Mitchell's CoveSanta Cruz
dangerousexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Rock reef with kelp and a sheltered entry; lingcod and rockfish (east of the Natural Bridges SMR).
Google MapsSanta Cruz spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras
2.6
wave 1.5 m
visibility2m
Today — sit it out — wave, wind and surge pounding.
Sources: IPMA · NDBC · Copernicus — high confidence · data 03:56
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 03:56
Santa Cruz — solo, off the rocks
don't go · wave 1.5 m (occasionally up to ~3.0 m)
wave 1.5 mwind 16 km/hsurge pounding the rocksvisibility ~3 m
today, best window 12:00–15:00
fish · Visibility 3 m · Water 16.4°C
confidence medium · 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
06:05–20:23 · first quarter
▼ 00:00▲ 06:00▼ 11:00▲ 18:00 · 1.3 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide-0.31 m
Wave1.16 m
Wind3 km/h
Water16 °C
fish activity: moonset 00:27 · moderate · moon underfoot 07:40 · high · moonrise 15:05 · moderate · moon overhead 20:00 · high
Conditions window06:00–09:00
don't go fish
Hs 1.78 mperiod 6.6 swind 9→18surge 17.3viz 2 m
1.78 mup to ~3.56 · 204° at an angle
6.6 sswell moderate
9→18gusts 18 km/h
17.3pounding the rocks
0.14m/s
2 mrecent swell
15.9°Cthicker suit + hood
▼11:00tide turn near
Atmosphere0 kmovercast
highmoon underfoot
- wave 1.8 m (occasionally up to ~3.6 m)
- long secondary swell (14 s) straight onshore
- ebb — weaker inshore
confidence mediumtwilight
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
Natural Bridges kelp stripSanta Cruz
closedexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Sloping rock shelf and kelp inside the Natural Bridges SMR — no-take, viewing only.
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
- white seabass
- California halibut
- California yellowtail
- California sheephead
- kelp/sand bass
- rockfish
- lingcod
Law
- ✓California sport fishing licence (+Ocean Enhancement Validation south of Point Arguello). No separate spearfishing permit.
- ✓No take: giant sea bass, garibaldi, salmon; abalone closed to 2036. network: no-take, by zone. Lobster hand-take only.
- ⛔ 🚫 Giant (black) sea bass and garibaldi — fully protected, no take. Red abalone — fishery CLOSED until Apr 1 2036. Salmon — no spear.
- ⛔ 🚫 network: State Marine Reserve () — no-take; — varies (check the specific zone). Lobster — hand-take only. No spear within 100 yd of a stream mouth north of Ventura.
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.
FAQ — spearfishing in Santa Cruz
Where can I spearfish in Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz has rock entry points such as Mitchell's Cove and Natural Bridges kelp strip. North Monterey Bay kelp and reef — lingcod, rockfish and halibut; Natural Bridges is a no-take SMR strip. Below you'll find each spot (access, shelter and hazards) and today's forecast.
When is the best season in Santa Cruz?
Year-round in the kelp; white seabass/CA halibut/yellowtail, SoCal best summer–fall.
How cold is the water in Santa Cruz?
Cold California Current, 12–20 °C; kelp, viz best in SoCal.
Is Santa Cruz good for a beginner?
Intermediate–advanced: cold, kelp and surge — the MPA network (SMR closed, SMCAs vary).
Do I need a licence in Santa Cruz?
Yes — in Santa Cruz, as everywhere on the mainland, you need a recreational fishing licence (DGRM); breath-hold only (no scuba), with a marker buoy and no night diving. See the guide for the details.
Coming soon
Get the go / no-go verdict for Santa Cruz by email
Leave your email — and the moment a window opens at Santa Cruz, we'll send the go / no-go verdict. Email is all we need.
26 countries · all spots
Pick your coast
Every covered town has its own live forecast, cameras and entry points. Choose where you're diving.
