Surf Captain vs Surf Prophet
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
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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
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
Surf Captain ships an update weekly, Surf Prophet daily. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Surf Captain | Surf Prophet |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (1.2K ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 79.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.2K — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Daily — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Ad-supported — better |
| Best chart rank | #137 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 63 MB | 45 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Weather Captain | Christopher Boyns |
Customer experience
Surf Captain
Surf Prophet
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
Surf Prophet
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Surf Captain free?
Is Surf Prophet free?
Which has better reviews, Surf Captain or Surf Prophet?
Do Surf Captain or Surf Prophet have ads?
Which is updated more often, Surf Captain or Surf Prophet?
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