Comparison

Surf Captain vs DiveGenius

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

DiveGenius

Get real-time dive conditions directly on your lock screen. Check visibility, surf size, water temperature, and local notes before you go diving. Make informed decisions about your dive day with quick, glanceable information.

Highlights
  • Lock screen widgets
  • Live dive reports
  • Visibility updates
  • Surf size information
  • Water temperature
  • Local dive spot notes
Features
Read full description

Tired of pulling up three different apps just to see if today’s good for diving? This puts everything you care about right on your lock screen. - Lock screen widgets with live dive reports - Visibility updates so you know if the water’s clear - Surf size so you’re not surprised by big sets - Current water temps for that first splash - Local notes from the spots you actually dive No more guessing when you’re packing gear. Just glance at your phone and know if it’s a kelp forest day or a stay on land day. It’s simple, quick, and built for divers who actually get in the water. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Surf Captain4 screens
DiveGenius2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Surf Captain at 4.8 against DiveGenius's 3.5. Surf Captain also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 50%) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 4). DiveGenius's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and DiveGenius sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Surf Captain holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf Captain has 1.1K ratings behind it against 4, 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 50% of DiveGenius's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Surf Captain versus DiveGenius: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurf CaptainDiveGenius
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.1K ratings) — better3.5 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews78.9% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.1K — better4
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#136 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB313 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperWeather CaptainBrett Roeloffs

Customer experience

Surf Captain

All ratings1,121 ratings
Positive97.4%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative21.1%

DiveGenius

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

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
5 purchases

DiveGenius

Subscriptions4
  • DiveGenius Pro$4.997 Days
  • DiveGenius Pro$5.991 Month
  • DiveGenius Pro$8.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • DiveGenius Pro Yearly$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Wallpaper Pack$4.99

Questions

Is Surf Captain free?
Surf Captain is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DiveGenius free?
DiveGenius is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Surf Captain or DiveGenius?
Surf Captain is rated higher. Surf Captain averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while DiveGenius averages 3.5 from 4 ratings.
Do Surf Captain or DiveGenius have ads?
Surf Captain shows ads; DiveGenius does not.
Which is updated more often, Surf Captain or DiveGenius?
Surf Captain ships an update weekly, and DiveGenius weekly. Most recently, Surf Captain was updated on November 3, 2026 and DiveGenius on October 28, 2026.

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