Comparison

Surf vs Wave Whisperer

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

Head to head
About

Surf

Get simple, accurate surf forecasts for over 7,000 breaks worldwide. Plan your sessions with detailed wave information, tide times, and mapping to find the best conditions and nearby spots. Access extended forecasts and custom alerts with premium features.

Highlights
  • Detailed surf forecasts
  • Wavefinder map
  • Live webcam links
  • Tide times
  • 12-day forecasts
  • Custom surf alerts
Features
Read full description

Surf-Forecast.com gives you simple, accurate and easy-to-read surf forecasts so you have the best chance of hitting those breaks when the waves are pumping. Built by surfers, for surfers, and trusted by millions of surfers for over 20 years, our updated app lets you see all your favorite surf spots at a glance. Providing detailed surf forecasts for over 7,000 breaks worldwide, our new features let you see further ahead than ever before - giving you plenty of advance warning for when those swells start coming in. Find the best surfing conditions near you and use the rating tool to find exactly when to go. – FREE App Features ⁃ Detailed surf forecasts ⁃ Wavefinder map ⁃ Live webcam links ⁃ Multi-swell component presentation ⁃ Tide times ⁃ Detailed mapping to locate nearby breaks – Surf Premium Benefits ⁃ Access to the full 16 days of our new Wavefinder feature ⁃ Hourly forecasts ⁃ 16 day forecasts ⁃ Custom surf alerts ⁃ Ad-free browsing on our website So what are you waiting for? Grab your board and get exploring. We’ll see you out there! For the full Terms and Conditions of this service please visit: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Wave Whisperer

Access real-time buoy data for surfers, including swell height, period, direction, and sea surface temperature. Track historical readings, compare conditions over 24 hours, and learn about buoy data with an educational section. Features a low-light mode and customizable units.

Highlights
  • Real-time buoy data (swell, period, direction, temp)
  • 24-hour condition comparison
  • Save and revisit historical readings
  • Rotating compass with swell direction
  • Buoy School educational section
  • Low Light display mode
  • Customizable units (feet/meters, F/C)
Features
Read full description

Read the buoy. Watch the water. Train your call. Wave Whisperer pulls current buoy data straight from CDIP and NOAA. Current swell height, period, direction, and sea surface temperature. Built for surfers who want the numbers as measured. This is not a forecast. What you get: • Your own buoys: the five stations nearest you to start, then any of 109 across the North Pacific • Individual swells and the average period, two switches you turn on when you want them • 24-hour comparison, so you can see how conditions have shifted • Recent data at a glance; press and hold a row to save a past reading • Swell history you save on your device and revisit anytime • A rotating compass with swell direction on the rim • Buoy School: what every reading means, with CDIP's own definitions and links • Low Light display mode for dawn patrol • Feet and Fahrenheit, or meters and Celsius; 12-hour or 24-hour clock • A share card for the current reading No ads. No accounts. No tracking. Your saved history stays on your device and in your own iCloud. Try it free for 30 days. After that, a one-time $1.99 unlock keeps it going. No subscription. Wave Whisperer shows current measured conditions. It is not a forecast and does not tell you whether to paddle out. Always use your own judgment and official sources for marine safety. Not affiliated with NOAA, NDBC, CDIP, or Scripps.

Screenshots

Surf4 screens
Wave Whisperer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Wave Whisperer at none against Surf's shown. Wave Whisperer also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks) and review sentiment (100% vs 87%). Surf's advantage is ratings volume (940 vs 2) and chart position (#74 vs unranked). On price, rating, 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 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Wave Whisperer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Surf against 5.0 for Wave Whisperer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Surf has 940 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Surf's written reviews are positive against 100% of Wave Whisperer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, Wave Whisperer every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Surf versus Wave Whisperer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurfWave Whisperer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (940 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings940 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#74 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size138 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMeteo365 Ltd.In the Moment Technology LLC

Customer experience

Surf

All ratings940 ratings
Positive99.3%
Neutral0.1%
Negative0.6%
Written reviews124 reviews
Positive87.1%
Neutral3.2%
Negative9.7%

Wave Whisperer

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Surf

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes or freezes on some devices
  • Geolocation issues with break markers

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to manually refresh data
  • More detailed tidal/current information
  • Expanded location coverage
  • Improved accuracy for wave height/conditions

Wave Whisperer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Surf

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Service: Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Service (Yearly)$34.991 Year
1 purchases

Wave Whisperer

One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$1.99

Questions

Is Surf free?
Surf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Wave Whisperer free?
Wave Whisperer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Surf or Wave Whisperer?
Wave Whisperer is rated higher. Surf averages 4.9 out of 5 from 940 ratings, while Wave Whisperer averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Surf or Wave Whisperer have ads?
Surf shows ads; Wave Whisperer does not.
Which is updated more often, Surf or Wave Whisperer?
Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, and Wave Whisperer every 9 days. Most recently, Surf was updated on October 18, 2026 and Wave Whisperer on October 13, 2026.

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