The Buoy vs Wavemaps
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
The Buoy
Get real-time ocean swell updates including size, period, and direction. This app combines buoy data with surf forecasts to help you plan your sessions and save your favorite conditions.
- Real-time swell data
- Swell size, period, and direction
- Surf forecast integration
- Save favorite conditions
- Lock screen widget
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The Buoy is the simplest way to take the pulse of the ocean. Thanks to data provided by services like the NOAA in the US, Cerema (Candhis) in France, Channel Coastal Observatory in the UK/Ireland, Portus in Spain and Hidrografico in Portugal, the buoy allows you to know in real-time the swell conditions around you: size, period, and direction. But The Buoy goes even further. We cross-reference this data with surf forecasts so you can easily plan your sessions. You can also save your favorite conditions to know exactly when a spot is working according to YOUR criteria. Our widget, very easy to use, allows you to have the conditions at your favourite buoy in real-time on your iPhone's locked screen. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Wavemaps
This app provides detailed wave, surf, and wind forecasts for water enthusiasts and marine professionals. It offers global and nearshore wave modeling, real-time ocean data, and interactive 3D maps to visualize conditions. Users can save favorite locations and access premium features for advanced analysis.
- Global and nearshore wave forecasts
- Custom ultra high-resolution wave models
- Thousands of worldwide locations
- Real-time ocean conditions from buoys
- Interactive 3D-capable maps
- Wave-seabed interaction visualization
- Professional tools and extended forecasts
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Wavemaps — A Professional Wave Forecasting Platform Wavemaps is a professional wave, wind, and marine forecasting platform built for people who spend serious time on or near the water. Surfers, fishers, sailors, captains, lifeguards, marine engineers, and coastal professionals run on the same system: the world's leading wave and marine weather models, refined into hyperlocal forecasts up to 16 days out. MULTI-MODEL COMPARISON Detailed wave forecasts compared side by side across leading global models, including ECMWF and GFS. Read the agreement between models at a glance and make calls with confidence. WAVEMAPS TIME MACHINE Visualize wave and wind forecast maps from 1979 to the present. Replay historical swells, storms, and seasons — and save them as memories to revisit. WAVEMAPS ENERGY COMPASS Our signature swell-direction visualization. See where wave energy is coming from, how it's distributed across components, and how it aligns with the coast you care about. ADVANCED SWELL COMPONENT ANALYSIS Decompose every wave forecast into its swell and wind-wave components — height, period, and direction for each. Know exactly which swell is doing the work. WAVEMAPS HD Ultra-high-resolution nearshore wave forecasts powered by our custom Wavemaps HD engine. For the first time in a forecasting platform, see how waves interact with the seabed — bathymetry, refraction, and shoaling rendered the way you'd see them on a research instrument. Available only in certain regions. WIND FORECASTS High-resolution wind forecasts including gusts, sustained speeds, and direction. Identify offshore, side-shore, and onshore conditions for any spot. THOUSANDS OF LOCATIONS Browse surf spots, fishing zones, and wave buoys worldwide. Save your favorites for personalized forecasts. Add your own spots and pull wave forecasts anywhere in the world. INTERACTIVE 3D MAPS Explore ultra-high-resolution maps of ocean and weather conditions across nearshore and offshore areas. Smooth, GPU-driven 3D visualization helps you understand current conditions and how they're changing over time. PROFESSIONAL FEATURES Premium subscriptions unlock advanced capabilities, extended forecast ranges, and deeper data analysis for users who need traceable, decision-grade ocean intelligence. Terms of Service: https://www.wavemaps.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.wavemaps.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Wavemaps at 4.9 against The Buoy's 4.0. Wavemaps also leads on ratings volume (186 vs 1) and chart position (#178 vs unranked). The Buoy's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. The Buoy sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Wavemaps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Wavemaps holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Wavemaps has 186 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 96% of The Buoy's written reviews are positive against 88% of Wavemaps's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
The Buoy ships an update every 3 weeks, Wavemaps every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | The Buoy | Wavemaps |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (1 ratings) | 4.9 (186 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 96.4% of reviews — better | 87.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 186 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #178 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 68 MB | 119 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Thomas Cailhol | Miguel Canals |
Customer experience
The Buoy
Wavemaps
In-app purchases
The Buoy
- Monthly wax supply$2.991 Month
- Monthly wax supply$3.991 Month
- Monthly wax supply$8.991 Month
- Wax supply$2.99
- Wax supply$3.99
- Wax supply$8.99
Wavemaps
- Wavemaps Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Month
- Wavemaps Pro7 Days trial$59.991 Year








