Sources:MeteoAlarm · Open-Meteo · Copernicus · Sentinel-2 — high confidence · data 04:41
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.
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.
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
MeteoAlarm no dataupdated 04:41
Patmos — solo, off the rocks
BEST WINDOW
best weather window · solo, stay careful, run the checklist · calm conditions: swell, wind and visibility all normal
What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.
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.
in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind (city-level)
window
Dawn is all you get here. By nine the organised half has the sunbeds out, the rental hut opens, and the water belongs to people until evening. June and September are noticeably quieter; in August the bay is packed. All of May is closed across Greece, night is banned, and so is an underwater torch.
tide
Level plays no part here — it moves by a few centimetres. Something else does: the bay is shallow and sandy, it heats through the day, and the afternoon breeze simply stirs the sand off the bottom. Real water exchange happens only at the rocky edges, where a weak along-shore flow runs and the water is colder and cleaner.
shelter
A bay north of Skala, tucked between rolling hills. The NW meltemi comes over the ridge and reaches the water as gusts rather than as wave — which is why it stays shallow and calm even on windy days. The bay is open to E and NE, and from there the chop walks in unopposed.
conditions
It works exactly when the island's north coast is shut: in the meltemi you can come here. But the bottom is shallow sand — any chop out of the east clouds it inside half an hour and there is nothing left to look at. Do not come on E or NE wind, and not after midday when the rental boats and boards go out.
hazard
This is an organised beach with a lifeguard and craft for hire — so the 200 m rule off bathers deletes the whole middle of the bay and leaves you the edges. Shallow sand gives no cover: you are visible from above, and jet skis and boats do not look down. Yellow buoy with the flag, and stay within 50 m of it.
access
On the Skala to Kambos road, it is the first beach on your right; park above the beach. Put the fins on at the rocky edges of the bay, not in the middle of the sand: the middle belongs to the swimmers. The whole structure is those stone edges, where the sea bream and saddled bream sit tight; the swim out is short.
Bay N of Skala, rocky edges; sea bream and saddled bream, shallow and calm.
in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind (city-level)
window
Dawn to midday — after that the wind only builds. June and September are honest months; in July and August the meltemi holds for days on end. On 27 July the islet holds the feast of St Panteleimon and a whole fleet of boats goes over — stay away that day. All of May is closed by law, and night is banned.
tide
Level is beside the point here — 20 to 40 cm, no more. The channel is the story: the meltemi accelerates between Patmos and the islets and pushes the surface layer south. South of the islet lies the Xera shoal, marked as a danger on charts since the 16th century. Plan your drift before you get in.
shelter
An islet shelters nothing by itself — you pick the lee by moving from one side to the other. The W side with its dark pebbles works on E and SE wind; in the meltemi it is the SE shore that goes quiet, but that is exactly when the open-water crossing turns nasty.
conditions
Only on a genuinely calm morning. From about force 4 the channel between Patmos and the islets kicks up short, angry chop: the boat cannot hold station and a shore-swim turns dangerous. In a settled meltemi you simply do not come here.
hazard
The Xera shoal south of the islet has been marked on charts as a navigation danger for centuries, ships were wrecked on it, and the wave breaks over it. South of Cape Psalida there are sea caves used by the monk seal — do not go in at all. Add the boat traffic on the Skala approach. Nobody comes out here alone.
access
Go by boat from Skala or Sapsila. The only easy landing is the W side, with its long band of dark pebbles; the rest of the shore is steep-to. A shore-swim crosses open water and the shipping approach, so it is not a plan on its own. The islet sits inside the South Patmos marine Natura area — check with the port authority.
Islet off the SE coast of Patmos, ~5 km ESE of Skala, accessible W shore, reef/dropoff 5–20 m; boat or shore-swim. ⚠️ Wildlife-refuge area — verify.
in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind (city-level)
window
Dawn and early morning; the road ends here, so even in August it is quieter than round Skala. The exception is 6 August, the feast of the Agia Moni monastery above the bay: crowds. June and September are the best months. All of May is closed across Greece, night is banned, and scuba with a speargun is banned too.
tide
Nothing to say about level here: the Aegean moves it by tens of centimetres. The point is elsewhere: off the projecting headlands and the nearby islets there is an along-shore flow, and the bottom beyond the coves drops away fast. And: brackish lagoons sit behind the beaches, and after rain a murky layer comes out of them.
