Secca del Pigno

The secca sits off the south-east coast of San Domino, in the channel toward San Nicola, so the open Adriatic to the east and south-east is fully unsheltered while the bulk of San Domino to the west and south-west completely blocks that landward half. The dominant exposure is the Scirocco/Jugo (SE), which has the longest Adriatic fetch and builds the biggest seas straight onto the shoal, with the E-SSE arc wide open too. San Nicola and Capraia to the north and north-east partly shadow the Bora, though gusty NE-ENE wind still whips steep chop through the channel; the sheltered western sectors rarely produce waves here. Combined with the strong, near-constant current sweeping the shoal, surface conditions turn rough quickly on any easterly or south-easterly blow and can force dives to be called off.