″ FL (61 cm) or 5 lb, except five fish under that size may be taken. 10/day. T14 CCR §28.32.
  • ocean whitefish
    Caulolatilus princeps · 5–45 m · legal
    An everyday Channel Islands / SoCal reef fish. Year-round, no minimum size (fillets must be at least 6.5″ with skin intact). 10/day as part of the 20-fish general bag. T14 CCR §28.58.
  • striped bass (California)
    Morone saxatilis · 0–15 m · legal
    A cross-façade contrast: striped bass MAY be taken by spear in California — §27.85(d) names spearfishing under §1.76 as a legal method. Year-round, 2/day; min 18″ TL (46 cm) north of Pt. Conception, no minimum south of it. Snagging and gaffing are illegal.
  • opaleye
    Girella nigricans · 0–15 m · legal
    A primary shore-dive target in the SoCal kelp and surf zone. Year-round, no minimum size. There is NO species-specific bag — the statewide default applies: 20 finfish in combination, no more than 10 of any one species (§27.60(a)). Read it as the default, not a species entry.
  • halfmoon (Catalina blue perch)
    Medialuna californiensis · 2–20 m · legal
    The same standing as opaleye: an abundant kelp-edge target with no species entry in Title 14. Year-round, no size limit; the general default applies — 20 finfish combined, max 10 of any one species (§27.60(a)).
  • surfperch
    Embiotocidae · 0–12 m · ⚠️ closed season/limit
    Year-round EXCEPT in San Francisco and San Pablo bays, where take and possession are banned Apr 1–Jul 31. Minimum only for redtail surfperch, 10.5″ TL (27 cm); none for the others. 10/day inside the 20-fish general limit; 5 all species combined in those bays. T14 CCR §28.59.
  • leopard shark
    Triakis semifasciata · 1–25 m · legal
    Year-round, exempt from groundfish seasons and depth restrictions (§27.20(b)(1)(B)). Min 36″ TL (91 cm), 3/day. Spears, harpoons and bow-and-arrow are legal for all skates, rays and sharks except white shark (§28.95). T14 CCR §28.56.
    • Not a target — don't shoot
    • giant (black) sea bass🚫 no-take
      NEVER shoot: take or possession is prohibited at all times (§28.10). Spearfishers are named explicitly in the §28.90 exclusion list. The single most consequential misidentification risk for a diver in SoCal kelp — juveniles are easily confused with calico bass.
    • garibaldi🚫 no-take
      NEVER shoot: California's state marine fish, take or possession prohibited at all times (§28.05, §28.90, §28.95). Bright orange, curious and easy to approach — which is exactly why it gets shot by mistake.
    Law
    • ✓California sport fishing licence (+Ocean Enhancement Validation south of Point Arguello). No separate spearfishing permit.
    • ✓No take: giant sea bass, garibaldi, salmon; abalone closed to 2036. network: no-take, by zone. Lobster hand-take only.
    • •The key spearfishing exemption (§27.20(b)(1)(D)): divers may take the whole RCG complex (rockfish–cabezon–greenling) YEAR-ROUND at ANY DEPTH — Groundfish Management Area seasons and depth limits do not bind them. The zero-limit species are the exception.
    • •The complete list of what a spearfisher may NOT take (§28.90): giant (black) sea bass, garibaldi, gulf grouper, broomtail grouper, trout, salmon and broadbill swordfish. Every other finfish is fair game, subject to its own season and .
    • •Lobster: divers take crustaceans BY HAND ONLY, may not possess a hooked device while diving, and may carry spearfishing gear only if it is not used to aid the take (§29.90, §29.80(g)). The season runs from 6 p.m. on the Friday before the first Wednesday in October.
    • ⛔ 🚫 Giant (black) sea bass and garibaldi — fully protected, no take. Red abalone — fishery CLOSED until Apr 1 2036. Salmon — no spear.
    • ⛔ 🚫 network: State Marine Reserve () — no-take; — varies (check the specific zone). Lobster — hand-take only. No spear within 100 yd of a stream mouth north of Ventura.

