Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and surge pounding.
Sources & confidence
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.
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.
Safety gates
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
Leave your email — and the moment a window opens at Poipu, we'll send the go / no-go verdict. Email is all we need.
What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
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.
Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.
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 spotsRelief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.
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.
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 mapBrennecke Beach: you go in from the shore, some 0.5 km from Poipu. The pin sits at 21.873 N / 159.451 W on the chart. Maximum depth is around 8 m. Heading out to the south-west, the bottom is about 2.6 m deep 50 m from the marker and 8 m at 200 m. The tidal range is small.
Google MapsCameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
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».
All 367 spots → · Region: Hawaii · spearo.app — All countries
transparency nearby ~36 m · satellite, 2 days agosatellite estimate · may differ right at the shore
buoy Waimea Bay, HI: 26.2° · 42 min ago
Koloa Landing: you go in from the shore, some 1.3 km from Poipu. The pin sits at 21.879 N / 159.468 W on the chart. Depths reach about 8 m. On a line to the south-west, NOAA bathymetry gives roughly 6 m at 50 m and 12 m at 200 m out.
A protected and very simple entry, 3–12 m, over low reef: reef fish and octopus in the cracks. It is the island's main dive-training site with constant traffic — respect the classes and keep your distance.
Google MapsCoral bommies and reef with the richest marine life on South Kauai, 2–12 m. The site is heavily used by snorkellers and dive classes: come at first light and fly a float so everyone can share the space.
Google MapsA locals' Hawaiian-sling spot east of Poipu, 3–15 m: uku, papio and goatfish over reef. Access is by a private dirt road with a gate that shuts at sunset — plan your exit with time to spare.
Google MapsShore access point Poipu Beach Park, roughly 0.2 km from Poipu. Marker position: 21.873° N, 159.455° W. Maximum depth is around 3 m. On a line to the south, NOAA bathymetry gives roughly 0.8 m at 50 m and 1.0 m at 200 m out. Tides here rise and fall only a little.
Google MapsThe full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appThe full spot briefing is part of the subscription: entry, bottom, hazards, tide window.
Open in the appSOLO 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.
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.
Spearfishing in Poipu is small-scale reef work, not blue-water hunting. Mahaulepu is the local Hawaiian-sling style option for uku, papio and goatfish. Lawai Beach has coral bommies and heavy marine life. Koloa Landing is the easiest protected entry, but scuba training traffic is common. The safest plan is an early water check, a visible float and a low-impact approach that leaves crowded reef patches alone.
The best Poipu spot is the one with clean water and room. These entries are close to shore, shared with snorkelers or divers, and sensitive to south swell. If protected animals are present or people fill the reef, make it a scouting swim.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahaulepu (Kawailoa Bay) | Reef and lava-rock bay | Shallow to moderate reef | Intermediate | Shore approach east of Poipu | A local sling-style area for uku, papio and goatfish. Do not force an exit over exposed reef. |
| Lawai Beach (Beach House) reef | Coral bommies | Shallow reef pockets | Intermediate | Beach entry near Lawai | Rich marine life and snorkel traffic. Keep shots selective and avoid coral contact. |
| Koloa Landing (Whalers Cove) | Protected reef entry | Shallow reef | Accessible but crowded | Easy shore entry | Good entry, heavy scuba classes. Share the water and keep the gun controlled. |
The area is sheltered, but south swell from 150-240 degrees can still wrap in. Because Hawaii has a micro-tide regime, swell and wind usually matter more than tide height. NOAA station 51208 is the listed offshore check for Kauai energy.
The local list includes uhu, ulua, kumu, roi and taape. Roi and taape are invasive and removal is encouraged, but roi can carry ciguatera risk. Be conservative with uhu, and never mistake protected animals or reef life for harvest targets.
Nonresidents need the Nonresident Recreational Marine Fishing License; residents do not need a marine recreational license. MLCDs are no-take, and any uncertain boundary should be treated as closed. Sea turtles, monk seals and cetaceans must not be disturbed.
Poipu entries are social water. Keep the float visible, point the gun down around snorkelers, and pass on shots that would send fish or shaft toward coral, students or blind corners.
Yes. Nonresidents need the NRMFL.
No. Marine Life Conservation Districts are no-take.
The entry is easy, but scuba traffic makes awareness essential.
NOAA NDBC station 51208 is the listed reference.
They are invasive, but roi can carry ciguatera risk.
