Surf forecast websites compared
We make one of these, so read this knowing that. It is our honest view of what each site is best at, written so you can pick the right one for the question you have. Most surfers check two. Checked November 2026; if something here is out of date, tell us at hello@surfspoting.com.
| Site | Best for | Cams | Models | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surfline | The biggest: human-written regional reports, its own HD cam network, the app most people have. Took over Magicseaweed in 2023. | Hundreds of its own HD cams, with rewind on the paid plan | Its own (LOTUS) with forecaster input | Free with limits; Premium subscription for cams without ads, rewind and the long forecast |
| Surf-forecast.com | Quick star ratings for almost any spot on earth, in many languages, with 12-day tables and wave energy. | Links to some | One global wave model | Free, with ads |
| Windguru | Several wind and wave models side by side in one table; the standard for wind sports and for surfers who like to compare runs. | No | GFS, ICON, ECMWF and regional models, each in its own row | Free; a Pro plan for higher-resolution models |
| Windy | The big picture: animated maps of wind, waves and swell from several models, to see the storm that makes the swell. | Links to public webcams | ECMWF, GFS, ICON and others, switchable | Free; Premium for more frequent updates |
| Surf Spoting | "Should I go, and where?" rated for your level, with a researched guide for every spot, satellite pictures of where the banks are, and a 14-day where-to-surf across a country. | Links to free public cams, labelled by access; none of its own | Several (ECMWF, Météo-France, DWD, GFS via Open-Meteo), agreement shown; buoy check in Portugal | Free, no ads, no paid tier |
Which one, for which question
- "Is it good right now?" A cam beats any model. Surfline has by far the most cams; Surf Spoting lists the free public ones it knows about, 933 links at 566 spots, and says which need an account.
- "What do the different models say?" Windguru, for the table; Windy, for the map. Surf Spoting shows whether the models agree on each day and which model has fitted a beach best, but not every model's full table.
- "Where should I surf this week, at my level?" This is what Surf Spoting is built for: every spot in a country rated for beginners, intermediate and advanced surfers, the best day and the best hour, with the reason a spot does not suit you. Surfline's reports do this for the regions its forecasters cover; the others rate the wave, not the surfer.
- "Which part of the beach is working?" Nobody can tell you from a model. Surfline's cams show it where they exist. Surf Spoting's satellite history shows where the foam has been over the last weeks, for the spots it follows.
- "How will the wave actually break here?" Spot guides: Surfline and Surf-forecast.com have them for the well-known spots; Surf Spoting has one for every spot it lists, with sources and a confidence level, including many that no guide covered before.
Where Surf Spoting is behind
- No cams of its own, and no human forecasters writing daily reports.
- English only. Surf-forecast.com, Windguru and Windy speak many languages.
- Young: opened to everyone in October 2026. The satellite method is promising but has not yet been validated against measured bathymetry, and some spot guides are marked low confidence until a local confirms them.
- The swell comes from the same global models everybody uses; the difference is in what is done with it, not in a private wave model.
Where it is different
- Ratings per level, with the reason. The method and its change log are public.
- Satellite pictures of the surf zone, with the banks that keep working, for the spots members follow.
- A guide for every one of 2228 spots in 87 countries, each with its sources.
- Free and without ads, with a session log that learns which conditions worked for you and alerts when they come back.
Written by Surf Spoting, November 2026, from each site's public pages. Prices and features of other sites change; check their pages before you pay for anything.