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
no dataupdated 20:56
Roses — solo, off the rocks
BEST WINDOW
best weather window · solo, stay careful, run the checklist · calm conditions: swell, wind and visibility all normal
wave 0.1 m head-onwind 7 km/hvisibility ~4 mwindow 06:00–21:00
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.
The Mediterranean tide moves some twenty centimetres — for hunting it makes no difference. What counts is different: after rain the Muga and the Fluvià push turbidity into the bay of Roses and it drifts southwest along the shore. The permanent flow hugs the slope further out; inside the cove you can ignore it.
shelter
Montjoi bay faces east-southeast, and all its shelter comes from the Tramuntana: the north wind drops off the land over the Norfeu ridge and leaves the water flat and clean along the shore. The Llevant, roughly the 50 to 160 degree sector, walks straight in through the mouth, and inside there is nowhere to hide.
conditions
Come with Tramuntana or a light westerly: on those days you get 15-25 metres along the rocky sides of the cove. With Llevant, especially around 90 degrees, the place shuts down — the surge stirs the sand at the head of the bay and visibility drops to two or three metres. From 14 August 2026 you need the free Cap de Creus park permit.
First the park regime: Cap de Creus caps are tighter than the general Catalan ones — 5 kg of fish, 2 kg of cephalopods, 40 urchins, mero from 55 cm and only one, plus a daily catch report and compulsory environmental training. Then the physical side: no tanks anywhere in Spain, buoy compulsory, and in summer tenders and kayaks inside the cove.
access
The road from Roses runs through the Torre del Sastre barrier: from 1 July to 31 August it is shut 09:30-16:00 and only bookings, residents and motorbikes get through. The alternative is on foot from Almadrava beach along the camí de ronda, 4 km, about two hours. Entry off the shingle, five minutes swim to the rocky sides.
Rocky cove SE of Roses; drop-offs and boulders, sea bream and gilthead, exposed to the easterly (Llevant, E).
Forget the tide — twenty centimetres decide nothing. Sand is what really gets in the way: the shallow Almadrava holds suspended silt for a day or two after an easterly sea, while stony Rostella flushes clean in a few hours. There is almost no coastal current here, so reckon on wind drift, not on flow.
shelter
Two neighbouring spots on the north side of the bay of Roses: narrow rocky Rostella between Punta Falconera and Montjoi bay, and the wide shallow Almadrava. Rostella is listed as a Tramuntana refuge, but the shelter comes from the ridge alone and in a hard northerly the wind still falls in from above. Both mouths open southeast, and Llevant shuts them.
conditions
Come with Tramuntana or a light northwesterly: 12-20 metres over the rock at either end, noticeably less over the sand in the middle. With southeast and east, 90 to 135 degrees, the surge runs straight in through the mouth, the sand lifts and visibility falls to three metres. The Cap de Creus park permit applies here too.
Stay to the west: east of Rostella the Cap Norfeu reserve band begins, where recreational fishing is banned outright, and nobody marks that line in the water. In summer Almadrava fills with swimmers and the 250 metre rule from bathing areas applies here too. Urchins cover the entry rock — boots and gloves are not optional.
access
Almadrava has tarmac and a car park with no barrier; you enter straight off the coarse shingle. Cala Rostella takes no cars: you walk the camí de ronda from Almadrava, about a kilometre and a half and half an hour, with a rocky scramble down. From the water it is five to ten minutes swim to the good rocky edge on either side.
Cove semi-sheltered from the easterly; easy entry, good with E swell.
Nobody watches the tide here, the range is about 20 centimetres. You watch the current: the Liguro-Provenzal-Catalana flow runs southwest hugging the slope, and right at the point dive guides call it moderate to strong, high difficulty. Drop your buoy before the first dive and see where it pulls.
shelter
Falconera is a rocky cape between Roses and Montjoi, exposed to south and southeast. With Tramuntana its northern nook works: the wind passes overhead and the water under the wall goes glassy. With Llevant or Gregal from the northeast there is nowhere to hide — the sea wraps around the point on both sides and breaks on the rock.
conditions
The good day is Tramuntana or flat calm: 20-30 metres on the walls, the best visibility on this stretch. With an easterly near 90 degrees, or a long easterly swell, the cape is shut — it breaks over the rock and getting out of the water turns dangerous. You are inside the park: permit and a daily catch report.
The walls drop from 20 to 45 metres and the temptation to use tanks is at its highest here: spearfishing on scuba is banned everywhere in Spain, and carrying a gun and breathing gear together on a boat is already treated as an offence. Load the gun underwater only. Add the current at the point and dive boats overhead.
access
From the Montjoi road a turn-off leads to the Falconera car park; a path then runs past the old coastal battery bunkers, about ten minutes downhill. There is no beach: you enter off a rock slab, and with any swell do not try. Two or three minutes to the good ground — depth starts right at the stone.
Rocky point between Roses and Montjoi; rock and Posidonia, moderately exposed to the E.
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.
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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».
Sin prohibición estatal de captura (NO está en el Catálogo Español, RD 139/2011). Cataluña: 50 cm, máx. 2 ejemplares/día — Resolució ARP/3310/2025.
common octopus
Octopus vulgaris · Mediterranean · 1 kg
Talla por PESO: mín. 1 kg (RD 560/1995, todos los anexos). No coger hembras con huevos. Cataluña: veda del pulpo de roca aprox. jul–sep, por zonas — Resolució ARP/3310/2025.
