Surf Judge vs Surf Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Surf Judge
Read full descriptionHide full description
Surf Judge options to help with your heat preparation include; - Make The Call: Keep track of the how many and what type of waves are breaking over a given time. Analyse the Statistics and Make The Call. Are we on or off? Share with surfers and Judges. Distribute/Share The Call and store in notes. - Judge It Map: Draw each wave, categorise and give a score to each wave. Track the number of waves, interferences and calculate the top 2 waves based on the results. Check the results page and share with the Head Judge OR store in notes section. - Judge It Score: Similar to the other Judging Option but only keeps track of scores. Tap each surfer's colour and give a score to each wave. Priority and Non Priority interferences can be given and calculates the top 2 waves based on the results. Check the results page and share with the Head Judge OR store in notes section. - Judge Notes: Write down key points about the surf location for the up coming heat or for a return visit. Share the notes via email or Airdrop. - Video Reference: Links to video example clips by Professional Surfers to help with your scoring. - Judging Tips: Some broader judging issues discussed in blog format. - Handy 'Nearby' map search from App to find Doctors, Surf Stores, Coffee Shops.... Surf Judge taking your next step in your surfing career!
Surf Reader
Read full descriptionHide full description
Surf Reader is a pocket-sized coaching companion built around Martin Dunn's 40-year surf-coaching method. Read the break, set your intention before you paddle out, then rate the surf you actually had — and watch your wave-selection skill grow session by session. MAP THE BREAK Sand banks shift, rips appear, peaks drift. Turn what you see in the lineup into a saved beach map you can pull up before every paddle-out. Eight break types, drawn your way. PLAN WITH INTENTION "Just have fun" is a great mantra and a poor session plan. A guided 7-question flow gives you one specific thing to work on each surf. REVIEW HONESTLY Rate your session the moment you're back on the sand. Surf Reader closes the loop between what you planned and what you actually did. WATCH YOUR SKILL RISE Every session feeds a simple picture of your progress, so better wave selection becomes a habit — not a guess. BUILT FOR SURFERS • 5 languages — English, Español, Português, 日本語, Français • 8 break types to map • Local-first: your sessions, plans and maps stay on your device — no account required Built on Martin Dunn's coaching from eSurfR.com, MartinDunn.com.au, and Martin Dunn Surf Camps.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Surf Reader at Free against Surf Judge's $2.99. Surf Reader also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). Surf Judge's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On ads 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
Surf Reader is free to download; Surf Judge costs $2.99 up front. Surf Judge sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Surf Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.
Surf Judge ships an update every 4 months, Surf Reader every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Surf Judge | Surf Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 171 MB | 85 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Martin Fitzgibbons | Ashley Martin Dunn |
In-app purchases
Surf Judge
- Surf Judging ToolsFree
Surf Reader
No in-app purchases









