Comparison

Wave Chicken Surf Forecast vs Ocean Pulse

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

Head to head
About

Wave Chicken Surf Forecast

Get free 10-day surf, wind, and tide forecasts for surf spots worldwide. Access detailed information for over 176 countries.

Highlights
  • 10-day surf forecasts
  • Wind forecasts
  • Tide forecasts
  • Global surf break coverage
  • 176+ countries supported
Features
Read full description

Free 10 day surf, wind, tide & more forecasts for thousands of surf breaks in over 176 countries!

About

Ocean Pulse

Visualize real-time NOAA buoy data as a dynamic, glowing map. Understand ocean conditions like swell direction, wave period, and height through intuitive visual cues rather than numbers. Access detailed conditions for over 170 buoys across various ocean regions.

Highlights
  • Real-time NOAA buoy data visualization
  • Color-coded swell direction
  • Pulse speed indicates wave period
  • Brightness shows wave height
  • Detailed buoy condition reports
  • Save favorite buoys
  • Search buoys by name, ID, or region
Features
Read full description

Ocean Pulse — a different way to check the surf. Ocean Pulse transforms real-time NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) buoy data into a living, glowing map. Each buoy pulses with light — color shows swell direction, pulse speed matches wave period, and brightness reveals wave height.  At a glance, you understand the ocean's current state without reading a single number, just like checking the surf from the shore. Featuring 170+ buoys from Alaska to the Caribbean, Ocean Pulse covers the Pacific, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Hawaii. Tap any buoy for detailed conditions including wave height, period, direction, and water temperature. Save your favorite buoys for quick access. Search by name, ID, or region. Explore the color compass to learn the visual language of the ocean. Want to know one of my favorite ways to experience Ocean Pulse?...I love to dock it on my desk charger in landscape mode, with the whole beautiful ocean is always right there alive next to me! Ocean Pulse is the digital companion to my physical Ocean Pulse light sculptures — real-time ocean data, transformed into art (more about Ocean Pulse sculptures at www.seanobriendesigns.com). Ocean Pulse Origins I designed and built my first Ocean Pulse sculpture in 2011 after moving from the coast of California — where I could walk to check the surf every day — to Berlin, Germany, where the ocean was hundreds of miles away. I was always checking Surfline trying to stay connected, but I hated going online every time just to maintain my connection to the surf. I wanted to somehow have the "pulse" of the ocean in my living environment, always with me. I was craving the surf check ritual, coffee in hand, no matter where I lived in the world. With no coding skills, my brother and my dad helped write the code for the first sculpture — LED lights that visualize wave period, direction, and height in real time. A close friend helped me refine it. Today, Ocean Pulse sculptures live in many homes, keeping ocean-minded souls connected to the rhythms of the sea. With the advent of AI and my unrelenting curiosity about it, I was finally able to create this app — something I had wanted to build for a long time. While I love the Ocean Pulse sculptures and think everyone should have one in their homes, I know they're expensive. This app is my way of making the thing I love available to many more ocean-minded souls for the price of a cup of coffee. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope to refine it over time to make it even better for you.  This is truly a labor of love. Share a review and tell me what you think!

Screenshots

Wave Chicken Surf Forecast3 screens
Ocean Pulse4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Ocean Pulse at 5.0 against Wave Chicken Surf Forecast's 4.0. Ocean Pulse also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). Wave Chicken Surf Forecast's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, ads, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ocean Pulse holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Wave Chicken Surf Forecast's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ocean Pulse's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wave Chicken Surf Forecast ships an update monthly, Ocean Pulse every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Wave Chicken Surf Forecast versus Ocean Pulse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWave Chicken Surf ForecastOcean Pulse
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.413.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB22 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperJoshua ParrySean O'Brien

Customer experience

Wave Chicken Surf Forecast

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Ocean Pulse

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Wave Chicken Surf Forecast

No in-app purchases

None

Ocean Pulse

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Wave Chicken Surf Forecast free?
Wave Chicken Surf Forecast is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ocean Pulse free?
Ocean Pulse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Wave Chicken Surf Forecast or Ocean Pulse?
Ocean Pulse is rated higher. Wave Chicken Surf Forecast averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Ocean Pulse averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Wave Chicken Surf Forecast or Ocean Pulse have ads?
Neither Wave Chicken Surf Forecast nor Ocean Pulse shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wave Chicken Surf Forecast or Ocean Pulse?
Wave Chicken Surf Forecast ships an update monthly, and Ocean Pulse every 4 months. Most recently, Wave Chicken Surf Forecast was updated on November 3, 2026 and Ocean Pulse on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons