Epic Surf is a real-time surf forecasting platform that provides conditions and forecasts for 300+ surf spots worldwide. Surfers can check wave heights, wind conditions, tides, and get personalized recommendations—all optimized for mobile use.

Surfers need quick, accurate surf forecasts but face:

Scattered information across multiple websites

Complex data that requires expertise to interpret

Limited mobile-friendly options

No community platform to share conditions

A mobile-first web app that aggregates authoritative marine weather data and presents it in an easy-to-understand format with social features.

Frontend: React + TypeScript, Vite, Tailwind CSS, shadcn/ui

Backend: Express.js, PostgreSQL (Neon), Drizzle ORM

APIs: NOAA Marine Weather, Open-Meteo, Google Maps

Storage: Supabase for media files

Smart Surf Ratings: Automated algorithm analyzing wind, waves, and swell

5-Day Forecasts: Interactive charts with hourly breakdowns

Interactive Map: 300+ spots with color-coded condition markers

Social Feed: Share photos/videos with the community

Favorites System: Save and track your go-to spots

Mobile-First Design: Bottom navigation for easy thumb access

Analyzes multiple factors:

Wind direction (offshore = clean waves)

Wave height and period

Swell direction

Assigns ratings: Epic, Chill-Epic, Good, Rideable, Flat

Automated updates every 6 hours

Smart caching reduces API calls by 90%

Manual refresh available for immediate updates

70% of users on mobile

Bottom navigation for thumb-friendly access

Responsive charts and images

Fast load times with code splitting

Data Aggregation: Combined NOAA (US) and Open-Meteo (international) APIs into unified format

Performance: Implemented two-tier caching (memory + database) for fast responses

User Experience: Created automated surf ratings so users don't need to interpret raw data

Video Processing: Built non-blocking upload system—posts succeed even if thumbnail generation fails

300+ global surf spots covered

Sub-2-second page loads

Real-time conditions updated automatically

Community engagement through social feed

Surfline: Professional forecast presentation

Magic Seaweed: Community-driven reports

Windy: Beautiful weather visualization

Strava: Social feed patterns

10-day extended forecasts

User-submitted condition reports

Live surf cameras

Push notifications for epic conditions

Offline PWA mode

Mobile-first is essential for outdoor activity apps

Reliable data sources build user trust

Smart defaults (automated ratings) improve accessibility

Non-blocking architecture keeps users happy even when features fail

Built with modern web technologies to serve the global surfing community.