Do you need a licence to spearfish in Paphos?

Yes. You need the Cyprus DFMR Spear Gun licence, costing €35 for the year.

Is scuba spearfishing allowed in Paphos?

No. Spearfishing is apnea-only; compressed air and tanks are not allowed.

Can you spearfish at night in Cyprus?

No. Night spearfishing is banned.

Can you spearfish at Geroskipou?

Treat Geroskipou as no-take MPA water and stay out with a speargun.

What fish are common around Paphos reefs?

Sea bream and octopus are typical in the shallows, with grouper and dentex on suitable rock.

Paphos spearfishing forecast — Cyprus

Paphos · Cyprus

8.3

wave 0.3 m

visibility6m

Dive today — wave, wind and visibility.

Sources: MeteoAlarm · Open-Meteo · Copernicus · Sentinel-2 — high confidence · data 22:48

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 22:48

Paphos — solo, off the rocks

BEST WINDOW

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

wave 0.3 mwind 8 km/hvisibility ~6 mwindow 06:00–21:00

today, best window 06:00–09:00

fish · Visibility 6 m · Water 23.8°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

07:04–18:03 · full moon

▼ 04:00▲ 10:00▼ 16:00▲ 22:00 · 0.3 m

Hours (06→20)

Day's trends

Tide-0.22 m

Wave0.32 m

Wind7 km/h

Water24 °C

fish activity: moonset 06:05 · moderate · moon underfoot 11:40 · high · moonrise 17:21 · moderate · moon overhead 00:00 · high

Conditions window06:00–09:00

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

Hs 0.34 m · calmperiod 6.1 swind 8→14surge 0.4viz 6 m

0.34 mcalm · up to ~0.68 · 268° at an angle

6.1 sswell moderate

8→14gusts 14 km/h

0.4weak surge

0.11m/s

6 mrecent swell

23.8°C5 mm + hood

▲10:00tide rising

Atmosphere37 kmlandmarks visible

moderatemoonset

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

confidence mediumtwilight

Open the seafloor map with entry points

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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).

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.

Spearfishing in Paphos: spots, seasons and rules

Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher

Paphos looks simple from the castle, but the legal and sea-state details matter. The harbour mouth triggers the 500 m port rule, the Vera K wreck is not a hunting shortcut, and the Geroskipou coast is a no-take MPA. For realistic shore spearfishing, look north to Amphitheatre, Cynthiana and Kissonerga, where 3-12 m rock, sand and holes hold sea bream, octopus and occasional grouper. Check the sea forecast first: west swell dirties the coast quickly.

TL;DR

Spearfishing Paphos is west-coast reef work: Amphitheatre, Cynthiana and Kissonerga are more practical than the busy harbour front.

West and southwest swell are the main problem. Wait for a low residual sea before counting on 10-25 m visibility.

The DFMR Spear Gun licence is required, €35/year. Apnea only, no scuba or compressed air, no night spearfishing, and no-take zones stay closed.

Best spearfishing spots in Paphos

These are practical reef names north of the harbour zone. Use them only when the west swell has settled and the exit is clear from shore.

Spot	Type	Depth	Level	Access	Notes
Amphitheatre	Natural rock amphitheatre	To about 12 m	Intermediate	Shore entry after checking the exit	Holes and overhangs can hold bream and grouper. Do not push it with leftover west surge.
Cynthiana reef	Shallow reef	3-12 m	Intermediate	Shore entry north of town	A steadier bream option on small-sea mornings. Keep the buoy visible around leisure traffic.
Kissonerga reef	Rock and sand	3-12 m	Intermediate	From Kissonerga, away from swimmers	Work the broken reef-sand line for bream and octopus. If the water turns milky, stop.

What conditions and rules matter in Paphos?

The Paphos coast faces west, with the rough sector roughly 225-315 degrees. When that swell drops, visibility can be 10-25 m; when it lingers, the reef entries become messy. Legally, Cyprus requires the DFMR Spear Gun licence, €35 for the year. Spearfishing is apnea-only, so scuba, tanks and compressed air are not allowed, and night spearfishing is banned. Stay 500 m from the harbour mouth, use a marker buoy, keep clear of swimmers, and treat Geroskipou or any uncertain protected/no-take water as closed.

Surface

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

Spots in Cyprus

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Paphos

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Help us make it better

The water column

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

The seabed

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

Where to get in
off the rocks.

Surfacing

What's in season,
what the law says.

Spearfishing in Paphos: spots, seasons and rules

TL;DR

Best spearfishing spots in Paphos

What conditions and rules matter in Paphos?

FAQ

Sources

Nearby towns

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

Windows, hours and the day's trends.

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

Spots in Cyprus

🇨🇾Cyprus

Paphos

Limassol

Polis

Larnaca

Famagusta

Help us make it better

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 Paphos

What conditions and rules matter in Paphos?

FAQ

Sources

Nearby towns

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.