SI alternatives?

I have Surfline Premium - - and lately I wonder why I even bother with it.

The 17-day fucast is useless. Particularly here on our right coast. Reason I say this is because Surfline will change their fucast even hours before the next surfing window of opportunity. So, their claim that they can fucast weeks out is ludicrous, a mere marketing gambit. You're not, for example, able to book a surf trek to, say, Barbados based upon Surfline's extended 'Premium' fucast for Barbados. You'd be throwing your money away on a crapshoot.

Also, if you look at their fucast for Mid-Atlantic, they are fucasting from approx Belmar to Chincoteague. Approx 250+ miles. These are very different breaks, break-facing directions & wind patterns.

Compare that with Surfline's fucast for the Cali coastline. Way, way more detailed info for the breaks on the left coast. Surline won't dare throw the same fucast on the wall for La Jolla as for Manhattan Beach. Yet, that's tantamount to what they do with our coastline.

The Travel section is badly in need of updating.

Some of the fucasters must have been hired straightaway out of weather school, or whever they get them, 'cause they can't fucast. Katie Spagnolo is the worst of them. Clueless. Kurt Korte is decent. Everyone else is scattered along the fucasting Rockwell Hardness scale.

So, yah, I'm a sucker for purchasing Surfline Premium.

 

SI was pretty shaky when I first encountered it. Then, Micah improved it gradually year-by-year. Then, he sold off to another entity & the accuracy plunged. He then apparently took it back on or something like that & the accuracy has improved to what it once was.

Butt, we all know what we arrive here for....Fourume Follies, Political News & Outstanding Medicale Advise

 

Hey guys, I use to pay for Surfline Premium but like you felt anything outside of 48hrs was a crap shoot anyways. I have the Surfline App and can still use it for free for a 3 day forecast, which is enough for me. You can still watch the webcams for 30 seconds at a time before a quick commercial and then back to the camera for another 30 seconds. So that's what I do in adttion to Swellinfo. I also check The Weather Channel app and Wunderground app for alternate opinions on the wind. Usually they are in line with each other.

 

Surfline Premium is good if there is a cam you like to watch. If you know where to look on the web you can find many of the same breaks have cams elsewhere on the web for free.

In terms of forecasting you really don't need anything more than this website. Learn to use the features on the sidebar to toggle between wind, swell, wind waves and the 3 prominent swell directions. It really gives you everything you need unless you just want someone to hold your hand. https://www.windy.com/?waves,33.779,-58.535,5

 

SI is the best for the EC but I use Surfline for travel.

 

Surfline is nothing more than a "fashionista" site.
To quote Surfline is "de riguer" amongst the surf-clothing wearing faddists.....
Can we get sucked in?? Sure. An occasional visit to the cam of your travel destination is all it is good for in my opinion, plus perhaps a video of interest, if you are a video watcher. But pay for it?? For me, not. To each their own.

 

I enjoy watching you tear it up on the NH cams, Barry

 

I rip, I slash and I burn. No wave is safe with me around.....

 

Opinions on Magicseaweed anyone? I sometimes use it to corroborate this site. I do find SI to be more accurate for sure though.

 

MS totally sucks. Their forecasting program just doesn't work for the EC

 

They suck donkey d*ck.

 

CL m4m adds for you clownie.

 

Swellinfo is a great predictor for the week. MS gives a couple more days in the forecasting period, so 10 day measure, plus can be a good measure on wind n direction. surfline is good for the short term go-to, so next day or two days from now. this applies to my break only, so i'm sure it's different everywhere

 

Based on all of your replies, for inland surfers, Ouiji Board commands as much respect as any other.
For those living on or near shore....eyes.

 

another good source is your local surf shop's report. i don't get on NOAA enough for bouy research

 

I like Magic Seaweed only to look up info on spots I haven't been to, so basically it's a nightmare for all locals everywhere.

 

I like Magic Seaweed only to look up info on spots I haven't been to, so basically it's a nightmare for all locals everywhere.

SI is very polite to locals by keeping forecasts and descriptions vague, like 'RI' or 'NH' so you have to know where to go.

 

Uh, we kinda have an old acrimonious relationship with Magicseaweed on here....

 

I remember before the interwebs when all I did was watch the weather on TV and call the Heritage surf hotline.