shelter
The narrowest point of the island — an isthmus about 200 m wide with a cove on each side. That is the whole point of the place: on a westerly the east side (Petra) works, on E and SE wind the west side (Stavros) does. In a hard meltemi the neck acts as a funnel and blasts gusts down onto both.
conditions
The strength of this place is that in almost any wind one of the two coves works — you walk two hundred metres across and get in. Only a hard meltemi kills it: then the gusts land on both sides, and the Petra anchorage is documented in the pilots as holding badly in the meltemi. A quiet morning and you are in.
hazard
The South Patmos marine Natura area starts here: Posidonia at 5-40 m, reefs and caves, some used by the monk seal — do not enter caves. I found no spearfishing ban for this stretch, but local port-authority acts exist — ask there. The bottom drops away fast beyond the coves and there is no help nearby: the road ends here.
access
The road from Grikos ends at Diakofti and that is where you park — no tarmac beyond. You get in over the rock into either cove, depending on the wind. From here it is twenty-five minutes on foot to Psili Ammos for genuinely empty water. There is no shop, no tap and no people: bring water, a spare and a phone.
Narrow S Patmos with rocky coves; sea bream and dentex; Natura area.
in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind (city-level)
window
Get in at first light and be out by 11:00 — after that the daytime breeze builds and the boats come out into the bay. June and September are the good months; July and August are the tourist peak. All of May is closed in Greece, and night, sunset to sunrise, is banned everywhere.
tide
Tides mean almost nothing here — 20 to 40 cm and no stream you would notice. Count the wind instead: days of meltemi drag the surface layer, and a weak along-shore flow runs between the beach and Tragonisi and past the Kalikatsou sand spit. Watch where it takes you off the buoy.
shelter
The bay faces SE, closed by two low headlands, with the islet of Tragonisi across its mouth — which is why the water here often sits flat as a lake. The NW meltemi is blocked by the island ridge, but S and E wind walks straight in.
conditions
Come when it blows from N or NW — in the meltemi this bay keeps working even in a hard blow. It switches off on S and SE wind: the wave rolls straight onto the shallow reef, lifts sand and kills visibility within an hour.
hazard
The danger here is boats, not depth: Grikos is the island's main yacht anchorage, and the law wants 200 m off anchored vessels and off bathers. The buoy is mandatory. Kalikatsou rock is an archaeological site; such zones can be declared archaeological, banning the speargun outright — ask the port authority.
access
From shore. Park in the village, the water is about 200 m away. Get in over the rocks at either end of the bay rather than off the sand between the sunbeds, where people swim. It is a 100 to 200 m easy swim out to the outer rocky edges and the reef; Kalikatsou rock you can reach on foot along the shore.
Rocky bay, dramatic rock, reef 0–15 m; shore, SE lee, sheltered; near the village (200 m). Coordinate approximate.
in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind (city-level)
window
The morning window is not reliable here: in July and August the meltemi holds for days and does not drop off by dawn. Plan Lampi for late June and for September, and in high summer only against a specific southerly forecast. All of May is closed across Greece; night, sunset to sunrise, is banned everywhere.
tide
Counting level here is pointless — it barely moves. Count the pile-up instead: days of meltemi raise the water against the north coast and set a noticeable flow along the rock towards the headlands. That flow is what will take you off your buoy. On the rare flat days, though, the water at Lampi is the clearest on the island.
shelter
There is no shelter here — this is the island's windward coast. The beach faces NW, straight into the meltemi, and the wave arrives with nothing in its way: the guides say plainly that Lampi is rarely calm in summer. Only southerly winds cover it, and those are exactly the days the whole SE side goes out.
conditions
Diveable only in a flat calm or on a southerly. From about force 3 out of N or NW the water over the pebbles goes milky, the wash at the entry starts dragging you across stones, and the 0-15 m reef fills with suspended matter. In the meltemi you do not come here — go round to the SE coast.
hazard
The entry is what hurts you: round pebbles roll under your fins and the wash lays you down on the stones. On an open coast the wind can get up while you are in the water, and the swim back is into it. There is a taverna and a bar on the beach, so there are bathers — keep 200 m off and fly a buoy visible from 300 m.
access
About 9 km north of Skala by road, park by the taverna. Put the fins on once you are in the water: the big round pebbles will drop you. The structure worth coming for is the rock formations at the right-hand end of the beach and the reef along them, a short swim out. Do not take the pebbles away, there are hardly any left.
