Comparison

Lazy Surfer vs SurfUp

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Lazy Surfer

Get personalized surf reports and forecasts with custom alerts for your favorite wave conditions. Log your sessions to receive notifications when ideal conditions return to your preferred spots. Plan your surf trips with a 16-day outlook based on real buoy data.

Highlights
  • Personalized surf condition alerts
  • 16-day personalized forecast
  • Log surf sessions
  • Share session information
  • Buoy data for accurate forecasts
  • Customizable wave preference reports
Features
Read full description

Did a swell come through where the waves, wind and tide lined up just right? Want to get a personalized report and forecast with alerts for those conditions? Make sure you remember those conditions by logging a session in Lazy Surfer. Once you do, Lazy Surfer will alert you the next time those same conditions occur. It'll also allow you to see a 16-day personalized report and forecast so that you can plan ahead. Features include - Alerts for your favorite conditions - Personalized predictions for how good the surf is going to be at all your favorite spots - Ability to share session information with all your friends. Lazy Surfer doesn't try to forecast nearshore conditions - if you've ever used the popular nearshore forecasting websites like Surfline and Magicseaweed you know that they are often very far off from the true conditions. Instead, Lazy Surfer uses real data from buoys to pinpoint the exact conditions that result in good waves at your favorite surf spots. Surfline or MagicSeaweed also don't take your personal taste in waves into account - they give a one-size-fits-all rating to waves. But you might like bigger, pitchier waves whereas your friends might like mid-sized roll-ier waves. Lazy Surfer can give each of you a personalized report so that you can tell when and where it's best for you to paddle out. Like anything worthwhile, Lazy Surfer requires some effort on your part before it pays off. The more sessions you add the better information Lazy Surfer will give you. Try adding at least 5 sessions in different conditions at a single spot. We guarantee that you'll find Lazy Surfer to be an invaluable addition to your surf forecasting arsenal. Lazy Surfer began as a tool to help its creator, Nick Peterson, learn the intricacies of his local San Diego surf breaks. Not content with fighting the crowd at the same old beach break for every swell, he built Lazy Surfer so that he could tease out good sets of conditions at the more fickle, less popular spots along the coast. With alerts, forecasts and machine-learning powered predictions Lazy Surfer is the tool surfers need in order to score on the days when everyone else thinks it’s flat. Privacy Policy - https://lazysurfer.app/privacy_policy.html Terms of Use - https://lazysurfer.app/terms_and_conditions.html

About

SurfUp

Easily find and rent surfboards near your location. Reserve your chosen board, unlock it through the app, and manage your entire rental session from your phone for a seamless beach experience.

Highlights
  • Find available surfboards nearby
  • Reserve and unlock boards via app
  • Manage rental sessions on phone
  • Guided board return process
  • Convenient beach experience
Features
Read full description

SurfUp makes surfboard rentals simple. Find a board near you, reserve your ride, unlock your SurfPod, and get in the water with less friction. Whether you're a beginner looking for an easy way to start or a regular surfer who wants a more convenient rental experience, SurfUp helps you spend less time coordinating and more time surfing. With SurfUp, you can: - Find available boards near you - Reserve and unlock boards through the app - Manage your rental session from your phone - Return your board with a simple guided flow - Get a smoother, more convenient beach experience SurfUp is built to make surfboard access easier, faster, and more flexible for riders and partner locations alike. Download SurfUp and start your next session.

Screenshots

Lazy Surfer4 screens
SurfUp3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SurfUp at none against Lazy Surfer's 10. SurfUp also leads on ads (none vs shown). Lazy Surfer's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (512 vs 27). On price, rating, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Lazy Surfer sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. SurfUp asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Lazy Surfer against 4.7 for SurfUp. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lazy Surfer has 512 ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Lazy Surfer's written reviews are positive against 91% of SurfUp's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lazy Surfer ships an update every 11 days, SurfUp every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Lazy Surfer versus SurfUp: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLazy SurferSurfUp
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (512 ratings)4.7 (27 ratings)
Positive reviews87.7% of reviews90.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings512 — better27
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNJP Consulting LLCSurfUp, Inc.

Customer experience

Lazy Surfer

All ratings512 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews106 reviews
Positive87.7%
Neutral0.9%
Negative11.3%

SurfUp

All ratings27 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive90.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.1%

Bugs and requests

Lazy Surfer

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App freezing when saving new sessions
  • Inconsistent wave height reporting

Requested features

4 requests
  • Apple Watch integration
  • Ability to add friends and share sessions
  • More detailed wave height/period forecasts
  • Offline mode for session logging

SurfUp

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Lazy Surfer

Subscriptions10
  • Lazy Surfer Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Lazy Surfer Pro (Monthly)14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Lazy Surfer Pro (Monthly)14 Days trial$7.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Lazy Surfer Pro (Monthly)$7.991 Month
  • Lazy Surfer Pro (Monthyl)7 Days trial$11.951 Month
  • Lazy Surfer Pro (Semi-Yearly)7 Days trial$29.996 Months
  • Lazy Surfer Pro (Yearly)$39.991 Year
  • Lazy Surfer Pro (Yearly)14 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Lazy Surfer Pro (Yearly)14 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Lazy Surfer Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$79.991 Year
None

SurfUp

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lazy Surfer free?
Lazy Surfer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SurfUp free?
SurfUp is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Lazy Surfer or SurfUp?
Lazy Surfer and SurfUp are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 512 and 27 ratings respectively.
Do Lazy Surfer or SurfUp have ads?
Lazy Surfer shows ads; SurfUp does not.
Which is updated more often, Lazy Surfer or SurfUp?
Lazy Surfer ships an update every 11 days, and SurfUp every 6 weeks. Most recently, Lazy Surfer was updated on October 14, 2026 and SurfUp on October 9, 2026.

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