The MagicSeaweed Replacement
Open the site. Pick a spot. Get the forecast. The way MSW worked.
When MagicSeaweed shut down in 2023, surfers lost the simplest surf check on the internet: a free 7-day forecast with swell, wind, and tide, no account required. Free Surf Forecast brings that workflow back — and adds live buoy observations, surf cameras, swell maps, and a session planner on top.
What Carries Over From MSW
| MagicSeaweed had | Free Surf Forecast has |
|---|---|
| Free 7-day spot forecast, no account | Same — 7 days, hourly, no account, no ads |
| Swell height, period, and direction | Same, with peak period (Tp) and swell-direction-aware spot scoring |
| Wind speed and direction | Same, with offshore/onshore classification per beach orientation |
| Tide tables | NOAA tide predictions, charted and overlaid on the wave forecast |
| Star rating | 0–100 surf score per 3-hour window — same idea, but the formula is open source |
| Global spot coverage | 145 US spots today (East and West Coasts, Gulf, Great Lakes, Hawaii, Puerto Rico) |
| Charts and swell maps | Ocean-basin swell map plus local wave height, period, and wind grids |
What's New Since MSW
- Live NDBC and CDIP buoy observations with wave energy spectra
- Free surf cameras where public streams exist
- A session planner that scores every daylight window for your skill level
- Push alerts when your spot's score clears your threshold — no email needed
- Installable app (PWA) with offline support for the last-loaded forecast
- The entire codebase is open source on GitHub
The Honest Limits
MagicSeaweed covered thousands of spots worldwide; we cover 145 US spots and are expanding. If your break is outside the US, the closest things to old MSW are Surfline (paid for full features) or Windy (free, but a general weather tool). If you surf the US coasts, you're home.