My Top 3 Weather Forecasting Apps for SUP
Weather - a topic I talk about more than any other. In fact, if you look at my phone and look at overall usage, the apps I use the more than ANY other are weather apps!
Of course, the question I’m always asked is which ones do I recommend. This blog is purely based on personal preference and experience, however there are numerous other weather forecasting sources out there which are also great - I’ll link a couple at the end but there are hundreds more!!
My old faithful, ride or die is Willy Weather.
Willy Weather is a fantastic tool and has continued to be reliable, even when the weather hasn’t been. After two years of back to back La Niña’s interrupting our schedules and paddle plans, Willy Weather has still managed to remain somewhat reliable even in fluctuating weather systems…
Screenshot of Willy Weather
For me the main draw of Willy Weather is the fact you can see real-time data alongside forecast. I find this is invaluable when I turn up at a SUP location and to the eye it looks a little windier than forecast. I need to make an informed decision, and quick, on whether it’s safe for a lesson or tour to proceed, so I turn to Willy Weather.
I also like the rainfall predictor/forecast on Willy Weather as it is a really easy tool to assess WHEN during a day rain is likely to hit. Generalist forecasts like those on an iPhone or Apple weather just show a rain symbol when rain is due, however with Willy weather one can get a little more exact (down to the hour) with their predictions and plan accordingly.
Following close after Willy Weather, in terms of frequency of use, is Seabreeze.
I trust Seabreeze to have a great overall view of what’s going on in an overall region (e.g. looking at Sydney as a whole). I also know it’s used by a lot of businesses and individuals in the watersports industry across Australia, so if I want to talk with a collaborator or partner business, I often refer to the Seabreeze forecast. Seabreeze also offers a 7 day wind forecast rather than Willy Weather’s 5 day, helping plan out further in advance.
The downfall of Seabreeze is the fact it is more of a general view of a region, and doesn’t get specific to individual areas. But when combined with another forecasting app that is more specific, it’s a dream combo!
Screen shot of Seabreeze - please note the arrow colours can change and switch around! I actually prefer them the other way which shows green as low wind, red as high.
Finally, a new app that I’ve come to admire is Weatherzone, because of its awesome rain forecasting feature.
I’m always talking to others in the industry about what weather apps they are using right now, and our biz besties Pittwater Eco Adventures recently sent me a screen shot from Weatherzone. We were trying to work out what the rain was doing (which with La Niña is a CONSTANT battle!!) but when we leveraged the Weatherzone rain forecasting calendar, we felt like we at least had a little idea. Combined with the detailed view of Willy Weather, I love this calendar view of the chance of rain (indicated by the coloured tiles) and a rough guide of how much.
As I say, this is an app that I’ve only just started playing with but in these La Niña times, it will continue to be a regular for me!
So there you have it, my top 3 weather forecasting apps… right now. But of course, I’m always learning, seeking new sources, listening to others in the industry, so if there’s a new one on the scene I’m always keen to try it. I also find that I use different apps throughout the year, depending on the location I’m in etc. etc.
Other apps I also have and use:
Windy.app - this is the OG. The one I used to use every day before Willy Weather became my favourite!
BOM Weather - a classic resource and a language that everyone speaks!
Tides AU - an easy quick reference tool for tidal forecasts… probably could use a blog post on it’s own for that one!
There is so much to unpack within these apps themselves so I cover this in much greater detail during the Pathway To SUP Independence online course. During this 4-week live online course, I run a whole lesson on reading the wind forecast, and teach you how to apply that forecast to your SUP location, whether it’s a location you know well or somewhere new you’re planning to visit. Reading the wind forecast is also the first topic I cover in the live group coaching calls (as it’s a popular one!). In the live calls, we get a chance to go even deeper, answer any paddler questions, do some screen shares to see the apps in action and apply it to real life scenarios! If this sounds like something you’d like to be part of, you should check out Pathway To SUP Independence HERE - the next course commences on 2nd May and the waitlist is now open!
I hope you found this blog helpful and if you’re ready for more wind/weather forecasting chat, I’ll see you on the live coaching calls on the course! Can’t wait!
Happy weather reading!
Vikki
Founder of She SUPs x
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