Comparison

Surf Captain vs Surf Prophet

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 16-day surf forecasts
  • United States forecasts
  • Canada forecasts
  • Central America forecasts
  • Caribbean forecasts
  • Accurate predictions
  • Simple interface
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Surf Forecasts Made Awesome! Surf Captain gives you 16-day surf forecasts in an app that's fast and simple to read. WHAT YOU GET • 16-day surf forecast, so you can plan your surf week • Surf height, swell, wind and tide together in one timeline • Swell breakdown showing the individual swells behind the surf, with height, period and direction • Favorites for the spots you check every day • Surf alerts that notify you when a spot is forecast to hit the conditions you set • Hundreds of locations across the United States, Canada, Central America and the Caribbean, with more regions on the way FORECASTS BUILT FOR THE BREAK Surf Captain doesn't just show open-ocean numbers. Our own wave model is tuned for each location, so the surf forecast reflects what reaches the beach: swell direction, wind, tide and nearby buoy data. FREE AND PRO The free app gives you the 5 day forecast for any spot. Surf Captain Pro unlocks the full 16 days, surf alerts and more for only $1.67 per month. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period, and you can manage them in your account settings. Also works with your AI assistant: connect Surf Captain to Claude to ask about surf conditions in plain language. Questions or feedback? Use Contact inside the app. We read everything. Terms: https://surfcaptain.com/terms Privacy: https://surfcaptain.com/privacy Terms Of Use: https://surfcaptain.com/terms Privacy policy: https://surfcaptain.com/privacy

About

Surf Prophet

Get personalized surf spot recommendations powered by AI. This app analyzes ocean conditions and your past performance to help you find the best waves. Track your sessions, discover optimal conditions, and contribute to a community-driven surf forecasting database.

Highlights
  • AI-powered surf spot recommendations
  • Personalized predictions with confidence percentages
  • Detailed reasoning for spot suggestions
  • Session logging and condition tracking
  • Seasonal performance analytics
  • Comprehensive spot database
  • Community-driven data sharing
Features
Read full description

Surf Prophet - AI Surf Forecasting Turn every surf session into better waves with intelligent, data-driven predictions. Surf Prophet revolutionizes surf forecasting by combining real-time ocean conditions with machine learning algorithms trained on actual surf sessions. Instead of guessing where to surf, get personalized recommendations based on historical performance data and current conditions. Smart Predictions AI analyzes current swell, wind, and tide data against user-logged sessions Get ranked recommendations with confidence percentages Detailed reasoning for each spot recommendation Learn which breaks work best in specific conditions Data-Driven Insights Track your sessions with detailed condition logging Seasonal performance analytics for every break Success rate tracking across different spots Discover optimal conditions for your favorite waves Real-Time Conditions Live NOAA buoy data from multiple sources Accurate swell height, period, and direction Current wind and tide information Data confidence indicators for reliability Comprehensive Spot Database Add and share new surf spots with the community Spot-specific break types and skill level recommendations GPS coordinates and optimal condition ranges Advanced Analytics Monthly performance breakdowns by spot Learned optimal conditions from successful sessions Historical trends and seasonal patterns Export session data for personal analysis Community Features Log sessions to improve predictions for everyone Contribute new surf spots to the database Anonymous data sharing for better forecasting Community-verified spot information Perfect For: Surfers who want to maximize their wave time Data enthusiasts who love surf analytics Beginners learning which breaks suit their skill level Experienced surfers tracking performance trends Why Surf Prophet? Traditional surf forecasts tell you what the waves are doing. Surf Prophet tells you where YOU should surf based on what actually works. Our AI learns from real surf sessions, not just meteorological models. Every session you log makes the predictions smarter. Every spot you add helps the community. Join the future of surf forecasting where data meets stoke. Requirements: iOS 15.0 or later Location permission for accurate local conditions Internet connection for real-time data Download Surf Prophet and never surf mediocre waves again.

Screenshots

Surf Captain4 screens
Surf Prophet3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Surf Prophet at none against Surf Captain's 3. Surf Prophet also leads on update cadence (daily vs weekly) and review sentiment (100% vs 79%). Surf Captain's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 1) and chart position (#137 vs unranked). On price, ads 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. Surf Captain sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Surf Prophet asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Surf Prophet holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf Captain has 1.2K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Surf Captain's written reviews are positive against 100% of Surf Prophet's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surf Captain ships an update weekly, Surf Prophet daily. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Surf Captain versus Surf Prophet: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurf CaptainSurf Prophet
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.2K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.2K — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyDaily — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
Best chart rank#137 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB45 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWeather CaptainChristopher Boyns

Customer experience

Surf Captain

All ratings1,193 ratings
Positive97.4%
Neutral1.5%
Negative1.1%
Written reviews39 reviews
Positive79.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.5%

Surf Prophet

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Surf Captain

Subscriptions3
  • 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
None

Surf Prophet

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Surf Captain free?
Surf Captain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Surf Prophet free?
Surf Prophet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Surf Captain or Surf Prophet?
Surf Prophet is rated higher. Surf Captain averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Surf Prophet averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Surf Captain or Surf Prophet have ads?
Both Surf Captain and Surf Prophet show ads.
Which is updated more often, Surf Captain or Surf Prophet?
Surf Captain ships an update weekly, and Surf Prophet daily. Most recently, Surf Captain was updated on November 7, 2026 and Surf Prophet on October 30, 2026.

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