Secca del Papa

The shoal sits off Punta del Papa at the eastern tip of Tavolara, whose long NE-SW limestone massif and the Sardinian mainland behind it shield the whole western half of the compass; the NW Mistral and SW Libeccio are blocked, so those sectors stay calm. The site faces the open Tyrrhenian to the east, with the fully exposed window running ENE through SE and taking the warm Scirocco off the SE, which has the longest fetch and builds the biggest wind-waves here. A second open window lies to the north-northeast, so a hard Tramontana can also reach the pinnacles unobstructed. Diving is suspended when easterly to south-easterly winds get up, as swell wraps directly onto the exposed reliefs.