Law
✓Spearfishing licence mandatory; the AUTONOMOUS COMMUNITY issues it (not the State) and it is valid in the exterior waters of the whole coast. Free-diving only — scuba is banned (, art. 3).
✓Spearfishing catch may not be sold or traded — it is non-commercial fishing ().
✓Night prohibited: spearfishing only in daylight (sunset to sunrise not allowed) — , art. 16.d.
✓Marker buoy MANDATORY: mark your position with a clearly visible buoy and stay within 25 m of it — , art. 15.
✓Never keep the speargun loaded out of the water — , art. 16.a.
✓Keep at least 300 m from professional fishing vessels that are working — , art. 12.b.
✓The state act (, art. 16) bans, for spearfishing: a loaded gun out of the water; explosive/electric points and lamps (hand torches excepted); underwater scooters; night — from sunset to sunrise. Plus art. 12 b), d), e): 300 m from professional fishing vessels, light as an attractant, poisons/explosives. A ban in a PARTICULAR reserve, port or beach comes from that place's OWN instrument (the reserve's order, the autonomous community's rules, the port authority) — see the no-take zones on the map and your community's rules.
✓Min. sizes by ( + + EU 2019/1241): sea bass 42 cm (rec.) / 36 cm / 25 cm Mediterranean / 22 cm Canaries; gilthead bream 20 cm and white seabream 23 cm in the Mediterranean (EU 2019/1241); grouper 45 cm. See your zone's species card.
✓Only species in Annex I of may be taken; keeping, landing or transporting undersized specimens is prohibited.
✓The licence needs a medical fitness certificate for free-diving and civil-liability insurance (or a federative licence, which includes it). Mandatory in the Basque Country/Murcia/Asturias/Galicia; the federative licence covers it in Galicia/Balearics/Cantabria; the Canaries and Andalusia do NOT require it for the individual licence (a responsible health declaration). Minimum age generally 16 (14 in Andalusia).
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 Roses
Where can I spearfish in Roses?
Roses has rock entry points such as Cala Montjoi, Punta Falconera and Cala Rostella / Almadrava. Roses faces east across its bay, so the Llevant is the wind that closes it. Below you'll find each spot (access, shelter and hazards) and today's forecast.
When is the best season in Roses?
Long season (May–October), with summer going glassy. Tide barely matters — follow the solunar and the thermocline; there are posidonia meadows and, at peak summer, plenty of boats and swimmers.
How cold is the water in Roses?
Mediterranean: ~13 °C in winter to ~25 °C in summer. A 3 mm suit in high summer, 5 mm in spring and autumn — but the thermocline can leave the water much colder at depth.
Is Roses good for a beginner?
Accessible: generally calm sea, clear water and little current — good for building water time on small-sea days. Mind the boat traffic in summer; always use the buoy.
Do I need a licence in Roses?
Yes — in Roses you need a recreational sea-fishing licence (issued by the autonomous community); breath-hold only (no scuba), with a marker buoy and no night diving. See the guide.
✓There is no fixed national catch cap (, art. 5 delegates it to the communities); the standard is 5 kg/person/day, with 1 specimen allowed not to count (Canaries — Decreto 182/2004, art. 38.3; Murcia; Galicia; Basque Country). Protected species have per-piece quotas.
✓Only a harpoon is allowed — hand-held or mechanically propelled, with one or several points (, art. 14.1). Carrying spearfishing gear and underwater breathing equipment aboard AT THE SAME TIME is prohibited (art. 14.2) — an offence in itself, even if you dived on a breath hold.
✓Spain is not one jurisdiction. The licence is issued by a coastal autonomous community, and you must comply with the rules of the administration on whose littoral you are in the water: «debiendo cumplir la normativa establecida por la administración en cuyo litoral se realice la actividad» (, art. 13). Interior waters — inside the straight baselines: bays, coves, rías, the whole coastal strip — are the community's competence; exterior waters are the State's. So the age, the days of the week, the distances and the are found in your community's act, not in the state one.
✓Catalonia: the «Llicència de pesca recreativa subaquàtica» (recreational spearfishing) is issued by the Generalitat de Catalunya — applied for at tramits.gencat.cat.
✓Bans: Illes Medes, Ses Negres (Begur), parts of Cap de Creus — spearfishing banned (see zones).
✓Catalonia (Decret 109/1995): the daily cap per licence is 10 kg of fish, 5 kg of cephalopods and 150 sea urchins (art. 25.1); the excess weight of one big specimen does not count (art. 25.2), and for tuna and swordfish there are no kilos at all — the cap is 2 pieces a day (art. 25.3). Sunrise to sunset only (art. 15), on a breath hold, with a hand spear or a mechanically propelled gun that may be loaded ONLY under water (art. 16). Keep 100 m from set gear, marine farms, anglers' rods and professional vessels, and at least 250 m from bathing zones measured along the shore (art. 17); lamps, torches, powder- or gas-propelled guns and explosive points are banned (art. 18); a surface buoy is mandatory (art. 19). Only fish, cephalopods and sea urchins may be taken (art. 24.1), and the triton (Charonia lampa — así lo imprime el decreto), the fan mussel (Pinna nobilis) and the date mussel (Lithophaga lithophaga) may not be collected at all (art. 24.2).
Spain