Rocky beach + reef 0–15 m; shore, N — windward in the meltemi (calm/southerly days only). Coordinate approximate.
in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind (city-level)
window
Dawn, before the campsite and the taverna wake up and before the first ferry movements. June and September are the quietest; in August it is busy, because the beach is fifteen minutes on foot from the port. All of May is closed in Greece; night, sunset to sunrise, is off, and an underwater torch is banned.
tide
Nobody counts level here: it moves by centimetres. What you count is this — a shallow sandy bay two kilometres from a working port. After wind or rain the water carries suspended matter, and a cuttlefish on the sand raises its own cloud. Watch the wind pile-up and the pull towards the port: that is where the ships move.
shelter
The closest bay to the port, tucked behind the Skala headland; the guides call it plainly protected from strong winds. The NW meltemi gets here as gusts over the hill but makes almost no wave. The weak side is E and NE: from there the chop goes straight into the throat of the bay.
conditions
You come here on the days the island's north coast is shut down by wind. You do not come on E or NE — the shallow sand clouds up inside half an hour. And separately: if a cruise ship is anchored off Skala, tenders run between it and the shore non-stop, and the water stops being yours.
hazard
The closest point to the port on the island and legally the trickiest: 200 m off port structures and off vessels at anchor, while in the fairway, at the harbour entrance and on the anchorage it is banned outright. Cruise ships anchor in Skala bay, Meloi has a jetty for small boats, and a campsite and taverna sit next door.
access
The easiest access on the island: fifteen minutes on foot from the port or two kilometres by road, park by the taverna. You walk in straight off the sand under the tamarisks. But the sea bream and cuttlefish are not on the sand, they are on the rock at the edges — swim there and work there, the middle is empty.
Sheltered bay near Skala; sea bream and cuttlefish, sand-and-rock bottom.
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.
point your camera
≈
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».
Patmos — Skala / Grikos sea (crowdpolicy)Live crowdpolicy player — Skala / Grikos sea. Embedded via the operator's iframe. Read the water before you go. Sometimes offline — the player then shows a link to the source.camera: crowdpolicy ↗
National minimum sizes + a 150 g floor (in the table below); grouper 1/day. Spearfishing is closed all May (ΠΔ 373/1985).
In season now
dusky grouper
Epinephelus marginatus · 8–35 m · EU 1967/2006
Grouper: max 1/day (shared genus-Epinephelus limit).
white grouper
Epinephelus aeneus · 15–45 m · EU 1967/2006
Grouper: max 1/day (shared genus-Epinephelus limit).
goldblotch grouper
Epinephelus costae · 10–35 m · EU 1967/2006
Grouper: max 1/day (shared genus-Epinephelus limit).
common dentex
Dentex dentex · 12–40 m · min 150 g
Premier reef target. No EU size — the 150 g minimum only. Ethical ≥40 cm (not law).
white seabream
Diplodus sargus · 0–12 m · EU 1967/2006
saddled seabream
Oblada melanura · 3–15 m · min 150 g
No EU size — only the 150 g minimum applies.
greater amberjack
Seriola dumerili · 5–30 m · min 150 g
No EU size — only the 150 g minimum applies.
Mediterranean barracuda
Sphyraena viridensis · 3–25 m · min 150 g
No EU size — the 150 g minimum only. Histamine: bleed and chill at once.
Mediterranean parrotfish
Sparisoma cretense · 2–20 m · min 150 g
Eastern-Med delicacy (Crete/Dodecanese). No EU size — the 150 g minimum only.
brown meagre / corb
Sciaena umbra · 5–30 m · EU 1967/2006
common octopus
Octopus vulgaris · 0–15 m · weight ≥750 g
Minimum by weight: ≥750 g (ΠΔ 62/2024). Don't take egg-bearing females.
devil firefish (lionfish)
Pterois miles · 5–40 m · invasive
⚠️ Invasive — removal encouraged, excellent flesh. Venomous spines: never grab bare-handed, cut the spines, treat a sting with hot water (>45 °C).
silver-cheeked toadfish
Lagocephalus sceleratus · 5–40 m · invasive
☠️ Invasive — kill, but DO NOT EAT: deadly toxin (TTX). Sale banned (Reg. 853/2004, Annex III Sect. VIII Ch. V(E)). Powerful beak bites — never string it live on a stringer.
rabbitfish
Siganus rivulatus / luridus · 2–20 m · invasive
Invasive — removal encouraged, edible and tasty. Venomous dorsal/anal/pelvic spines — remove carefully, treat a sting with hot water.
wreckfish / stone bass
Polyprion americanus · 30–60 m · EU 1967/2006
Deep wreck species. Does NOT count toward the grouper limit (different genus). 45 cm — to verify.
