Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and noticeable surge.
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 San José del Cabo, we'll send the go / no-go verdict. Email is all we need.
Every covered town has its own live forecast, cameras and entry points. Choose where you're diving.
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: 1391 spots across 205 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 mapNearshore bank ~4 km south of Palmilla, 5–18 m, a short boat run from Puerto Los Cabos. The exact structure is not documented; expect rock with grouper, snapper and sierra. Coords approx.
Google MapsInner peak 5–8 nm east of San José, the shallower of the two Gordos: the top starts around 40 m and falls away from there. Strong current and schooling hammerheads — advanced, boat only.
Google MapsCameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.
SpainOuter bank ~10 nm east of Puerto Los Cabos, by boat. The top sits at 67–76 m, not the 28–36 m the record carried — on breath-hold this is a mid-water blue-water spot with no bottom reference; strong current, passing tuna and wahoo.
Google MapsRock reef 5–20 m on the East Cape — but the name does not match (the Los Cabos Punta Gorda is 50 km SW) and the pin sits only 2.6 km north of the Cabo Pulmo National Park line (23°30' N), which is fully no-take. Do not drift south.
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.
Rules change. Before heading out, check with CONAPESCA/SADER (E5CINCO permit), CONANP (no-take marine ANPs) and NOM-059; apnea only.
Spearfishing in San José del Cabo is not beginner shore diving. Outer and Inner Gordo Banks are boat-based seamounts 5-10 nautical miles east, with listed depths from 28 to 42 m and a bluewater focus on tuna and wahoo. The closer San José reef is 5-18 m and listed outside reserves. Punta Gorda/Vinorama is 5-20 m reef, but marked as legal inside or near an ANP buffer, so verify zoning before loading a gun. Mexico requires a CONAPESCA/SADER permit, apnea only and a five-fish daily limit.
Separate advanced bluewater from practical reef. Gordo Banks needs boat, drift and pickup discipline.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gordo Banks Outer | Outer seamount | 28-36 m | Advanced bluewater | 7-10 nautical miles east | Tuna and wahoo are listed. Plan float, drift and pickup before entering. |
| Gordo Banks Inner | Inner bluewater peak | 35-42 m | Advanced | 5-7 nautical miles east | Closer than Outer but deeper; confirm coordinates and sea state same day. |
| Nearshore San José bajo | Rocky reef | 5-18 m | Intermediate | Local boat run | Listed outside reserves, with medregal, cabrilla, wahoo and tuna. |
For Gordo Banks, stable sea, readable current and boat recovery are mandatory. There is no nearby buoy nearby. For Punta Gorda/Vinorama, the key condition is legal: verify the ANP buffer or do not shoot.
No. They are advanced bluewater boat dives in 28-42 m.
Yes. Mexico requires an individual recreational sport-fishing permit.
No. Spearfishing is apnea only.
This guide uses the national five-fish daily limit.
Only after verifying zoning. If the buffer is unclear, do not shoot.
Portugal