    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.

    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 · Malibu

    Spearfishing in Malibu: spots, seasons and rules

    Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher

    Malibu has attractive kelp and reef, but the legal map is as important as the swell map. Point Dume State Marine Reserve is no-take. The two listed open choices are Paradise Cove Reef, just east of the Dume protected complex, and Leo Carrillo at Sequit Point farther west. Spearfishing Malibu works best when swell is low enough to keep kelp, sand and exit routes readable, and when the MPA boundary is confirmed before entry.

    TL;DR

    • Spearfishing Malibu is a Point Dume boundary exercise: the SMR is no-take, while Paradise Cove and Leo Carrillo sit outside the hard closure.
    • Paradise Cove is the sheltered calico and halibut reef, but the record places it only 0.24 km outside the SMR.
    • Malibu water visibility improves with small southwest swell and lighter wind, then falls quickly when Point Dume wraps surge into kelp.
    • California requires a sport fishing license and Ocean Enhancement Validation here; giant sea bass, garibaldi, salmon and abalone are not targets.

    Best spearfishing spots in Malibu

    Point Dume is excluded because it is marked protected and the CDFW page treats the SMR as no-take. The usable entries are outside that hard closure but still need a live MPA check.

    SpotTypeDepthLevelAccessNotes
    Paradise Cove ReefSheltered cove reefShallow reef, sand lanes and kelp edgeIntermediateShore or small-boat approach east of Point DumeGood for calico bass and halibut in clean water. The margin from Point Dume SMR is narrow, so do not drift west.
    Leo Carrillo (Sequit Point)Rocky point and kelp pocketsReef ledges and kelp lanesIntermediate to advancedState beach area, conditions-dependent shore entryA west-Malibu alternative for calico hunting outside the Dume complex. It gets exposed and surgey, so small surf matters.

    What is closed around Point Dume?

    CDFW lists Point Dume State Marine Reserve as an area where taking living marine resources is unlawful. The neighboring SMCA has limited allowances, but the city record marks Point Dume as protected. Unless you have confirmed the exact MPA category and boundary, do not hunt the headland. If you are not sure which side you are on, the zone is closed for your dive.

    When does Malibu water visibility improve?

    Malibu faces a west-southwest problem sector, and the kelp shows it quickly. Small swell, lighter wind and a few calmer tide cycles help sand settle. A building south or west pulse can make Paradise Cove look manageable from land while underwater surge still drags bottom. NOAA Station 46221 and Malibu visual cams are the quick screen.

    Which species fit the Malibu plan?

    Open Malibu water can produce kelp bass, California halibut, sheephead, white seabass, yellowtail, rockfish and lingcod when seasons and depth rules allow. Giant sea bass and garibaldi are fully protected. Salmon are not spear targets, abalone is closed, and lobster is hand-take only. Carry the California license and Ocean Enhancement Validation.

    FAQ

    Can you spearfish Point Dume?

    Treat Point Dume SMR as no-take unless you have verified a separate open SMCA allowance.

    Is Paradise Cove outside the reserve?

    The record places it just outside the SMR by a narrow margin. Confirm the line.

    Do I need Ocean Enhancement Validation in Malibu?

    Yes, this coast is south of Point Arguello, so the validation normally applies.

    What fish are common targets in Malibu?

    Kelp bass, halibut, sheephead, white seabass and yellowtail are the main targets.

    Which NOAA station should I check?

    NOAA NDBC Station 46221 is the nearby buoy used for Malibu.

    Sources

    • California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Point Dume SMR and SMCA
    • California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Southern California ocean regulations
    • NOAA NDBC Station 46221

    Nearby towns

    • Avalon (Catalina Island) conditions today
    • Newport Beach spearfishing guide
    • Goleta spearfishing guide
    • Spearfishing in Dana Point
    • La Jolla conditions today
    Data partners
    dive centres that send us real visibility readings
    Águas VivasMilfontes · Sagres

    buoy Santa Monica Bay, CA: 22.4° · wave 0.9 m/14 s · 43 min ago