Comparison

Surf vs Olatu Surf Forecast

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

Olatu Surf Forecast

Features
Read full description

Olatu: Surf forecasts for the Basque coast Your daily surf check for the Basque coast. Personalized ratings, swell, wind, tides, water quality and live webcams, all in one fast, clean app. Everything you check before a surf, in one place • Hour-by-hour swell: height, period, and direction • Wind speed and direction, with onshore/offshore at a glance • Full tide charts with high/low times and sunrise/sunset • Water quality so you know when to stay out after rain • Live webcams to see the real conditions before you drive Forecasts that know your level Every spot gets a personalized surf rating that weighs swell size and direction, period, wind, and tide against what each break actually needs, and against the kind of surfer you are. Set your level and Olatu tells you where it's worth paddling out today, not just what the raw numbers say. Your surf log, smarter forecasts Log and rate your surfs. It's your surf diary, and it teaches Olatu what you love, so smart alerts ping you when the forecast matches your best days. Or set your own thresholds with classic alerts. 25+ spots across the whole Basque coast France: La Barre, Les Cavaliers, La Madrague, Les Sables d'Or, Le Club, VVF, Grande Plage and Côte des Basques in Biarritz, Ilbarritz, Bidart, Parlementia, Avalanche, Cenitz, Lafitenia, Erromardie, Sainte-Barbe and Hendaye. Spain: Zurriola in San Sebastián, Zarautz, Orrua, the legendary Mundaka, Bakio, Meñakoz, La Salvaje and La Arena. No account. No cloud. No catch. Olatu is free and runs entirely on your phone. No email, no password, no sign-up. Just open the app and start surfing. No ads, no subscription, no upsell. Your sessions, your favorites and the model that learns what you like all live on the device. We pull in the forecast; nothing about you is ever sent back. Built by surfers, for the Basque coast. Check it, then go surf.

Screenshots

Surf4 screens
Olatu Surf Forecast4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Olatu Surf Forecast at none against Surf's 2. Olatu Surf Forecast also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). Surf's advantage is chart position (#100 vs unranked). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Olatu Surf Forecast asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, Olatu Surf Forecast every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Surf versus Olatu Surf Forecast: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurfOlatu Surf Forecast
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (991 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews87.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings991 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#100 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size138 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMeteo365 Ltd.Sylvain Guittard

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

Olatu Surf Forecast

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
None

Olatu Surf Forecast

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Surf free?
Surf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Olatu Surf Forecast free?
Olatu Surf Forecast is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Surf or Olatu Surf Forecast have ads?
Surf shows ads; Olatu Surf Forecast does not.
Which is updated more often, Surf or Olatu Surf Forecast?
Surf ships an update every 6 weeks, and Olatu Surf Forecast every 9 days. Most recently, Surf was updated on October 21, 2026 and Olatu Surf Forecast on October 21, 2026.

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