Breaker BayWellington
dangerousexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Rocky Breaker Bay at the harbour mouth, EAST of Taputeranga; butterfish, moki and cray — dive slack.
Google MapsWellington spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras
2.5
wave 0.8 m
visibility1m
Today — sit it out — wave, wind and surge pounding.
Sources: IPMA · NDBC · Copernicus — high confidence · data 08:47
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 08:47
Wellington — solo, off the rocks
don't go · wave 0.8 m + hitting the shore
wave 0.8 mwind 26, gusts 53 km/hsurge pounding the rocksvisibility ~2 m
today, best window 06:00–09:00
fish · Visibility 2 m · Water 13.2°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.
Thursday · today2026-07-23
07:37–17:17 · first quarter
▼ 06:00▲ 12:00▼ 18:00 · 0.9 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide0.61 m
Wave1.10 m
Wind35 km/h
Water13 °C
fish activity: moonset 02:09 · moderate · moon underfoot 07:00 · high · moonrise 11:49 · moderate · moon overhead 19:30 · high
Conditions window06:00–09:00
don't go fish
Hs 0.82 mperiod 8.9 swind 26→53surge 4.3viz 1 m
0.82 mup to ~1.64 · 182° at an angle
8.9 sswell moderate
26→53gusts 53 km/h
4.3pounding the rocks
0.78m/s
1 mrecent swell
13.2°Cthicker suit + hood
▲12:00tide turn near
Atmosphere1 kmovercast
highmoon underfoot
- wave 0.8 m + hitting the shore
- steep wind-wave — choppy surface, careful on entry
- first hours of the flood — fish moving in
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
Moa Point / Lyall Bay EastWellington
dangerousexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Rocky Moa Point east of the airport; butterfish and cray, cool water and Cook Strait current.
Google MapsRed Rocks (Pariwhero)Wellington
dangerousexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Red Rocks/Pariwhero WEST of Taputeranga toward Sinclair Head; butterfish, moki and cray, seal haul-out.
Google MapsIsland Bay (Taputeranga)Wellington
closedexposed head-on to the swell today
- window
- tide
- shelter
- hazard
- access
Island Bay/Taputeranga Marine Reserve — no-take, spearfishing banned (spear:no).
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
- snapper (tāmure)
- yellowtail kingfish (haku)
- blue cod (rāwaru)
- trevally (araara)
- butterfish/greenbone (marari)
- kahawai
- red rock lobster (kōura)⚠️ Crayfish (rock lobster) and pāua — free-diving only; taking them on scuba is PROHIBITED nationwide. Pāua/crayfish are not speared.
Law
- ✓There is NO — you may fish subject to MPI rules (sizes/limits/gear). Rules are REGIONAL (combined finfish daily limit 20, but local notices override stricter). Freshwater trout/salmon may not be speared.
- ✓Crayfish (rock lobster) and pāua — free-diving only; taking them on scuba is BANNED nationwide. Spearfishing is banned in marine reserves. Respect / and (incl. a after a drowning — a cultural/sacred closure).
- ⛔ 🚫 Crayfish (rock lobster) and pāua — taking them on SCUBA is banned nationwide (free-diving only). Combined finfish daily limit 20 (local notices override stricter).
- ⛔ 🚫 Protected under the Wildlife Act 1953: spotted black groper (Epinephelus daemelii), great white shark, giant manta, black/red coral, seahorses/pipefish. Trout/salmon (freshwater) — entirely off-limits to spearguns.
- ⛔ 🚫 Marine reserves (~44) — spearfishing and all fishing banned. Respect / and (incl. a after a drowning — a tapu/cultural closure, not only a fishing rule): don't dive.
Rules change and are regional. Before heading out, check with MPI (regional fishing rules / the NZ Fishing Rules app), DOC (marine reserves) and local notices (rāhui/mātaitai).
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.
Spearfishing in Wellington: spots, seasons and rules
Spearfishing in Wellington suits divers who can read current before they read depth. The useful coast is outside the harbour, from Breaker Bay past Moa Point to Red Rocks, with cool Cook Strait water and south-facing rock. Dive slack, avoid strong southerlies, and keep clear of Taputeranga Marine Reserve at Island Bay, where all fishing and taking are banned. The MPI Central area combined finfish limit is 20 per fisher, with regional size and species rules still applying.