red porgy
Pagrus pagrus · 15–40 m · EU 1967/2006
gilthead seabream
Sparus aurata · 2–20 m · EU 1967/2006
European seabass
Dicentrarchus labrax · 0–15 m · EU 1967/2006
striped seabream
Lithognathus mormyrus · 2–15 m · EU 1967/2006
striped red mullet
Mullus surmuletus · 3–30 m · EU 1967/2006
leerfish / garrick
Lichia amia · 2–20 m · min 150 g
No EU size — only the 150 g minimum applies.
flathead grey mullet
Mugil cephalus · 0–8 m · min 150 g
No EU size — only the 150 g minimum applies.
Law
✓⚠️ MAY — a TOTAL spearfishing ban for the whole month, every year (ΠΔ 373/1985, art. 3§1α). This is law in force, not a draft.
✓No licence required: the was abolished in 2014 (Ν. 4256/2014) — every standing prohibition stays in force all the same.
•Recreational-fisher registry (ΟΣΠΑ / Μητρώο Ερασιτεχνών Αλιέων): Reg. (EU) 2023/2842 obliges member states to register recreational fishing, and the Greek registry is described as being prepared. We found neither an act in force nor a working registry as of 08.2026 — not confirmed. Check gov.gr before you travel.
✓Age: 16+ (under-16 spearfishing is forbidden; ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§1γ).
✓Daytime only: sunrise to sunset. Night is forbidden (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§1β).
✓Freediving only: scuba/any air-supply apparatus is banned — it may not even be carried aboard (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§2γ).
✓Distances: ≥200 m from bathers, harbours, moored vessels and marked nets; no hunting in fairways or harbour entrances/exits (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§1δ/ε).
✓Buoy MANDATORY: a yellow float + a yellow flag with a red diagonal stripe and the letters «Υ.Δ.», visible from ≥300 m; stay within 50 m of the buoy (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§3).
✓Limit: 5 kg/day (or one trophy heavier than the limit). Grouper (Epinephelus) — max 1/day, not banned (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 2§2).
✓Sale/trade of the recreational catch is prohibited (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 1§7).
✓Load the speargun only in the water — never keep it loaded out of the water (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§2β). Underwater light while hunting is forbidden (art. 3§2ζ).
✓Sea urchins — 20/day per person and 30/day per boat (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 2§2). Nets at any stage of the hunt are banned, and you may not take the catch out of somebody else's gear or nets (art. 3§2). Sponges and corals are off limits to the recreational fisher (art. 1§6).
✓Pneumatic and band guns are ALLOWED (a myth in English guides). Only spears with an explosive/chemical charge — — are banned (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§2δ).
Min. sizes: seabass 25 cm · gilthead 20 cm · white seabream 23 cm · grouper 45 cm · octopus 750 g (ΠΔ 62/2024). Any fish — not under 150 g (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 3§2στ). No-size species (dentex, amberjack, barracuda, parrotfish) — the 150 g minimum only. See the species card.
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 · Patmos
Spearfishing in Patmos: spots, seasons and rules
Updated 2026-07-09 · By Oleksandr, spearfisher
Patmos spearfishing is shaped by a volcanic, semi-sheltered coast of islets, channels and reefs. In NW meltemi, the SE lee around Grikos is the first read, while Lampi and the northern islets are exposed. Chiliomodi and much of the islet story need wildlife-refuge verification before being promoted as hunting plans. May is a total spearfishing ban across Greece, so any Patmos trip has to start outside that month.
TL;DR
Patmos spearfishing sits on a volcanic coast of rocky islets, channels and reefs, but much of the islet angle needs wildlife-refuge verification.
In NW meltemi, the SE around Grikos is the lee; Lampi and the northern islets are windward and should wait for calm or southerly days.
Practical shore names in the sheet include Grikos / Kalikatsou, Lampi, Agriolivado, Meloi and Diakofti, with Chiliomodi conditional on refuge checks.
Greek rules apply: May is fully closed, no licence is issued since the 2014 abolition, freediving only, no scuba or compressed air, 5 kg/day and grouper max 1/day.
Where can you spearfish in Patmos?
The Patmos spots split between sheltered bays near Skala and more exposed northern or islet water. The registry has no safety rating, so level stays blank unless the description gives difficulty. Depth cells are qualitative only.
Spot
Type
Depth
Level
Access
Notes
Grikos / Kalikatsou (SE)
Rocky bay with reef
Shallow to moderate, around the reef
-
Shore
SE lee, sheltered and near the village. Keep legal distance from bathers and shore traffic.
