Surf Captain vs Wavemaps
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Surf Captain
Get detailed 16-day surf forecasts for numerous locations across North America and the Caribbean. This app provides highly accurate predictions in a user-friendly interface, making it easy to plan your next surf session.
- 16-day surf forecasts
- United States forecasts
- Canada forecasts
- Central America forecasts
- Caribbean forecasts
- Accurate predictions
- Simple interface
Read full descriptionHide full description
Surf Captain makes knowing the upcoming surfing conditions a breeze with 16 day surf forecasts for the United States, Canada, Central America, and the Caribbean. Highly accurate forecasts in a simple to use application. New regions will be added in time. Terms Of Use: https://surfcaptain.com/terms Privacy policy: https://surfcaptain.com/privacy
Wavemaps
This app provides detailed wave, surf, and wind forecasts for water enthusiasts and marine professionals. It offers global and nearshore wave modeling, real-time ocean data, and interactive 3D maps to visualize conditions. Users can save favorite locations and access premium features for advanced analysis.
- Global and nearshore wave forecasts
- Custom ultra high-resolution wave models
- Thousands of worldwide locations
- Real-time ocean conditions from buoys
- Interactive 3D-capable maps
- Wave-seabed interaction visualization
- Professional tools and extended forecasts
Read full descriptionHide full description
Wavemaps — A Professional Wave Forecasting Platform Wavemaps is a professional wave, wind, and marine forecasting platform built for people who spend serious time on or near the water. Surfers, fishers, sailors, captains, lifeguards, marine engineers, and coastal professionals run on the same system: the world's leading wave and marine weather models, refined into hyperlocal forecasts up to 16 days out. MULTI-MODEL COMPARISON Detailed wave forecasts compared side by side across leading global models, including ECMWF and GFS. Read the agreement between models at a glance and make calls with confidence. WAVEMAPS TIME MACHINE Visualize wave and wind forecast maps from 1979 to the present. Replay historical swells, storms, and seasons — and save them as memories to revisit. WAVEMAPS ENERGY COMPASS Our signature swell-direction visualization. See where wave energy is coming from, how it's distributed across components, and how it aligns with the coast you care about. ADVANCED SWELL COMPONENT ANALYSIS Decompose every wave forecast into its swell and wind-wave components — height, period, and direction for each. Know exactly which swell is doing the work. WAVEMAPS HD Ultra-high-resolution nearshore wave forecasts powered by our custom Wavemaps HD engine. For the first time in a forecasting platform, see how waves interact with the seabed — bathymetry, refraction, and shoaling rendered the way you'd see them on a research instrument. Available only in certain regions. WIND FORECASTS High-resolution wind forecasts including gusts, sustained speeds, and direction. Identify offshore, side-shore, and onshore conditions for any spot. THOUSANDS OF LOCATIONS Browse surf spots, fishing zones, and wave buoys worldwide. Save your favorites for personalized forecasts. Add your own spots and pull wave forecasts anywhere in the world. INTERACTIVE 3D MAPS Explore ultra-high-resolution maps of ocean and weather conditions across nearshore and offshore areas. Smooth, GPU-driven 3D visualization helps you understand current conditions and how they're changing over time. PROFESSIONAL FEATURES Premium subscriptions unlock advanced capabilities, extended forecast ranges, and deeper data analysis for users who need traceable, decision-grade ocean intelligence. Terms of Service: https://www.wavemaps.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.wavemaps.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Wavemaps at none against Surf Captain's shown. Wavemaps also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6). Surf Captain's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Surf Captain sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and Wavemaps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Wavemaps holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 106 and 186 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Surf Captain's written reviews are positive against 88% of Wavemaps's.
Surf Captain ships an update every 4 days, Wavemaps every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Surf Captain | Wavemaps |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (106 ratings) | 4.9 (186 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | 87.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 106 | 186 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #94 — better | #172 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 61 MB | 119 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Weather Captain | Miguel Canals |
Customer experience
Surf Captain
Wavemaps
In-app purchases
Surf Captain
- Surf Captain Pro14 Days trial$9.991 Year
- Surf Captain Pro Annual14 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Surf Captain Pro Plus Annual14 Days trial$39.991 Year
Wavemaps
- Wavemaps Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Month
- Wavemaps Pro7 Days trial$59.991 Year
Questions
Is Surf Captain free?
Is Wavemaps free?
Which has better reviews, Surf Captain or Wavemaps?
Do Surf Captain or Wavemaps have ads?
Which is updated more often, Surf Captain or Wavemaps?
Which is more popular, Surf Captain or Wavemaps?
Other comparisons