Portugal
Portugal map →
North
Setúbal · Arrábida
Algarve
Spain
Spain map →Cantabrian coast
Andalusia (Atlantic)
Andalusia (Med)
Italy
Italy map →Tuscany
Central Adriatic
Northern Adriatic
Greece
Greece map →Attica · Saronic
Halkidiki
Thrace · Kavala
France
France map →Hauts-de-France
North Brittany
West Brittany
Pays de la Loire
Charente-Maritime
French Basque Country
Provence — Côte d'Azur
Turkey
Turkey map →
Croatia
Croatia map →Kvarner
North Dalmatia
Central Dalmatia (Split)
Cyprus
Cyprus map →
Malta
Malta map →
Brazil
Brazil map →South Coast
São Paulo Coast
Rio de Janeiro Coast
Bahia Coast
Coral Coast
Chile
Chile map →Norte Grande
Central Chile
Colombia
Colombia map →Caribbean · Guajira
Central Caribbean
Caribbean · Gulf
Islands (Colombia)
Pacific (Colombia)
Venezuela
Venezuela map →Central Caribbean (Venezuela)
Insular Venezuela
Ecuador
Ecuador map →
Mexico
Mexico map →Baja Pacific
Sea of Cortez
Pacific Mainland
Bahamas
Bahamas map →New Providence
Grand Bahama
Bimini
Long Island
San Salvador
Cat Island
Dominican Republic
Dominican Rep. map →Southeast Caribbean
South Caribbean
Southwest Caribbean
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico map →
Peru
Peru map →
Uruguay
Uruguay map →Uruguay · Río de la Plata
Uruguay · Rocha (Atlantic)
Argentina
Argentina map →Buenos Aires
Río Negro · San Matías
Chubut · Golfo Nuevo
Tierra del Fuego
Australia
Australia map →NSW North Coast
NSW Central — Sydney/Newcastle/Illawarra
QLD South-East
QLD Capricorn Coast
QLD Tropical North
Victoria
SA Gulfs & Fleurieu
SA Limestone Coast (Bonney)
WA South-West (Perth–Capes)
WA Mid-West (Geraldton–Kalbarri)
WA North (Ningaloo–Kimberley)
New Zealand
New Zealand map →Auckland & Hauraki Gulf
Coromandel
Bay of Plenty
East Cape / Gisborne
Hawke's Bay
Taranaki & Western NI
Wellington & Cook Strait
Canterbury & Banks Peninsula
Southland & Foveaux
West Coast (South Island)
South Africa
South Africa map →Western Cape
Garden Route
Eastern Cape
Wild Coast
United States
USA map →New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
North Carolina
Florida
- St. Augustine
- Port Canaveral
- Vero Beach
- Fort Pierce
- Jupiter
- Palm Beach
- Boynton Beach
- Pompano Beach
- Fort Lauderdale
- Miami
- Key Largo
- Islamorada
- Marathon
- Big Pine Key
- Key West
- Fernandina Beach
- Jacksonville Beach
- Ponce Inlet
- Cocoa Beach
- Sebastian Inlet
- Stuart
- Boca Raton
- Naples
- Venice (FL)
- Sarasota
- Clearwater
- Tarpon Springs
- Steinhatchee
- Apalachicola
- Port St. Joe
- Panama City Beach
- Destin
- Pensacola
- Marco Island
- Fort Myers Beach
- Boca Grande
- Crystal River
- Cedar Key
Mississippi
Texas
California
- San Diego (Point Loma)
- La Jolla
- Encinitas
- Oceanside
- Dana Point
- Laguna Beach
- Newport Beach
- Long Beach (San Pedro)
- Palos Verdes
- Redondo Beach
- Malibu
- Avalon (Catalina Island)
- Two Harbors (Catalina Island)
- Ventura
- Santa Barbara
- Morro Bay
- San Simeon
- Monterey
- Carmel
- Santa Cruz
- Half Moon Bay
- Fort Bragg
- Mendocino
- Pacific Beach (Mission Bay)
- Carlsbad
- San Clemente
- Huntington Beach
- Oxnard (Channel Islands Harbor)
- Goleta
- Cayucos
- Pacific Grove
- Bodega Bay
- Trinidad
- Crescent City
Washington
Philippines
Philippines map →NW Luzon
Western Visayas
Cebu & Negros
Feedback
Help us make it better
What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.