Photo by Nomad Goods / Sean Raymond Collier
For years the surf watch industry has been dominated by a few big brands such as; Rip Curl, Garmin, and Nixon. They haven’t had too much competition, which has allowed them to control the market and be top-of-mind when it comes to surf watches that can track our performance in the water and keep us updated on forecasts/conditions.
The level of innovation and quality from existing brands has made it hard for newcomers to tap into this industry. Most of us were already happy with the lineup of surf watches out there, and we simply didn’t think we were missing anything. I mean, what could possibly be improved?
Well, out of nowhere came the Apple Watch and turned things upside down. Apple became the new player on the market with a fresh and different approach that made us all reconsider what’s needed in the best surf watch. Apple’s leading technology contributes to the most versatile surf watch option on the market – allow us to explain…
Turn Your Apple Watch Into The Ultimate Surf Watch
The Apple Watch has been around since 2015, and it’s a popular sports watch choice among consumers. However, the success of the Apple Watch seemed to go unnoticed in the surfing community for a few years. Mostly because there weren’t any Apps to fully exploit the technological advantages of the Apple Watch, but also because people doubted its durability for extreme sports.
Some companies took on the challenge and tried to develop software that could make the Apple Watch useful for surfers. However, most attempts were too basic and clunky, making surfers perceive it as a gimmick rather than a serious competitor to the traditional surf watch.
It was not before the Dawn Patrol App got released that we got a chance to see the full potential of the Apple Watch.
Photo by Dawn Patrol App
Dawn Patrol: The App
The Dawn Patrol app brings all the necessary futures together and turns your Apple Watch into the ultimate surf watch.
The App lets you track the wave count, wave speed, and wave length from all your surf sessions, and the tracking is super accurate and reliable. It stores all data, and you can go through all your completed waves on a map view after your session.
The App also measures your heart rate and calories burned during a surf session. It also gives you data on the actual tide and conditions at the surf spot you’re ripping at, live and directly from your wrist.
The Dawn Patrol App allows you to customize the watch face design, to suit your preferences and needs.
All this makes the Apple Watch a perfect companion for surfing.
Photo by Dawn Patrol App
Film Yourself With The Surfline App
You may already be familiar with Surfline since they provide some of the best surf reports and has the largest selection of surf cams around the world. Surfline is a good resource for checking the conditions before heading to your local break for a surf session.
Now, for those who own an Apple Watch, the Surfline App just got a whole lot more interesting! Their latest updates allow you to take advantage of their many surf cams and film yourself during a session.
So how does this work? The App connects with the Apple Watch, which then tracks your position in the lineup via GPS. It sends data back to the Surfline App, which then records clips of all the waves you ride – how sick is that?!
While it may not be a 4K quality video suitable for a surf film, it’s still an epic opportunity to get some clips of your completed waves so you can evaluate your technique or send over clips to the buddies to let them know you scored some bombs!
Apple's Series 7 Is The Most Versatile Surf Watch
What makes the Apple Watch the most versatile option for surfing is its technological advantage over its competitors. The Apple Watch is so much more than just a surf watch. Normally you would only put on a surf watch before a session, but the Apple Watch is so versatile that it will stay on the wrist all day.
The new Apple Watch Series 7 is the most durable Apple Watch ever made, and it comes with breakthrough health innovations that enrich us with more data than any other surf watch.
The screen comes in a large 41mm or 45mm display made from crack-resistant crystal glass. It is dust resistant with the IP6X certification.1 and waterproof with the WR50 water resistance.2.
The new Apple Watch is packed with sensors and technology that allows you to track speed, steps, routes, and much more. It can also measure your blood oxygen, heart rate, and take an ECG anytime, anywhere.
It will simply keep you healthy from head to toe and allow you to improve your performance.
All this technology makes it so much more than just a surf watch. The Apple Watch can be customized for every type of sport or activity, which helps you improve your overall fitness- and mental health.
Measure your blood oxygen and heart rate during a session of yoga or meditation to keep your mind, body, and breath prepared for a heavy surf session.
Improve your overall fitness and cardio level during complementary sports to surfing such as running, CrossFit, surf skating, or swimming, so you are ready when the next swell hits.
Track performance, hit target goals, and see the results in your overall physique.
The Apple Watch uses GPS data to track surf sessions, so you don’t need the cellular version, but it does bring some interesting futures.
Having a cellular Apple Watch with WiFi allows you to listen to your favorite Spotify playlist during a workout, or even take a phone call from the lineup via the Apple Watch to let your buddies know you already paddled out. You won’t find that in any other surf watch!
The possibilities with the Apple Watch are endless, and it keeps getting updates that bring us new exciting features.
Customize Your Apple Watch For Surfing
Another thing that makes the Apple Watch unique is the form factor and the third-part accessories that allow you to customize its design. This both makes the watch more versatile and gives it more personality.
Nomad Goods is a brand that creates unique tools and accessories for the modern traveller. Their products are known for their sleek design and high quality. The team at Nomad Goods shares our passion for surfing and that stands out in their creation of sports bands for the Apple Watch.
In our opinion, the Nomad bands are the best accessories to customize your Apple Watch for surfing. Not only are they made in quality materials to assure extreme durability, but it’s also the best-designed Apple Watch bands that we’ve come across.
Our Favorite Nomad bands For the Apple Watch:
All The bands below come in a variety of colorways – so you can choose a design that matches your personality style. They also come in two different sizes to guarantee a good and comfortable fit.
The sporty aesthetic combined with the clean design is what makes them unique. All the models are made of FKM fluoroelastomer rubber and the Active Brand Pro has a leather finish. The materials make them very lightweight and 100% waterproof.
The development of their bands is with surfers in mind. Comfort and durability were tested by pro-surfer Ridge Lenny when he clocked 40.6 mph at Nazaré, Portugal.
It’s a massive quality stamp since Nazaré is probably the gnarliest wave on earth. So if it holds up for a wipeout here, it got you covered anywhere, at any given condition!
