Frequently asked questions

Yes. Buoywatch is free to download, with real-time buoy readings, tide charts, the map and search, and the Apple Watch app with complications. Buoywatch PRO, an in-app purchase, adds Home and Lock Screen widgets, wave size notifications and favorites.

iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. The iPhone and iPad app needs iOS 15 or later. Android is coming soon.

Yes. The Apple Watch app shows buoys and tides, and watch complications, free for everyone, put buoy and tide data on your wrist.

Yes, with Buoywatch PRO. Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets show a buoy, a tide, or both at a glance.

Yes, with Buoywatch PRO. Wave size notifications tell you when a buoy reaches the height you choose.

Yes. The latest buoy readings for your main buoy stay available offline, and many tide predictions work without a connection.

Buoywatch is available in 16 languages: English, Arabic, Basque, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish and Traditional Chinese.

Buoywatch covers 620+ buoys and 4,380+ tide stations: the US Pacific and Atlantic coasts, Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes and Hawaii, plus the Caribbean, Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Pacific islands. Before buying PRO, check that there is a buoy or tide station near you on the map in the app, or under Buoys and Tides on the website. Measurements vary by station.

A buoy reading is an observation: what a buoy actually measured at sea, such as wave height, period, direction and wind. A tide prediction is calculated in advance: the expected water level and high and low times at a tide station.

Up to 7 days. In the app, drag along the tide chart to see the level at any time of day, and swipe through the next days to plan your sessions.

No. Tide predictions are for information only and must not be used for navigation.

Predicted water levels and the high and low tide times for a tide station. See How to Read a Tide Chart for Surfing.

Most buoys report every 30 to 60 minutes. Each reading shows when it was observed, so you can see how fresh it is.

The average height of the highest third of the waves a buoy measures. Individual waves can be bigger. See Significant Wave Height Explained.

The time in seconds between waves. Longer periods usually mean more powerful swell. See Wave Period Explained.

Buoy observations and tide predictions come from public agencies, research institutions and other providers around the world. See About for the data-provider list and acknowledgements.

Yes. On any buoy or tide page, use the units button above the readings to choose meters or feet, wind speed, temperature, pressure and distance units. Your choice is remembered in your browser.

N/A means we do not currently have a valid reading or prediction to show. This can happen during station maintenance or an outage, a reporting delay, a temporary connection problem, or when tide predictions do not cover the selected date. Individual fields can also be unavailable if the station does not provide them. When a previous valid buoy reading is available, we keep showing it with its observation time and an age warning when appropriate.

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Email support [at] buoywatch [dot] com and we will get back to you.