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

spearo.app / Venezuela / Margarita
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◈Margarita · Venezuela
5.3
visibility: 3 m
visibility~3m

Dayisover

Today — right on the edge.

Sources: Open-Meteo · Copernicus — high confidence · data 23:19

Sources & confidence

Sources
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 zones

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.

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play
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point your camera
0 m

Surface

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

spearo.app
updated 23:19
Margarita — solo, off the rocks
Day is over
That is it for today — the day's windows have closed.
Tomorrow, best window 06:00–09:00
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
06:05–17:53 · full moon
▲ 01:00▲ 05:00▼ 07:00▲ 13:00▼ 20:00 · 0.3 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide0.04 m
Wave0.92 m
Wind13 km/h
Water28 °C
fish activity: moonset 04:29 · moderate · moon underfoot 10:40 · high · moonrise 16:42 · moderate · moon overhead 23:00 · high
Open the seafloor map with entry points →
Coming soon

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Leave your email — and the moment a window opens at Margarita, we'll send the go / no-go verdict. Email is all we need.

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More spots

Spots in Venezuela

🇻🇪Venezuela

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Insular Venezuela

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  • La Blanquilla
  • La Tortuga

Central Caribbean (Venezuela)

  • Chirimena
  • Chichiriviche de la Costa
  • Adícora

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spearo.app · a private marine instrument · Margarita · a planner, not a safety guaranteePrivacy
Today
Notify me
Map
Best window · next 3 days
borderlineMonday · 15:00–18:00
you can see ~3 m ahead fish

transparency ~4 m · satellite, 2 days agosatellite estimate · may differ right at the shore

〜 tide is minor here bite times: 09:40–11:40 · 16:12–17:12

Tell me when it's on

Just your email — nothing else needed.

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

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play
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point your camera
−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 →
Juan GriegoMargarita
borderline
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
—

NW bay, more sheltered from the trades; rock 0–10 m, good for beginners and sunset dives. Snapper and jack. Coords approximate.

Google Maps
PampatarMargarita
borderline
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
—

East coast near Pampatar town, rock and sand 0–12 m; urban access point, handy base. Snapper, jack, barracuda. Coords approximate (general island anchor).

Google Maps
Playa El AguaMargarita
borderline
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
—

Open NE coast, sand/rock 0–15 m; very exposed to the trades — calm days only, but the best background viz. Coastal pelagics. Coords approximate.

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.

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play
Google Play — QR code
point your camera
≈

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
  • cubera snapper
    Lutjanus spp. · 3–30 m · legal
    ⚠️ Only outside national parks (Los Roques/Morrocoy/Mochima etc. — no-take). INSOPESCA minimum size not published (verified:false); pargo ~30 cm guide — not a rule.
  • grouper
    Epinephelus spp. · 3–35 m · legal
    ⚠️ Only outside parks. Slow-growing — go easy. Min size not published (~35 cm guide, not a rule).
  • great barracuda
    Sphyraena spp. · 0–25 m · legal
    ⚠️ Only outside parks. Large individuals — ciguatera risk. Min size not published (verified:false).
  • jack / trevally
    Caranx spp. · 0–25 m · legal
    ⚠️ Only outside national parks (Los Roques/Morrocoy/Mochima etc. — no-take). INSOPESCA minimum size not published (verified:false); pargo ~30 cm guide — not a rule.
  • Spanish mackerel
    Scomberomorus spp. · 1–25 m · legal
    ⚠️ Only outside national parks (Los Roques/Morrocoy/Mochima etc. — no-take). INSOPESCA minimum size not published (verified:false); pargo ~30 cm guide — not a rule.
  • lionfish
    Pterois volitans · 3–40 m · invasive — target
    Caribbean invasive. Culling encouraged. Venomous spines — careful; edible.
Law
  • •An INSOPESCA recreational underwater permit is required to carry a speargun; needs an FVAS card + RIF. The formal process exists but is loosely enforced in practice — confirm with INSOPESCA/a local club.
  • ✓PN Morrocoy and other park zones = spearing restricted/prohibited.
  • ⛔ 🚫 In national parks (Los Roques, Morrocoy, Mochima, San Esteban, La Restinga) spearfishing is BANNED (no-take). Criminal + administrative fines.
  • ⛔ Always banned: endangered species, ornamental fish, corals, seahorses, botuto (Strombus/conch), starfish, turtles.
  • ⛔ Military zones (Turiamo, La Orchila, Los Monjes, Isla de Aves) — access closed, keep away.

Rules change and are loosely enforced. Before heading out, check with INSOPESCA (underwater permit, FVAS card + RIF); PN Morrocoy and other park zones are restricted.

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 · Margarita

Spearfishing in Margarita: spots, seasons and rules

Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher

Isla Margarita has the ingredients Venezuela is known for: warm water, apnea culture, clubs and fishy open coast. Pampatar gives urban rock and sand in 0-12 m; Playa El Agua is exposed to the ENE trades and needs calm days; Juan Griego is more sheltered on the northwest side. Targets include snapper, grouper, jack, barracuda, Spanish mackerel and lionfish. The legal frame is practice-based: INSOPESCA permit, FVAS card and RIF are referenced, but local clubs are the honest way to confirm paperwork.

TL;DR

  • Margarita is Venezuela's practical spearfishing hub, with warm water and an active scene.
  • Pampatar, Playa El Agua and Juan Griego are open-coast references outside the island parks.
  • La Restinga and Cerro El Copey are national-park contexts; fail closed there.

Margarita shore spots

Stay on open coast and out of national parks. La Restinga is not a spearfishing area.

SpotTypeDepthLevelAccessNotes
PampatarUrban east coastRock and sand 0-12 mIntermediateEasy town baseSnapper, jack and barracuda with local boat traffic nearby.
Playa El AguaOpen northeast coastSand and rock 0-15 mUpper intermediateBeach entry on calm daysPotentially clear, but exposed to trade wind.
Juan GriegoNorthwest bayRock 0-10 mMore forgivingTown accessMore sheltered for short snapper and jack sessions.

What matters most in Margarita?

Wind exposure and park boundaries. Water is warm, often 25-28 °C, and visibility can reach 8-20 m on the right leeward day. Do not spear in La Restinga or any national park. Corals, seahorses, conch, turtles, sea stars and threatened species are off limits; lionfish is the invasive exception to target carefully.

FAQ

Is spearfishing legal in Margarita?

On open coast outside parks, with INSOPESCA/FVAS paperwork confirmed locally.

Can you spear in La Restinga?

No. Treat it as no-take national-park water.

Which side is more sheltered?

Juan Griego is usually more protected than Playa El Agua.

What fish are typical?

Snapper, grouper, jack, barracuda, Spanish mackerel and lionfish.

Should visitors contact a club?

Yes. The formal process exists, but practice is best checked through active local clubs.

Sources

  • INSOPESCA, Venezuelan fisheries authority
  • Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture
  • INPARQUES, National Parks Institute

Nearby towns

  • La Tortuga: forecast and spots
  • Chichiriviche de la Costa conditions today
Data partners
dive centres that send us real visibility readings
Águas VivasMilfontes · Sagres