7 Best Surf Forecast Apps
Having access to surf forecasting apps is essential for individuals wanting to travel for surfing. These apps guide surfers regarding the best time to plan a surf session and where to surf. Surf forecast apps also provide information about wind predictions helping surfers avoid any danger during their session.
Are you a surfer looking for the best surf forecasting apps to make your day? Well, then, have a look at our top picks for you. We will discuss some of the best surf forecasting apps along with their pros and cons to make things easier for you and help you decide which one works best for you. So, let’s get started with the best apps for wave check.
Surfline:
Surfline is one of the most widely used surf forecasting apps, serving since 1985. It is especially useful for beginners as it keeps a simple forecast summary and rating system. Surfline offers both premium and free app versions to facilitate its users. Users can check daily surf reports, watch webcams, and three-day surf forecasts with the free version. On the other hand, the premium version allows the users to gain additional insights, long-range forecasts, and swell analysis with the help of expert forecasters.
Pros:
Available both on Android and iOS.
Comprehensive and reliable surf forecasting app.
Users can create an account at Surfline to save favorite surf spots.
Cons:
Users need to buy the premium version for a better experience as wave forecast is only visible for the next 2 days in the free version.
Magic Seaweed:
If you are looking for an app that provides long-range surf forecasts from across the globe, consider choosing Magic Seaweed. This app covers over 5000 beaches and around 200 countries, providing comprehensive coverage to facilitate the users. Magic Seaweed provides information concerning wave size, swell period, swell size, water temperature, tides, wind direction, and strength.
Pros:
Provides a nice overview.
Users gain insight into tide display and swell-time lapse graphics.
Delivers relatively reliable forecast
Cons:
You cannot find the desired surf spot directly. You need to click through the continent/country selection.
Windy:
Founded in 2014, Windy provides intuitive weather models and accurate measurements of the wind’s strength in the desired location. It provides real-time colorful meteorological maps using European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model. Whether you are a surfer, boat captain, pilot, fisherman, weather geek, storm chaser, or a kiter, windy can facilitate you. It provides a powerful and smooth presentation of weather forecasting and is one of the most trusted apps by users.
Pros:
Provides quick and accurate weather forecasts.
Free for both iOS and Android.
Incredibly accurate when it comes to predicting wind strength and where and when the wind will turn onshore.
Provides real-time animated maps and facilitates with tide data and classic chart displays.
Cons:
Have not found any yet.
Wisuki:
Wisuki is considered one of the best wave forecasting apps that provide graphic information about different spots. This app is good for inexperienced users as they can easily interpret the forecast. The graphical representation helps users know whether the conditions are safe for a particular spot or not. Wisuki provides wave, wind, and weather forecasts to all spots in Europe and many surf spots worldwide.
Pros:
Delivers well-prepared forecasts.
Easy to use and interpret.
Delivers wave and wind alerts for most countries, allowing you to easily plan your next surf trip.
Cons:
According to users, the wave height is shown a little high in the surf forecast app.
WindGuru:
WindGuru provides precise and detailed information about several variables. These include wind direction, velocity, wave size, swell direction, water temperature, etc. It also offers detailed information about tides, currents, and sea bottom. The surf forecast app provides information about every spot in the world and provides great ease to the users.
Pros:
Provides detailed information about several variables.
Good app for both wave and wind forecasting.
Super easy to use surf forecast app
Cons:
The free version lacks the indication of wave height which can confuse.
Surf-Forecast
Surf-Forecast is one of the earliest surf forecast apps to appear. The app offers surf reports and waves forecasts for over 7000 beaches around the world with a 48-hour wave and wind maps for 7 days. Users also get to enjoy a free wave and an easy-to-configure wind alert system. It allows selecting various spots and adjusting the user preferences and data, including wind direction, wave height, period, etc.
Pros:
The wave app covers 700 beaches worldwide.
Reliable app for wave and wind forecasting.
Provides spot quality score, difficulty, and quantity of people to make things easier for surfers.
Cons:
48-hour wave prediction might not be enough for many people.
Windfinder
Found in 1999 as an SMS-based service, Windfinder can be called the world's first mobile phone surf forecasting company. Today, it has evolved into a high-resolution forecast service. It delivers wind and weather forecasts for more than 45,000 water sports locations that include lakes, beaches, marinas, and even kite launch sites. Having connected to a network of over 21,000 weather stations, Windfiner provides real-time wind measurements, temperature, and air pressure, among other weather variables.
Pros:
Windfiner has apps for iOS and Android devices.
Offers an interactive, animated weather forecast visualization map
Graph-and-table-based service that is easy to read for the users
Cons:
Users report inaccuracies in wind speed for the same location.
You need a subscription for services like wind alerts, animated wind, high-resolution hourly forecasts, temperature and precipitation maps, wind and weather widgets, and more.
Final Thoughts:
Though a surf forecasting app may not be able to provide you with a 100% correct prediction, having one is great for any surfing enthusiast for many reasons. They guide the surfers to safely plan their surf sessions accordingly, depending upon the surf forecasting variables. So, why not utilize the best surf app for wave check when you plan a trip next time?