Pender Island · Canada

5.2

wave <0.1 m head-on

visibility2m

Today — right on the edge — wave <, wind and visibility.

Sources: Open-Meteo · Copernicus — high confidence · data 15:55

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.

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

updated 15:55

Pender Island — solo, off the rocks

BORDERLINE

caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · murky water (visibility ~2 m)

wave <0.1 m head-onwind 10 km/hvisibility ~2 mwindow 15:00–21:00

today, best window 15:00–18:00

fish · Visibility 2 m · Water 14.4°C

confidence high · 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.

Monday · today2026-10-12

07:29–18:29 · waxing crescent

▲ 01:00▼ 08:00▲ 13:00▼ 20:00mid-range tides · 4.0 m

Hours (06→20)

Day's trends

Tide-0.23 m

Wave0.08 m

Wind4 km/h

Water14 °C

fish activity: moon underfoot 02:10 · high · moonrise 10:09 · moderate · moon overhead 14:30 · high · moonset 18:53 · moderate

Conditions window15:00–18:00

caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish

Hs 0.04 m · calmperiod 1.8 s head-onwind 10→19surge 0viz 2 m

0.04 mcalm · up to ~0.08 · 327° head-on

1.8 sswell moderate

10→19gusts 19 km/h

0weak surge

0.08m/s

2 mrecent swell

14.4°Cthicker suit + hood

▼20:00tide falling

Atmosphere31 kmlandmarks visible

highmoon overhead

murky water (visibility ~2 m)
ebb — weaker inshore

confidence hightwilight

Open the seafloor map with entry points

More spots

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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

Arachne ReefPender Island

borderline

⛔ Banned here

in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≈9.6–45 m (bathymetry CHS NONNA-10, 13 m)

Reef, current-swept reef, 5–25 m, by boat. Closed to spear fishing — dive only.

Google Maps

Cooper ReefPender Island

borderline

⛔ Banned here

in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≈5.2–22 m (bathymetry CHS NONNA-10, 13 m)

Reef, reef, 5–25 m, by boat. Closed to spear fishing — dive only.

Google Maps

G.B. Church artificial reefPender Island

borderline

⛔ Banned here

in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≈32–40 m (bathymetry CHS NONNA-10, 13 m)

Wreck, sunk freighter, 10–30 m, by boat. Closed to spear fishing — dive only.

Google Maps

Graham's WallPender Island

borderline

⛔ Banned here

in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≥39 m (bathymetry CHS NONNA-10, 13 m)

Wall / drop-off, wall, 5–30 m, by boat. Closed to spear fishing — dive only.

Google Maps

Mouat Point (Thieves Bay)Pender Island

borderline

Spearfishing while diving is legal in BC tidal waters for finfish other than salmon (BC Sport Fishing Regulations SOR/96-137, Sched. IV) with a Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence. No spearing salmon, octopus or shellfish (shrimp excepted), no lights to attract fish (s.10); area closures, RCAs and limits apply.

in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≈27–42 m (bathymetry CHS NONNA-10, 13 m)

Reef, bay-mouth reef, 3–18 m, from shore. Spearing legal for finfish (not salmon) with a tidal licence. Coords approx.

Google Maps

Tilly PointPender Island

borderline

in the headland's lee today — swell from the quarter/behind

window: —

Reef, sandstone reef, 3–15 m, from shore. Spearing legal for finfish (not salmon) with a tidal licence. Coords approx.

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.

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now

no targets this month

Law

In British Columbia spearfishing while diving is allowed for finfish except salmon, with a Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence; Rockfish Conservation Areas, Pacific Rim NPR and named DFO closures (e.g. Ogden Point, Race Rocks, Whytecliff) are closed. In Atlantic and Quebec tidal waters groundfish and mackerel may be taken only by angling or hand-line (AFR s.15(2)) — treat spearing as not permitted. Check current rules locally.

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.

FAQ — spearfishing in Pender Island

Where can I spearfish in Pender Island?

Pender Island has rock entry points such as G.B. Church artificial reef, Arachne Reef and Cooper Reef. The southern Gulf Islands: Pender, and the reefs of Haro Strait toward Sidney — Arachne and Cooper Reefs, G.B. Below you'll find each spot (access, shelter and hazards) and today's forecast.

When is the best season in Pender Island?

October–April has the best visibility (no plankton); summer brings plankton blooms.

How cold is the water in Pender Island?

7–8 °C in winter, 10–14 °C in summer — a drysuit or 7–9 mm.

Is Pender Island good for a beginner?

Kelp, rock walls and strong tidal currents in the passes; Ogden Point, Race Rocks and Whytecliff are closed. A Tidal Waters licence is needed; never salmon; Rockfish Conservation Areas are closed to spearing.

Do I need a licence in Pender Island?

Pender Island: In British Columbia spearfishing while diving is allowed for finfish except salmon, with a Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence; Rockfish Conservation Areas, Pacific Rim NPR and named DFO closures (e.g. Ogden Point, Race Rocks, Whytecliff) are closed. In Atlantic and Quebec tidal waters groundfish and mackerel may be taken only by angling or hand-line (AFR s.15(2)) — treat spearing as not permitted. Check current rules locally.

Surface

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

Spots in Canada

🇨🇦Canada

Nearby towns

Salish Sea — Victoria, Gulf Islands & Strait of Georgia

West Coast of Vancouver Island

North Vancouver Island

BC North Coast

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.

FAQ — spearfishing in Pender Island

Gulf & Estuary of St. Lawrence

Bay of Fundy

Nova Scotia Atlantic coast

Newfoundland

Pender Island spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras

Windows, hours and the day's trends.

Get the go / no-go verdict for Pender Island by email

Spots in Canada

🇨🇦Canada

Nearby towns

Salish Sea — Victoria, Gulf Islands & Strait of Georgia

West Coast of Vancouver Island

North Vancouver Island

BC North Coast

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.

FAQ — spearfishing in Pender Island

Gulf & Estuary of St. Lawrence

Bay of Fundy

Nova Scotia Atlantic coast

Newfoundland

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.