Vieques · Puerto Rico

5.3

wave 1.2 m head-on

visibility3m

Today — right on the edge — wave, wind and surge pounding.

Sources: NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus — high confidence · data 16:15

Sources & confidence

Sources: NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus
Method: 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.

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 — 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.

Google Play — QR code — point your camera

0 m

Surface

Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.

spearo.app

updated 16:15

Vieques — solo, off the rocks

BORDERLINE

caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site · wave 1.2 m + hitting the shore

wave 1.2 m head-onwind 24, gusts 31 km/hsurge pounding the rocksvisibility ~3 m

today, best window 06:00–09:00

fish · Visibility 3 m · Water 29.7°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.

Sunday · today2026-10-25

06:18–17:53 · full moon

▼ 00:00▲ 09:00 · 0.2 m

Hours (06→20)

Day's trends

Tide0.28 m

Wave1.02 m

Wind21 km/h

Water30 °C

fish activity: moonset 05:36 · moderate · moon underfoot 11:30 · high · moonrise 17:25 · moderate · moon overhead 00:00 · high

Conditions window06:00–09:00

caution — solo off the rocks is risky, check on site fish

Hs 1.18 m · roughperiod 4.4 s head-onwind 24→31surge 2viz 3 m

1.18 mrough · up to ~2.36 · 157° head-on

4.4 sswell moderate

24→31gusts 31 km/h

2pounding the rocks

0.11m/s

3 mrecent swell

29.7°C5 mm + hood

▲09:00tide turn near

Atmosphere15 kmprecip 0.1 mm

moderatemoonset

wave 1.2 m + hitting the shore
steep wind-wave — choppy surface, careful on entry
dawn/dusk

confidence lowtwilight

Open the seafloor map with entry points

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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

Cayo Real / Punta Arenas W (зап. Vieques)Vieques

no data

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≈2.1–3.7 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

Reef, 3–12 m — on a refuge edge — verify. Grouper, snapper. This spot is exposed to open-ocean swell, so the sea here is rougher than right off the town; pick a calm day. Coordinates of the entry: 18.123 N, 65.578 W. Survey soundings near the mark run from 2.1 m to 4 m.

Google Maps

Mosquito Pier (Isabel II)Vieques

no data

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≈6.1–12 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

Pier/artificial reef 3–14 m — legal (outside refuge), beginner; snapper, grouper, lobster (by hand). Estimated.

Google Maps

Punta Arenas / Green BeachVieques

no data

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≈2.3–4.0 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

Reef/point 3–12 m — WARNING: Vieques NWR, verify sector/access; reef fish. Estimated. The tidal range is small. Marker position: 18.118° N, 65.578° W.

Google Maps

Sun Bay / Sombe reef (Esperanza)Vieques

no data

window: —
Seabed depth of the selected area: ≈4.5–8.0 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM/CoNED, 3 m)

Reef & seagrass, 3–12 m — legal (outside reserves). Lionfish, hogfish, lobster (by hand only), snapper.

Google Maps

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.

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now

mutton snapper
Lutjanus analis · 5–25 m · on the current by structure · dusk/night
Mutton snapper on the sand-reef edge — spooky, long float line & patience, best at dusk. ⚠️ Closed 1 Apr–30 Jun (federal, 50 CFR 622).
yellowtail snapper
Ocyurus chrysurus · 3–25 m · on the current by structure · dusk/night
Min 12″ (30 cm, federal). Small midwater snapper over the reef; comes up on a drift, best at dusk.
red hind
Epinephelus guttatus · 8–30 m · on the current by structure · daytime
Red hind in reef holes, by day. ⚠️ Grouper closed 1 Feb–30 Apr + red hind 1 Dec–last day Feb (federal) → target May–Nov only. Vulnerable, take sparingly.
crevalle jack
Caranx hippos · 1–20 m · on the current by structure · daytime
Crevalle jack on the reef edge on the current, by day — quick, a strong fighter.
parrotfish
Scaridae · 2–25 m · on the current by structure · daytime
❓ Not regulated in Reglamento 7949, but a herbivorous reef-cleaner — conservatively DON'T shoot it.
lionfish
Pterois volitans · 3–40 m · on the current by structure · daytime
Invasive — culling is ENCOURAGED year-round (MTIASIC/WECAFC). Venomous spines — careful; flesh edible.

off season: hogfish (Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun) · cero mackerel (Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr)

Law

✓A is required — tourists included (apply at the Oficina de Permisos).
✓Nassau and goliath grouper are closed year-round; parrotfish and queen conch (carrucho) are protected (federal + ).

⛔ 🚫 Nassau grouper (cherna) and goliath (guasa), plus queen conch (carrucho) — federal no-take. Lobster may NOT be speared (Art. 8.18) — hand/trap only.
⛔ 🚫 Sea turtles, marine mammals and Acropora corals — no-take (ESA). Spearfishing is banned in marine reserves (Tres Palmas, Canal Luis Peña), bathing zones and within 100 ft of shore.

Rules change. Before heading out, check with the DRNA (Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales) and the federal NOAA rules (50 CFR 622).

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 Vieques

Where can I spearfish in Vieques?

Vieques has rock entry points such as Mosquito Pier (Isabel II), Punta Arenas / Green Beach and Sun Bay / Sombe reef (Esperanza). Vieques (Esperanza, the south malecón) is a base for the south reefs. Below you'll find each spot (access, shelter and hazards) and today's forecast.

When is the best season in Vieques?

Vieques and Culebra — Puerto Rico's clearest water, but the most reserves (Canal Luis Peña no-take). Check the zones, hunt outside the boundaries.

How cold is the water in Vieques?

Warm, ~27–29 °C — lycra/2 mm. Puerto Rico's clearest water (Vieques/Culebra), 20–30 m on the reefs.

Is Vieques good for a beginner?

Intermediate: Puerto Rico's clearest water, but many reserves and ferry logistics (Vieques/Culebra).

Do I need a licence in Vieques?

In Vieques (a US territory) spearfishing is legal on breath-hold only — scuba is banned (Fishing Regulation 7949, Arts. 18.2 & 18.9); the speargun, Hawaiian sling and pole spear are all legal on a single breath (Arts. 4.6, 22.1.g). The spear stays unloaded within 100 ft (30.48 m) of ALL coastline (Art. 8.6) and is banned in bathing areas, off piers and in reserves (8.5) and at night, except for lionfish (8.5). Lobster may not be speared (8.18). You need a DRNA recreational sea licence from age 13, even from shore (resident $20, 60+ $0, US non-resident $35, foreign visitor $50; Art. 16); in federal waters and on a charter none is needed. Never shoot Nassau or goliath grouper or queen conch — federal no-take. See the guide.

Full guide: culebra and Vieques: island spearfishing →

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and the day's trends.

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The water column

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

The seabed

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

Where to get in
off the rocks.

Surfacing

What's in season,
what the law says.

FAQ — spearfishing in Vieques

Vieques spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility & live cameras

Windows, hours and the day's trends.

Get the go / no-go verdict for Vieques by email

Spots in Puerto Rico

🇵🇷Puerto Rico

Nearby towns

North Coast

South Coast

West Coast

Help us make it better

A marine instrument, go / no-go for solo hunting.

The forecast is the plan.The call is on the rock.

Where to get in off the rocks.

What's in season, what the law says.

FAQ — spearfishing in Vieques

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

Where to get in
off the rocks.

What's in season,
what the law says.