MSW Surf Forecast

Name: MSW Surf Forecast
Rating: 4.8 (14906 reviews)
Author: Surfline/Wavetrak

MSW is now Surfline

Only for iPhone

Free · In‑App Purchases

15K Ratings
Ages

4+
Years
Category

Weather
Developer

Surfline/Wavetrak
Language

EN
+ 5 More
Size

32.5
MB

iPhone

Magicseaweed has joined Surfline and the MSW app is no longer being supported. You can now get all your favorite features on Surfline: Keep track of current surf conditions. -View live surf cams at 950+ breaks around the world. -Get daily surf reports from our team of experts. -View wave height, live wind, weather, water temperature, and tide. -Choose to get notified when the conditions are perfect at your favorite spots with Surf Alerts. -View detailed buoy charts and nearshore models. Plan future surf adventures. -Use 16-day long-range forecasts to plan ahead. -Read swell analysis from our in-house forecasting team. Relive your sessions and watch your waves. -Use Cam Rewind to watch and download your best waves (and wipeouts). -Sync your Apple Watch to log Surfline Sessions and get your waves sent straight to your phone. -View detailed analysis of waves ridden, length of ride, and speed. -Share your rides with friends and on social media. Shop top-quality surf essentials. -Shop a selection of surfboards, wetsuits, surf accessories, and other gear. -Save up to $60 on every order. (Premium only) -Get free shipping on every order. (Premium only) -View gear guides, reviews, and other gear-related stories. Stay connected to all things surf. -Watch the world’s best waves with live coverage of major swell events. -Read up on the latest surf news, travel, training, and gear content. Search for ‘Surfline’ on the App Store to download. -- MSW Pro Subscriptions and Renewals Magicseaweed Pro Subscriptions are no longer available to purchase for most subscribers as part of the migration to Surfline. MSW Pro subscribers now have access to a Surfline Premium membership until the end of their current MSW Pro subscription term. Unless auto-renewal is turned off through iTunes account settings, the Surfline Premium membership will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of your current MSW subscription term. Full terms and conditions can be found at https://magicseaweed.com/legal/terms-and-conditions-of-use/.

Ratings & Reviews

4.8

out of 5

15K Ratings

Go to app for free surf forecasts
09/11/2019

thisisnicknamefascism
I’ve been using Magicseaweed’s website since I lived in Oregon and surfed Pacific City back in 08’, probably before that but can’t remember when I started using surf forecasting (yes I was alive and surfing in the days before internet forecasting, back then the newspaper-I am from Cape Fear region of North Carolina-was the source for a forecast, though then, as now, the most accurate forecast is still on sight forecasting), but its always been spot on in terms of predicting groundswell, there isn’t a surf forecasting program alive that I know of that accurately predicts wave height, which is a fickle thing depending as it is on so many factors including shifting sandbars in both NC and Oregon. When I say spot on I mean accurate for groundswells days in advance in my experience...it also has useful information about the various surf spots in your area and includes historical data, all for free. The historical data is quite interesting as it gives you the statistical average percentage of rideable wave each month going back to like 2007 for some spots, along with percentages of ground swell vs. windswell, average height of swell/wave for that month and average height for each day and maximum height each day. This is free!! Other forecasting sites don’t even do this at all. It’s not my go to for general weather forecasting, for that I use Windy, but for it niche, its the best you can find.
Go to app for free surf forecasts
09/11/2019

thisisnicknamefascism

I’ve been using Magicseaweed’s website since I lived in Oregon and surfed Pacific City back in 08’, probably before that but can’t remember when I started using surf forecasting (yes I was alive and surfing in the days before internet forecasting, back then the newspaper-I am from Cape Fear region of North Carolina-was the source for a forecast, though then, as now, the most accurate forecast is still on sight forecasting), but its always been spot on in terms of predicting groundswell, there isn’t a surf forecasting program alive that I know of that accurately predicts wave height, which is a fickle thing depending as it is on so many factors including shifting sandbars in both NC and Oregon. When I say spot on I mean accurate for groundswells days in advance in my experience...it also has useful information about the various surf spots in your area and includes historical data, all for free. The historical data is quite interesting as it gives you the statistical average percentage of rideable wave each month going back to like 2007 for some spots, along with percentages of ground swell vs. windswell, average height of swell/wave for that month and average height for each day and maximum height each day. This is free!! Other forecasting sites don’t even do this at all. It’s not my go to for general weather forecasting, for that I use Windy, but for it niche, its the best you can find.
Magic Seaweed
07/14/2023

TGCS101
The app is/was easier to use/better set up than Surfline. I get they merged but would be nice to still have the option for the traditional view. I still had the MS app on this phone and was able to use it since the merge. I had no option but download the SL app on my new phone last month. The only way I could get it to work was sign up. Give my email. I had already signed up years ago but didn’t like the SL app and went back to MS. I had forgot the password and used the reset. The feature was buggy and took 4 times to get it to work. Sorry for the long winded review but what it comes down to. The free Magic Seaweed app was far better than tge free Surfline app and you didn’t have to sign up to use it. Hopefully the SL app will improve with time but for now it’s a 1 star app in my opinion.
Magic Seaweed
07/14/2023