Chiliomodi islet (SW)
Islet with reef and dropoff
Shallow to moderate, over reef and dropoff
-
Boat or shore-swim
Marked as a wildlife-refuge area to verify. Do not present it as a simple open spot without boundary checks.
Lampi (N)
Rocky beach and reef
Shallow to moderate, along beach and reef
-
Shore
North-facing and windward in meltemi. The sheet limits it to calm or southerly days.
✓Full ban on taking: Pinna nobilis (πίννα), corals and sponges (ΠΔ 373/85, art. 1§6 + Habitats Directive 92/43).
✓Invasives: taking the lionfish (λεοντόψαρο) is encouraged — ⚠️ venomous spines. The silver-cheeked toadfish (λαγοκέφαλος) ☠️ DO NOT EAT — deadly toxin (TTX), sale banned (Reg. 853/2004, Annex III Sect. VIII Ch. V(E)), it bites. The rabbitfish (γερμανός) is edible — venomous spines.
✓In ANY declared underwater archaeological site, and in the submerged historic sites, spearfishing is BANNED — the act names ψαροντούφεκο in so many words (ΚΥΑ ΥΠΠΟ/ΓΔΑΠΚ/ΑΡΧ/Α1/Φ41/11228/1865, ΦΕΚ 336/Β/2004, part Α §2 δ + part Β). It reaches the sites our map does not draw, too. Do not touch antiquities (Ν. 3028/2002). Map of the zones — the ENALIA geoportal (thalchor-2.ypen.gov.gr/layers/geonode:ENALIA).
•The national marine parks of Alonissos/N. Sporades and Zakynthos (Laganas): spearfishing is BANNED in the park. But Alonissos zone Β4 is not solid — ΦΕΚ 1741/Β/2011 reopened four stretches inside it (the N shore Αγ. Δημήτριος–Άκρο Απύθμενο, Μηλιά–Σπαρτίνες, όρμος Κλήμα on Περιστέρα, the Μεγάλος Αδελφός shore), while the same act creates the ΕΕΑΧ Περιστέρας, where fishing IS banned. Our layer paints the park whole, i.e. stricter than the act. Check the limits with the park authority.
•The Southern Kynouria/Arcadia diving park: Ν. 4688/2020 establishes underwater parks, but we have not read a spearfishing prohibition inside it in the act — we treat that as NOT PROVEN rather than as confirmed. The park's boundary is not on our map either (the act publishes no coordinates). Ask the Leonidio/Tyros λιμεναρχείο before you go.
•Local bans: on top of the national rules, every port authority issues its own (ΓΚΛ/ΕΚΛ and λιμενάρχης decisions). In the ΛΣ-ΕΛ.ΑΚΤ registry we counted ~163 of them that reach a speargun, across 48 ports — our map does NOT draw them. Check your own port: alieia.hcg.gr/prohibitions/local/local17.php.
•Locally STRICTER than the national rule: Corfu (Kerkyra) — from 01.04 to 31.10 spearfishing is banned within 200 m of the shore, even where nobody is swimming (απόφαση Λ/Χ Κέρκυρας 2141.1/2939/2024, ΦΕΚ Β΄3269/2024). In practice that closes shore entry on Corfu for the season. We read the act in the registry, not in the ΦΕΚ — confirm with the λιμεναρχείο.
•Locally STRICTER: Lefkada — 300 m instead of 200, and not only the speargun: ψαροντούφεκο, nets and longlines are banned within 300 m of those sea areas, beaches and shores of the port district THAT ARE USED BY BATHERS (απόφαση Λ/Χ Λευκάδας 2131.13/1477/2022, in its own words «όπου χρησιμοποιούνται από λουόμενους»). The act ran to 30.09.2022 and we found no extension; an expired act is not proof that the ban is gone. Ask the Lefkada λιμεναρχείο.
•Locally STRICTER: Symi — from 15.06 to 15.09 fishing BY ANY MEANS is banned within 200 m of beach areas and in inhabited coastal areas WHERE BATHERS ARE PRESENT OR GATHER (απόφαση Λ/Χ Σύμης 2131.13/882/2016). Separately, year-round: fishing by any means is banned inside the port and its sea zone, except line/rod fishing from land (ΓΚΛ Σύμης, art. 151, ΦΕΚ 362/Β/2004). The acts were copied from the registry, not checked against the ΦΕΚ.
