Barrelcast
BarrelCast Live surf conditions
I surf. I also build things. Six months ago I got frustrated opening three different apps just to answer one question: is it worth paddling out, and what should I ride?
So I built Barrelcast.
What it does
Live wave, swell and wind conditions the top surf breaks worldwide
Instant board recommendation based on today's actual conditions (not generic advice)
Personalised picks based on your skill level, weight and riding style
Wetsuit and wax recommendations based on sea temp
Competition schedules, El Niño tracker, top 10 rankings
The whole thing is a PWA — installable, works offline, no app store needed.
How I built it
Solo. React + TypeScript on the frontend, Supabase for auth, Open-Meteo's free marine API for live conditions. No paid data feeds. The board recommendation logic is hand-tuned based on actual shaper rules — not AI-generated fluff.
The hardest part wasn't the code. It was resisting the urge to keep adding features instead of shipping.
Where I'm at
Just launched. Zero paying users. One product that I personally use every morning before I check the wind.
Monetisation plan is a freemium model — free conditions data, paid personalisation and alerts tier.
What I'd love feedback on
Does the value prop land instantly when you open it?
Would you pay for surf condition alerts (SMS/push when your local break hits a certain threshold)?
Anything obviously missing for your surf routine?
App is free to use: barrelcast.surf
Happy to answer anything about the build.
6 Comments
This is a cool niche because the habit is already daily. Surfers are already checking conditions, so the question is less “will people use another surf app?” and more “can Barrelcast become the fastest decision layer before they paddle out?”
The board recommendation angle is probably stronger than the broad conditions angle, because conditions data is everywhere. The unique promise feels closer to:
“Know what to ride before you leave the house.”
For monetisation, I’d be careful with generic paid alerts. I’d test very specific alert triggers first: local break hits your preferred swell/wind window, board recommendation changes, or conditions match your saved ideal session.
That feels more worth paying for than normal surf updates.
Happy to put a tighter version in writing if useful. I’d map the value prop, paid alert test, first surfer segment, and a simple validation plan without turning the thread into a full teardown.
and apologies yes please i will take you up on your tighter version please.
Glad it helped.
There’s a cleaner paid-alert angle here, but I’d write it properly rather than dropping a half-version in the thread.
Drop your email and I’ll send over a tighter version. I’d keep it focused on the value prop, board recommendation angle, paid alert test, and which surfer segment to validate first.
thanks again.
dominic AT peachfuzz dot CO dot ZA
Just sent you a note.
Kept it focused on the value prop, board recommendation angle, paid alert test, and the first surfer segment to validate.
thank you so much for the comment. its extremely helpful, and i will use this.