Air Force TowerPort St. Joe
dangerousexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Tall tower, 45-ft relief.
Google MapsPort St. Joe spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras
2.5
wave 1.3 m head-on
visibility1m
Today — sit it out — wave, wind and surge pounding.
Sources: IPMA · NDBC · Copernicus — high confidence · data 18:38
Sources & confidence
- Sources
- IPMA · NDBC buoys · Copernicus Marine
- Method
- Model consensus, read per window
- Freshness
- Re-read every hour, per coast
Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine
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 — forced red; the window is closed after dark.
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
Surface
Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.
spearo.app
calmupdated 18:38
Port St. Joe — solo, off the rocks
don't go · wave 1.3 m (occasionally up to ~2.6 m)
wave 1.3 m head-onwind 20, gusts 35 km/hsurge pounding the rocksvisibility ~1 m
today, best window 18:00–21:00
fish · Visibility 1 m · Water 29.3°C
confidence low · 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.
Wednesday · today2026-07-22
06:54–20:40 · first quarter
▲ 05:00▼ 17:00 · 0.5 m
Hours (06→20)
18
Day's trends
Tide-0.03 m
Wave1.20 m
Wind8 km/h
Water29 °C
fish activity: moonset 01:12 · moderate · moon underfoot 08:10 · high · moonrise 15:15 · moderate · moon overhead 20:30 · high
Conditions window18:00–21:00
don't go fish
Hs 1.32 mperiod 6.5 s head-onwind 20→35surge 8.4viz 1 m
1.32 mup to ~2.64 · 214° head-on
6.5 sswell moderate
20→35gusts 35 km/h
8.4pounding the rocks
0.31m/s
1 mrecent swell
29.3°C5 mm + hood
▼04:00tide rising
Atmosphere15 kmlandmarks visible
highmoon overhead
- wave 1.3 m (occasionally up to ~2.6 m)
- steep wind-wave — choppy surface, careful on entry
- first hours of the flood — fish moving in
confidence lowtwilight
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: 1152 spots across 189 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.
See all spotsThe 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
Charles Deaton Memorial ReefPort St. Joe
dangerousexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
MBARA reef; snapper, grouper.
Google MapsLST Port St. JoePort St. Joe
dangerousexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Landing ship off Cape San Blas.
Google MapsSOLO 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.
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».
Reference
What's in season,
what the law says.
In season now
- sheepshead
- mangrove/mutton snapper
- gag/red grouperSeason is state-set — check before you go.
- hogfish
- cobia
- flounder
Law
- ✓Florida: saltwater licence $17 res / $47 non-res; reef fish need the free State Reef Fish Angler (SRFS) designation. NC: CRFL; SC/GA: saltwater licence.
- ✓Distances (FL): 100 yd from beaches/piers/bridges, 100 ft from the above-water part of a jetty. banned in FL and SC; rebreathers are illegal for spearfishing in FL.
- ✓SC: gamefish (red drum/seatrout/cobia/tarpon/striped bass) hook-and-line only (§50-5-1700). GA: speargun doubtful in state water — real hunting on federal reefs.
- ⛔ 🚫 Do not spear (FL FAC 68B-20.005): snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, tarpon, bonefish, pompano, goliath/Nassau grouper, billfish, sharks, rays + ornamental reef families.
- ⛔ 🚫 Spiny lobster/stone crab — hand-take only (no puncturing). banned in FL and SC. Monroe County (Long Key north to the Miami-Dade line — incl. Key Largo): spearfishing banned; the lionfish licence exemption does NOT override it — hand-held nets only there.
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.
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 Port St. Joe: spots, seasons and rules
Spearfishing in Port St. Joe belongs outside the bay. The draw is open-Gulf structure off Cape San Blas: a landing-ship wreck, a tall tower and MBARA reef material. These sites can hold snapper, grouper, hogfish, sheepshead, cobia and flounder when seasons allow. St Joseph Bay is noted as a no-spear preserve, so it is not a backup harvest area when the Gulf is rough.
TL;DR
- Port St. Joe is an open-Gulf reef and wreck plan; St Joseph Bay is a no-spear preserve for harvest purposes.
- The listed targets are LST Port St. Joe, Air Force Tower and Charles Deaton Memorial Reef off Cape San Blas.
- Florida license, SRFS designation and FWC species prohibitions apply before any snapper, grouper or hogfish plan.
- South-southwest energy from 160-250 degrees is the poor visibility window; light offshore wind is better.
Best spearfishing spots in Port St. Joe
Use these as boat sites only. The LST is the wreck identity dive, Air Force Tower is the tall-relief option, and Charles Deaton Memorial Reef is the MBARA reef check. If the Gulf is not clean enough for the first stop, the bay still stays out of the harvest plan.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LST Port St. Joe | Landing-ship wreck | Offshore wreck structure | Intermediate to advanced | Boat access off Cape San Blas | A named wreck choice; confirm current, season and legal species before dropping. |
| Air Force Tower | Tower reef | About 45 ft of relief | Advanced boat dive | Boat access offshore | Tall relief can concentrate fish and current. Use settled weather and tight boat watch. |
| Charles Deaton Memorial Reef | MBARA artificial reef | Reef material | Intermediate boat dive | Boat access to the MBARA area | A practical reef for legal snapper and grouper checks after seasons are confirmed. |
Where should you not spearfish?
Do not hunt St Joseph Bay. St Joseph Bay is a no-spear preserve, so the fail-close plan is open Gulf structure only. If the Gulf is blown out, switch to non-harvest snorkeling or postpone.
When is the Gulf window best?
The bad sector runs about 160-250 degrees, with 195 degrees the worst direction. Light offshore or easterly wind, low chop and stable weather improve visibility. NOAA station 42039 is the listed reference, though it is a longer-range buoy.
What Florida rules matter?
Carry a saltwater license and SRFS for reef fish. FWC prohibits powerheads and rebreathers, and bars spearing snook, red drum, spotted seatrout, tarpon, bonefish, sharks, rays, billfish, goliath grouper, Nassau grouper, lobster and stone crab.
How should the boat day be chosen?
Match the site to the weakest diver, not the biggest fish rumor. Tower relief, wreck edges and Gulf current can turn a simple reef check into a difficult pickup if wind or tide changes.
FAQ
Can I spearfish inside St Joseph Bay?
No. Treat it as a no-spear preserve.
What is the main Port St. Joe style?
Boat diving open-Gulf wrecks and artificial reefs.
Which NOAA station should I use?
NOAA NDBC station 42039 is the listed reference.
Are powerheads legal in Florida?
No. FWC prohibits them for spearfishing.
Do reef fish need extra registration?
Yes. Use the free State Reef Fish Angler designation.
Sources
Nearby towns
Coming soon
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