TGCS101

The app is/was easier to use/better set up than Surfline. I get they merged but would be nice to still have the option for the traditional view. I still had the MS app on this phone and was able to use it since the merge. I had no option but download the SL app on my new phone last month. The only way I could get it to work was sign up. Give my email. I had already signed up years ago but didn’t like the SL app and went back to MS. I had forgot the password and used the reset. The feature was buggy and took 4 times to get it to work. Sorry for the long winded review but what it comes down to. The free Magic Seaweed app was far better than tge free Surfline app and you didn’t have to sign up to use it. Hopefully the SL app will improve with time but for now it’s a 1 star app in my opinion.
Basic accurate surf report app
08/16/2020

RegularJames
I live a couple hours from the beach these days, so I pay for the premium 14 day report. For 3 bucks, it’s fully worth it. I’m busy, so it’s hard to plan surf trips. This app makes it much easier. It’s accurate most of the time, as accurate as a 14 day report can be. The only complaints are small and won’t matter for most. I do wish the app said which way the wind is blowing in relationship to the shore. It says the direction, but in Cali, not all beaches face west, so it would be nice to get a better description. That said, I’m sure if I weren’t so bad with a compass, I could figure it out. Many will scoff at this gripe, I’m sure.The other thing is the “nearby” feature. There’s straight up nothing there for any beach I’ve been too. Now perhaps it’s up to a business to add their info, which I understand. But if businesses don’t want to participate, perhaps just ditch the feature all together. All around, this app does what it’s supposed to do. I’m definitely pleased with the service at this price point. Bottom line: I recommend the premium version of this app. The free one is good too if all you need is a week.
Basic accurate surf report app
08/16/2020

RegularJames

I live a couple hours from the beach these days, so I pay for the premium 14 day report. For 3 bucks, it’s fully worth it. I’m busy, so it’s hard to plan surf trips. This app makes it much easier. It’s accurate most of the time, as accurate as a 14 day report can be. The only complaints are small and won’t matter for most. I do wish the app said which way the wind is blowing in relationship to the shore. It says the direction, but in Cali, not all beaches face west, so it would be nice to get a better description. That said, I’m sure if I weren’t so bad with a compass, I could figure it out. Many will scoff at this gripe, I’m sure.The other thing is the “nearby” feature. There’s straight up nothing there for any beach I’ve been too. Now perhaps it’s up to a business to add their info, which I understand. But if businesses don’t want to participate, perhaps just ditch the feature all together. All around, this app does what it’s supposed to do. I’m definitely pleased with the service at this price point. Bottom line: I recommend the premium version of this app. The free one is good too if all you need is a week.
MSW is good, but pays less attention to Texas.
01/23/2022

Grant Brymer
I live and surf in Texas where our surf has some hidden gems. You have to be very knowledgeable to know where to find tubes, offshore winds, and quality uncrowded surf. I’ve used MSW for a few years now and noticed that the report is updated pretty frequently - a pro. I’ve also noticed that whoever makes the report doesn’t quite understand how swell hits different spots along the Texas coast - a con. For any surfer who knows something about Texas surf, he knows to pay little mind to MSW’s forecast and to just look at the swell and swell direction. I think that for any forecast everything else is pretty much impossible to predict with any certainty. MSW has plenty of forecasts in surf spots along the Texas coast, but they usually get everything wrong about the descriptions of the spots. Other than usually giving you an idea of when there’s going to be surf, MSW doesn’t really do much else unless it’s about the day before you plan to surf. MSW is easy to use, has a ton of features and cams and is helpful when planning trips. Would definitely recommend to anyone; even though it has its imperfections.

Developer Response
Hey Grant, your wealth of experience surfing in the area makes your feedback extremely valuable. We'd be keen to hear more from you, if you could reach out to support@magicseaweed.com and reference this review? - James.
MSW is good, but pays less attention to Texas.
01/23/2022

Grant Brymer

I live and surf in Texas where our surf has some hidden gems. You have to be very knowledgeable to know where to find tubes, offshore winds, and quality uncrowded surf. I’ve used MSW for a few years now and noticed that the report is updated pretty frequently - a pro. I’ve also noticed that whoever makes the report doesn’t quite understand how swell hits different spots along the Texas coast - a con. For any surfer who knows something about Texas surf, he knows to pay little mind to MSW’s forecast and to just look at the swell and swell direction. I think that for any forecast everything else is pretty much impossible to predict with any certainty. MSW has plenty of forecasts in surf spots along the Texas coast, but they usually get everything wrong about the descriptions of the spots. Other than usually giving you an idea of when there’s going to be surf, MSW doesn’t really do much else unless it’s about the day before you plan to surf. MSW is easy to use, has a ton of features and cams and is helpful when planning trips. Would definitely recommend to anyone; even though it has its imperfections.
Developer Response 02/01/2022
Hey Grant, your wealth of experience surfing in the area makes your feedback extremely valuable. We'd be keen to hear more from you, if you could reach out to support@magicseaweed.com and reference this review? - James.

Magicseaweed has joined Surfline and is no longer being supported. You can now get all your favorite features on Surfline.

Version 7.8.6

05/24/2023

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