•Locally: inside the ports of Lavrio and Kea spearfishing is banned across the WHOLE port water, not merely under the 200 m rule; separately, in front of the hotel beaches (ΓΚΛ Λαυρίου, art. 240, ΦΕΚ 460/Β/1978). The act was copied from the registry, not checked against the ΦΕΚ.
•Coming: two new national marine parks are being created (Ionian + South Cyclades, ~27,500 km²). NOT yet in force (ΠΔ under review, mid-2026). Once live — a trawl ban + a seasonal coastal closure 15.04–31.05; in the strict zones spearfishing will be banned. Check before the season.
⛔ Pinna nobilis (πίννα, fan mussel) — full ban on taking/killing (Habitats Dir. 92/43 Annex IV; critically endangered).
Rules change, and the local Λιμεναρχείο (port authority) may impose local restrictions. Before heading out, check the current rules and the declared archaeological zones (ENALIA).
Agriolivado
Bay north of Skala
Shallow, along rocky edges
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Shallow and calm in the sheet, with white seabream and saddled seabream.
Meloi
Sheltered bay near Skala
Shallow, over sand-and-rock bottom
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The sheet names white seabream and cuttlefish. Use it as a quiet bay near Skala, not as a deep-water claim.
Diakofti
Narrow south Patmos with rocky coves
Shallow to moderate, in rocky coves
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White seabream and dentex are listed. Natura context means local boundary checks before hunting.
What fish can you spearfish in Patmos?
The Patmos blurb names grouper and dentex on deep rock, while the shore spots give more local detail: Agriolivado has white seabream and saddled seabream, Meloi has white seabream and cuttlefish, and Diakofti has white seabream and dentex. Species rules are national for the Dodecanese. Grouper species in Epinephelus have a 45 cm minimum and a shared max of 1/day. White seabream is 23 cm, brown meagre is 25 cm, gilthead is 20 cm and octopus is 750 g. Dentex, greater amberjack, barracuda and parrotfish have the general 150 g fish minimum where no other size is listed.
When is the best time to spearfish in Patmos?
The sheet does not give a Patmos-only month calendar, so planning starts with wind and law. In NW meltemi, the SE around Grikos is the lee. Lampi is north-facing and windward, so it is for calm or southerly days only. The strongest legal season rule is national: the whole month of May is closed to spearfishing every year. Outside May, choose the lee side and avoid turning unverified wildlife-refuge islets into a plan.
How is the water visibility in Patmos today?
The fact sheet has no live visibility number, buoy or station. It does list a live Skala / Grikos sea player, which can help read the surface before leaving when it is online. That is not a bottom-visibility measurement. Combine it with wind direction: NW meltemi exposes Lampi and the northern islets, while Grikos keeps the better SE lee. If the image or the shore view is unclear, do not convert it into a visibility guarantee.
Do you need a license to spearfish in Greece?
Greek national rules apply in Patmos. No spearfishing licence is issued since the 2014 abolition, but check gov.gr before travel because Greece is rolling out a free recreational-fisher registry. Spearfishing is freediving-only: scuba or any compressed-air supply is banned and may not even be carried aboard. The daily catch limit is 5 kg, or one trophy over that limit. Grouper in Epinephelus is max 1/day. Night spearfishing and underwater light while hunting are forbidden.
FAQ
Where can you spearfish in Patmos?
In NW meltemi, start with the SE lee around Grikos and the Skala-side bays. Chiliomodi, Diakofti and islet plans need Natura or wildlife-refuge boundary checks.
What fish can you spearfish in Patmos?
The sheet names grouper, dentex, white seabream, saddled seabream and cuttlefish by area. Grouper in Epinephelus has a 45 cm minimum and a max of 1 fish per day.
How is the water visibility in Patmos today?
There is no live numeric visibility in the sheet. The Skala / Grikos player helps read the surface, but wind direction and shore checks still decide.
Do you need a license to spearfish in Greece?
No spearfishing licence is issued since the 2014 abolition. Check gov.gr before travelling because Greece is rolling out a free recreational-fisher registry.
Is spearfishing banned in May in Greece?
Yes. May is a total spearfishing ban across Greece every year under Presidential Decree 373/1985. Patmos has no local exception to that rule.
What is the daily catch limit for spearfishing in Greece?
The recreational limit is 5 kg/day, or one trophy heavier than the limit. Grouper in Epinephelus has an extra max of 1 fish per day.
Is scuba spearfishing allowed in Greece?
No. Spearfishing is freediving-only in Greece. Scuba or any compressed-air apparatus is banned, including carrying it aboard.
