Aloha! If you are a surfer and a happy owner of a smartphone, you have probably already tried to type the word “Surf” in AppStore or GooglePlay. And with a high probability, they closed the list, scrolling through several pages of an endless stream of low-quality arcade games and applications that have a very mediocre relationship to sports.
For those who want to catch waves on the screen, look for surfing games, who intend to develop their own application, look into the mobile app design services. And we will provide a selection of really helpful tools for surfing in real life.
Magicseaweed (MSW) / Forecast and description of spots
Magicseaweed.com is perhaps the most popular site for surfers, with detailed descriptions of thousands of spots worldwide, photo and video reports, news, a weekly forecast, and even webcams that display the waves to you in real-time.
The same information is available in the MSW mobile app, plus a number of additional features. For example, you can view the nearest spots by geolocation and create your own list of favorite spots. For registered users (paid subscription to a PRO account), the forecast is available for 10 days, and the webcam stream is not interrupted by advertising.
Windy / Weather and wind
The wind data of the MSW app and website is not detailed enough, so swell and tides can be viewed on it, but we recommend checking the weather forecast, precipitation, and wind in the free Windy app.
Convenient, intuitive interface with a full-screen map and animation that can be scrolled by the clock for a couple of days ahead.
For water activities like surfing, this is an excellent tool for weather forecasting. This is fantastic software with a great degree of accuracy and detail. In fact, it is one of the programs that professional pilots, paragliders, skydivers, kiters, sailors, and anglers use the most frequently.
Kayak / Flights, hotels, car rentals
Kayak.com is a web resource for finding cheap flights and affordable hotels. With it, you can rent a car or book a hotel room. More recently, a mobile version of this resource has appeared.
The main advantage of Kayak is that this website hosts a huge database of accommodations and hotels from Expedia, Orbitz, Cheaptickets, and others and compiles it into one list. Instead of spending hours searching for the information you need, spend just a few minutes searching the Kayak database.
This application is free. It is essential for any traveler.
Surf First Aid / Safety
The European Association of Surf Doctors (yes, there is such a thing!) has released its own mobile application for surfers, in which you will find tips for all emergency cases. Articles and instructions are divided into topics: wounds and bleeding, bones and joints, help for a drowning man, and a first aid kit.
To consolidate the information, it is proposed to take a test with questions. There is also an emergency guide and a complete list of emergency numbers worldwide.
Once you download the application, you get access to information offline, the only negative is that everything is only in English. But if you are a surfer and a traveler, you can’t go anywhere without knowing English today!
NobodySurf – Surfing Videos / Video
Surfing is one of those sports where watching others ski is just as rewarding as surfing yourself. Watch the waves, where a person starts and how he maneuvers, why he falls. All this is important and necessary if you want to progress quickly and confidently.
Thousands of high-quality videos, daily updates, selections by style, age, and gender of the rider, short films… Yes, yes, this is the case when you can stick to videos with a clear conscience – you do not waste time, but do the training!
World Surf League / Competition
Surfing, among other things, is also a serious sport with world tournaments and passions no less than in FIFA. Follow athletes, watch live streams and exclusive videos, even assemble your favorite team and earn points on virtual bets – it’s all available in the official WSL World Surfing League app.
Bonus: Bali Tide Forecast / Tides in Bali
For those who ride in Bali, we recommend a separate, narrowly focused, but very convenient application to track the tides. The data for the week is presented in the form of a convenient graph, according to which you can move the slider and find out the exact water level at a certain hour.
For those who like to swim in the dark and surf to the last, the exact time of the first light and the last twilight after sunset is reflected.
If you don’t have a SURF folder on your mobile yet, it’s time to get it and fill it with high-quality applications. And if you have questions about how to use them, the Internet community of surfers will help you!