Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and noticeable surge.
Sources & confidence
Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine
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
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: 1152 spots across 189 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 mapWide fringing reef off Long Reef Point. Long Reef Aquatic Reserve is NOT no-take — line and finfish spearfishing are permitted inside it; only invertebrate/plant collection is banned. Snapper, kingfish; check current DPI closures.
Google MapsBroad rock platform and reef; ledges 2–6 m, drummer, bream, blackfish. Enter off the platform at low swell.
Google MapsSydney's most famous shore dive — Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, NO-TAKE. Blue gropers, wobbegongs; look 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.
Cameras, 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».
Rules change and vary BY STATE. Before heading out, check with your state's fisheries (NSW DPI, Fisheries QLD, VFA, DPIRD WA, PIRSA, NRE Tas, NT Fisheries) and the marine-park zoning map.
Spearfishing on Sydney Northern Beaches is legal only when the spot, species and method all line up. Shelly Beach and Cabbage Tree Bay are no-take sanctuary water, so they are for snorkelling, not hunting. North Curl Curl offers shallow reef and ledges outside that closure when swell is low. Long Reef is different from Cabbage Tree Bay: finfish spearfishing can be permitted there, while plants and invertebrates are protected, but current NSW DPI rules should be checked before diving. Pay the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee and leave blue groper alone.
This coastline has good reef close to shore, but it also has famous protected water and busy surf zones. Make the plan from the map outward: remove sanctuary areas first, then judge swell, platform exit and crowding. If the sea is too big for a clean rock return, the legal status of the reef does not make it a good dive.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelly Beach (Cabbage Tree Bay), Manly | No-take aquatic reserve sanctuary | Shallow snorkel and dive reef | Closed to spearfishing | Beach access at Manly and Shelly Beach | A classic Sydney snorkel site with blue gropers and wobbegongs, but it is not a hunting spot. The reserve is no-take, so no fishing, spearfishing or collecting. |
| North Curl Curl reef | Rock platform and shallow reef | Ledges around 2-6 m | Intermediate shore entry | Platform entry only in low swell | A practical Northern Beaches shore option when swell is small and the platform is dry enough for a safe return. Drummer, bream and luderick work the wash; snapper show when visibility improves. |
| Long Reef | Wide fringing reef and aquatic reserve | Shallow reef edge with deeper gutters | Intermediate, map-dependent | Walk and platform entry around Long Reef Point | Not all aquatic reserves have the same take rules. Finfish spearfishing can be permitted at Long Reef, while invertebrates and plants are protected. Confirm current DPI closures before entering. |
Small swell, light westerly wind and a calm lead-up are the usual signs. E and SE swell hit the platforms directly, pushing white water through gutters and making exits slippery. North Curl Curl needs special caution at low platforms, because a short period pulse can change the return. Long Reef has more water around it but also more exposure and walking distance.
No. Shelly Beach sits in Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, a no-take sanctuary. It is one of Sydney best-known fish-watching sites because fishing pressure is removed. Do not carry a speargun there as a backup plan, and do not collect shellfish or plants. If Manly looks perfect but the open coast is rough, switch to snorkelling or wait for a better shore-diving day.
Long Reef is useful precisely because it is not the same rule set as Cabbage Tree Bay. Line fishing and finfish spearfishing are allowed in the reserve, while invertebrate and plant collection is banned. That still leaves room for seasonal closures, species limits or updated management. Check the NSW DPI page or map on the day, and never take lobster, abalone or other invertebrates there.
Northern Beaches reef is classic NSW wash country: drummer, bream, luderick, snapper, trevally and yellowtail kingfish in better water. Keep only fish that meet current size and bag rules. Eastern blue groper is protected from spearing; black cod, grey nurse shark, white shark, seahorses and seadragons are also protected. The NSW Recreational Fishing Fee applies unless you are exempt.
Yes. The NSW Recreational Fishing Fee applies to spearfishing unless you are exempt.
No. Shelly Beach is within Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, a no-take sanctuary.
No. Finfish spearfishing can be permitted, but invertebrates and plants are protected and current DPI rules must be checked.
Small swell with light offshore wind. E to SE swell makes the platform exit and visibility worse.
No. Eastern blue groper is protected from spearfishing in NSW and must not be taken.
Leave your email — and the moment a window opens at Sydney — Northern Beaches, we'll send the go / no-go verdict. Email is all we need.
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