# Surf Athlete vs Gnarmaste

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Surf Athlete at 403 against Gnarmaste's 25. Gnarmaste's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 91%) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 16.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Surf Athlete sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $18.99 per month and Gnarmaste sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 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 — 4.9 for Surf Athlete against 4.9 for Gnarmaste. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf Athlete has 403 ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Surf Athlete's written reviews are positive against 100% of Gnarmaste's.

Surf Athlete ships an update every 3 weeks, Gnarmaste every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surf Athlete | Gnarmaste |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (403 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-athlete-surf-training/id1473672898/reviews) | **[4.9 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gnarmaste/id6473798314/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **403** | 25 |
| Positive reviews | 90.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 236 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Nautilus Surf Performance LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473672897) | [Ryan Becknell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1719838044) |

## What reviewers say

### Surf Athlete

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surf-athlete-surf-training/id1473672898)

This app provides surf-specific training programs designed to enhance strength, endurance, and mobility. It offers workouts, stretching routines, and breath training to improve performance in the ocean and prevent injuries. Users can join a community and track progress.

**Highlights:** Surf-specific workouts, Strength, endurance, and mobility training, Stretch routines, Breath training, Technique tutorials, Global surfer community

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ocean Sports Academy (1 month) | $18.99 | per month |
| SURF ATHLETE PRO (1 month) | $29.99 | per month |
| Surf Athlete Academy (3 month) | $83.99 | per 3 months |
| Surf Athlete Academy (6 month) | $144.99 | per 6 months |
| SURF ATHLETE PRO (1 year) | $155.99 | per year |
| Stretches for Surfers | $27.99 | one-time |
| The Perfect Pop Up | $79.99 | one-time |
| Bodyweight | $119.99 | one-time |
| Surf Athlete | $129.99 | one-time |
| Cardboard Surfer | $129.99 | one-time |
| Surf Skate | $139.99 | one-time |
| Stretches for Surfers 2.0 | $139.99 | one-time |
| Surf Training Foundations | $159.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Solid app
- 👍 Detailed instructions and programs
- 👍 Comprehensive surf-specific fitness
- 👍 Improves flexibility, strength, and mobility
- 👍 Helps with pop-up and technique

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Registration/login issues
- 🐛 Occasional app crashes
- 🔇 Lack of audio cues during workouts
- 🔇 Music playback issues
- 💰 Expensive for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Registration not working
- App crashing on launch
- Music playback interruptions

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Offline workout mode
- Better music integration
- More free content
- Expanded exercise library


### Gnarmaste

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gnarmaste/id6473798314)

Enhance your surfing performance with tailored fitness programs. This app focuses on improving wave riding skills and overall well-being for surfers.

**Highlights:** Surfing-specific fitness programs, Performance enhancement, Well-being improvement, Skill development for wave riding

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Wallet

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gnarmaste Subscription | $19.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Surf Athlete free?

Surf Athlete is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Gnarmaste free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Surf Athlete or Gnarmaste?

Gnarmaste is rated higher. Surf Athlete averages 4.9 out of 5 from 403 ratings, while Gnarmaste averages 4.9 from 25 ratings.

### Do Surf Athlete or Gnarmaste have ads?

Neither Surf Athlete nor Gnarmaste shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Surf Athlete or Gnarmaste?

Surf Athlete ships an update every 3 weeks, and Gnarmaste every 6 weeks. Most recently, Surf Athlete was updated on October 26, 2026 and Gnarmaste on October 6, 2026.

---

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