Surf Forecasting Guides
Reading the forecast
How to Read a Surf Forecast
Height, period, direction, wind and tide — what each number means, what "good" looks like, a worked example, and the ways forecasts mislead you. Step-by-step with links to every glossary term.
How to Read NOAA Buoy Data for Surfing
WVHT, DPD, APD, MWD, WSPD decoded; how to read a buoy in 30 seconds; flagship buoys for the West Coast, Hawaii, East Coast and Gulf; and where that data is already turned into a surf report.
Best Tide for Surfing
Low, mid or high? A table by break type — beach, point, reef, river mouth, jetty — plus incoming vs outgoing and how to find your own spot's tide window.
Choosing an app
Is Surfline Premium Worth It in 2026?
Current prices for Premium, Premium with Ads and Premium+, what's behind the paywall, who should pay and who shouldn't, and the cheaper alternatives.
Surfline vs Windy · Surfline vs Windguru
Head-to-head verdict tables, and the third option most surfers end up adding.
Windguru Alternatives · Windfinder Alternatives
Six options each, free and paid, with an honest best-for tag.
All comparisons: the compare hub.
Glossary
Short definitions of the terms used above: surf period, groundswell vs windswell, swell direction, offshore vs onshore wind, Hawaiian vs face height, clean-up set, best tide for surfing. Full glossary.
Live data by spot
LazySurfer's spot pages show the nearest NOAA buoy, wind station and a two-day tide chart next to the conditions surfers rated highest at that break — a practical way to apply everything in these guides.