# Dawn Patrol vs Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker

Dawn Patrol and Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker's written reviews are positive against 49% of Dawn Patrol's. Dawn Patrol's advantage is ratings volume (4.2K vs 1.1K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dawn Patrol sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month and Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Dawn Patrol against 4.6 for Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.2K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of Dawn Patrol's written reviews are positive against 85% of Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 10 days. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dawn Patrol | Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (4.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dawn-patrol/id1161014179/reviews) | **[4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waterspeed-sailing-gps-tracker/id1234093389/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.2K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | 49.0% of reviews | **84.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 290 MB | 146 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dawn Patrol Surf Tracking](https://appshunter.io/developer/1448740824) | [Waterspeed Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1234093388) |

## What reviewers say

### Dawn Patrol

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dawn-patrol/id1161014179)

Track and analyze your surfing sessions with detailed metrics like wave count, speed, and distance. Integrates with Apple Watch and HealthKit for comprehensive workout data. Premium features offer advanced analytics and tide-wave correlations.

**Highlights:** Track and analyze surf sessions, Record surf workouts, Count waves and measure distance, View surf sessions on a map, Integrates with Apple Watch and HealthKit, Surfline forecast integration, Advanced surf analytics

**Features:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Soul Surfer (Monthly) | $3.49 | per month |
| Soul Surfer (Yearly) | $27.49 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate wave tracking
- 👍 Useful data and analytics
- 🔒 Integrates well with Apple Watch
- 💡 Innovative features like Surfline integration
- 👍 Aesthetically pleasing interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent wave tracking and GPS accuracy
- 🔋 High battery drain on Apple Watch
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Paywall for basic features like tide information
- 👎 Poor customer support responsiveness

**Reported bugs**

- Apple Watch complications not working properly
- Incorrect wind/tide data displayed
- Sessions not syncing correctly with phone app
- App crashing on newer iOS/watchOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add distance paddled metric
- Allow manual editing of recorded waves
- Improve Strava integration
- Provide option to lock app to specific location


### Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/waterspeed-sailing-gps-tracker/id1234093389)

Track your performance across over 30 water sports with detailed metrics like speed, distance, and wind conditions. Analyze your sessions, compare gear, and connect with a community of water sports enthusiasts. Offers advanced features for dedicated athletes.

**Highlights:** GPS tracking for 30+ water sports, Detailed speed, distance, and duration metrics, Wind, weather, and tide forecasts (Pro), Heart rate and gear logging, Session history and progress tracking, Live location sharing (Pro), Integration with Apple Watch, Garmin, Coros, Suunto

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WS Monthly subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| WS Quarterly subscription | $7.99 | per 3 months |
| Waterspeed Ultra Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Waterspeed Ultra Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| WS Yearly subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Waterspeed Ultra Yearly | $99.00 | per year |
| Waterspeed Ultra Yearly | $199.00 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dawn Patrol free?

Dawn Patrol is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker free?

Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Dawn Patrol or Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker?

Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker is rated higher. Dawn Patrol averages 4.6 out of 5 from 4.2K ratings, while Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker averages 4.6 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Dawn Patrol or Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker have ads?

Neither Dawn Patrol nor Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dawn Patrol or Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker?

Dawn Patrol ships an update every 10 days, and Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker every 10 days. Most recently, Dawn Patrol was updated on November 11, 2026 and Waterspeed Sailing GPS Tracker on November 11, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*