Customer Reviews (100)

Hayden Hamilton • 2025-03-23T06:20:52.368Z

live cam gives me about 1.5 seconds of the surf and 15 seconds of a surfline premium ad. Magic seaweed wasn't even this buggy. Edit: Still not fixed 4 months later.

Doran Williams • 2025-03-22T11:23:06.373Z

App wont load any spot information and now wont even open, uninstalled as it doesnt even work!

david hopkins • 2025-03-15T09:32:44.449Z

bring back magic seaweed. app does work most of the time and when it does the forecast aren't as accurate as msw was. .. took a really good app (msw) and made it worse... who does that !

Summary of Key Insights

The Surfline app has a mixed reception. While many users find it helpful for wave forecasting and checking surf conditions, a significant portion express frustration with bugs, inaccurate forecasts, excessive ads, and feature disparities between the Android and iOS versions, particularly regarding "Surfline Sessions." The transition from Magicseaweed (MSW) is a recurring point of comparison, with some users feeling the current app is inferior. The overall sentiment is moderately positive, but the negative reviews highlight crucial areas for improvement. Quantitatively, the app has a decent rating but the high percentage of 1-star reviews (26%) is a cause for concern.

  • Strengths: Helpful for planning surf sessions, live surf cams, tide information.
  • Weaknesses: Inaccurate forecasts, bugs, excessive ads, lack of "Sessions" feature on Android, feature disparity between Android and iOS, unfavorable comparison to Magicseaweed, sign-in issues.
  • Overall Rating: Moderate (significant number of 1-star reviews indicates serious issues for some users).
  • Score Distribution: 5-star (52%), 4-star (13%), 3-star (4%), 2-star (5%), 1-star (26%)

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 100 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not specified, assuming recent reviews given the version number.
  • Analysis Methods: Sentiment analysis (manual assessment based on review text), keyword extraction (identifying frequently mentioned terms and issues), comparative analysis (identifying comparisons to Magicseaweed and feature requests).

Key User Pain Points

  • Inaccurate Forecasts: Many users report that the surf forecasts are unreliable, with wave heights often differing significantly from actual conditions. This is a major source of frustration, undermining the app's core purpose.
  • Bugs and Glitches: Several users experience technical issues such as the app not loading, cams not working, and general instability. This creates a poor user experience.
  • Excessive Ads: The frequency and intrusiveness of ads, particularly for non-premium users, are a significant complaint. Users feel the ads detract from the app's usability.
  • Android/iOS Feature Disparity (Sessions): The lack of "Surfline Sessions" (cam rewind and more) on Android is a major point of contention. Android users feel they are paying the same price for a less feature-rich experience. The long delay in bringing this feature to Android is especially frustrating, with mentions of promises dating back to 2019.
  • Negative Comparison to Magicseaweed (MSW): Many users explicitly state that the app is worse than Magicseaweed, which Surfline acquired. They miss the accuracy and features of the previous app.
  • Sign-in Issues: Users are experiencing problems with signing in and account access.
  • Cam Issues: Cams not loading, only showing a few seconds with ads.
  • New Layout Complaints: Users find the new layout more difficult to navigate and compare days.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Surfline Sessions on Android: This is the most frequently requested feature.
  • Widgets for Samsung: Users want widgets for quick access to surf information.
  • Chromecast Support: The ability to cast the app to a TV is desired.
  • Filter on Map View: Users want the ability to filter spots on the map by favorites, conditions (swell, wind), guided available, and webcam.
  • Forecast Alerts on Android: Missing feature compared to iOS.
  • Zoom/Crop on Android Video Editing: To match iOS capabilities.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Helpful for Planning: Many users find the app useful for planning surf trips and checking conditions before heading out.
  • Live Surf Cams: The live surf cams are a popular feature, allowing users to visually assess conditions.
  • Tide Information: Users appreciate the availability of tide information.
  • Comprehensive Data: Users like the amount of data available, including swell size, wind, and other factors.
  • Ease of Use (for some): Some users find the app easy to use and navigate.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Fix Bugs and Glitches: Address the reported issues with the app not loading, cams not working, and general instability. This is critical for improving the user experience.
  • Improve Forecast Accuracy: Invest in improving the accuracy of surf forecasts. This is the app's core value proposition, and inaccuracies undermine its usefulness.
  • Implement Surfline Sessions on Android: Prioritize bringing the "Surfline Sessions" feature to Android to address the significant feature disparity with iOS.
  • Reduce Ad Intrusiveness: Re-evaluate the ad strategy to reduce the frequency and intrusiveness of ads, particularly for paying subscribers. Consider ad-free options for premium users.
  • Address Sign-in Issues: Resolve the reported problems with signing in and account access.

Medium Priority:

  • Optimize App Layout: Re-evaluate the new layout based on user feedback and make adjustments to improve navigation and usability.
  • Implement Chromecast Support: Add Chromecast support to allow users to cast the app to their TVs.
  • Develop Samsung Widgets: Create widgets for Samsung devices to provide quick access to surf information.
  • Improve Video Editing Tool on Android: Address the issues with the video editing tool on Android, including blurry video, freezing, and file corruption.
  • Implement Forecast Alerts on Android: Add forecast alerts for Android.

Low Priority:

  • Add Filter on Map View: Implement a filter feature on the map view to allow users to filter spots by favorites and conditions.
  • Re-evaluate Pricing Structure: Consider offering a lower-priced subscription option to attract more users.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Hyperlocal Surf Forecasting: Develop a surf forecasting app that focuses on providing highly accurate forecasts for specific local spots, potentially using machine learning and real-time data from sensors.
  • Community-Driven Surf Reporting: Create an app that relies on user-submitted surf reports and photos to provide up-to-date information on conditions.
  • Surf Trip Planning Platform: Develop a platform that helps surfers plan and book surf trips, including flights, accommodation, and surf lessons.
  • Android Enhancement Suite for Surfline: An independent app that adds features that Surfline is slow to implement, such as improved video editing and widgets.

Trends and Observations

  • Negative Sentiment Regarding Magicseaweed Transition: There's a clear trend of users expressing disappointment with the transition from Magicseaweed to Surfline.
  • Android vs. iOS Disparity: Android users consistently feel like they are getting a less feature-rich experience compared to iOS users.
  • Pricing Sensitivity: Some users feel the subscription price is too high and are unwilling to pay for it.
  • Technical Issues Impacting Usability: Technical issues are a recurring theme in negative reviews, indicating a need for improved quality assurance.

Conclusion

The Surfline app faces challenges in user satisfaction due to forecast inaccuracies, technical issues, excessive ads, and feature disparities between platforms. Addressing these issues, particularly the lack of "Surfline Sessions" on Android, is crucial for improving the app's reputation and retaining users. While the app has strengths in providing comprehensive surf data and live cams, these are overshadowed by the reported problems. A focus on improving forecast accuracy, resolving bugs, and providing a consistent experience across platforms is essential for the long-term success of the app.

Original App Link

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.surfline.android