TL;DR
- Wellington spearfishing is a south-coast game: cold water, reef fingers, Cook Strait movement and short settled windows.
- Breaker Bay, Moa Point and Red Rocks are the workable shore options; Island Bay is Taputeranga Marine Reserve and is no-take.
- Butterfish, blue moki and crayfish shape the local plan, but crayfish and pāua are free-dive only and must never be speared.
- There is no sea-fishing licence, yet MPI Central area limits, DOC reserve boundaries and rāhui or mātaitai notices still control the day.
Best spearfishing spots in Wellington
These entries stay outside the protected Island Bay reserve. All three are shore dives with exposed water, so they suit a settled forecast, a visible exit and a conservative buddy plan rather than casual solo drops.
| Spot | Type | Depth | Level | Access | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breaker Bay | Rocky harbour-mouth coast | Shallow reef and ledges | Intermediate | Shore entry on the open south coast | East of Taputeranga, Breaker Bay gives rock, kelp and harbour-mouth movement. It is a butterfish, moki and crayfish spot, best held for slack water and modest swell. |
| Moa Point / Lyall Bay East | Urban rock reef | Nearshore rock and weedline | Intermediate | Shore entry east of the airport | Moa Point is close to town but still faces Cook Strait. Expect cool water, changing current and crayfish country; leave room for a clean exit if the wind shifts. |
| Red Rocks (Pariwhero) | Open coast boulder and reef | Shallow to moderate rock | Intermediate | Shore approach west of Taputeranga | Red Rocks works as a western option toward Sinclair Head, with butterfish, moki, crayfish habitat and seal haul-out awareness. Give wildlife space and dive only when the swell is genuinely down. |
When is Wellington worth diving?
The best days are not defined by sunshine. They come when the south coast has had time to settle, wind is light enough to keep exits readable, and the tide is close to slack. Cook Strait tidal streams can run to about 3 knots here, so a pretty surface can still hide hard work. If Lyall Bay looks churned or a southerly is pressing into the coast, move the session rather than forcing it.
Where is spearfishing banned near Island Bay?
Island Bay sits in Taputeranga Marine Reserve. DOC states that fishing and removing or disturbing marine resources are prohibited there, so treat it as a hard no-take zone. Use Island Bay as a boundary marker, not as a harvest plan. Breaker Bay lies east of that reserve, while Red Rocks lies west, but the exact line must still be checked before entering.
What species should Wellington divers plan around?
Local targets are butterfish, blue moki and crayfish rather than warm-water snapper hunting. MPI Central area rules include a combined daily finfish limit of 20, and species tables set individual limits and sizes. Blue moki and butterfish have minimum sizes in the Central area, and crayfish rules use tail-width measurements. Pāua and crayfish may be taken only while free-diving, not on scuba, and they are gathered by hand rather than shot.
How should a first Wellington shore dive be planned?
Start with the exit, then choose the fish plan. Pick a place where you can stand, wait and watch sets before committing. Carry a float and flag, keep the catch simple, and avoid working alone around seals, surge or current lines. The Lyall Bay and Wellington Harbour webcams help read the surface before driving to the south coast.
FAQ
Do you need a licence to spearfish in Wellington?
No sea-fishing licence is required in New Zealand, but Wellington still follows MPI Central area rules, closed areas and local notices.
Can you spearfish at Taputeranga Marine Reserve?
No. Island Bay and Taputeranga Marine Reserve are no-take. Fishing, taking and disturbing marine life there are prohibited.
What is the Central area finfish bag limit?
MPI lists a combined daily limit of 20 finfish per fisher in the Central area, excluding specified baitfish and freshwater eels.
Can crayfish be speared?
No. Crayfish are handled under rock lobster rules, with no spears or puncturing devices, and free-diving only if taken by a diver.
What is the main Wellington hazard?
Cook Strait current and exposed southerly swell. Dive slack, keep exits visible and skip days when the south coast is moving.
Sources
Nearby towns
Coming soon
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