BeachSea

Know what the water is doing before you get in. Wind, waves, temperature and the warnings that matter, for the beaches you actually swim at.

BeachSea tells you whether the sea looks okay at your beach right now, in plain language, the evening before and while you are standing on the sand.

Save the beaches you swim at and BeachSea shows the wind, waves, water and air temperature, the tide trend and sunset for each one, in the beach's own local time. It reads those numbers for you rather than leaving you to interpret them, and it stays quiet when there is nothing worth saying.

The warning it exists for is offshore wind. Wind blowing from the beach out to sea flattens the water near the shore, so it looks inviting while it pushes anything that floats away from land. Tell BeachSea which way your beach faces and it can see that happening, along with a swell that is turning rough and water cold enough to cut a swim short.

It also tells you when conditions favour rip currents, and teaches you what to do about one: how to spot the gap in the breaking waves from the beach, and how to get out by swimming parallel to the shore instead of fighting the pull. It never claims to know where a rip is, because nothing can.

After heavy rain it mentions runoff, which is why health authorities everywhere suggest waiting a day before swimming. At European beaches it also shows the official bathing water rating when that rating is Poor or Sufficient.

Before you go in, tap "I'm going in the water". The screen turns black with huge text, keeps itself awake, and shows one arrow pointing back to shore with the distance, plus the wind and a plain word if things are turning. It needs no signal once it is open.

With an Apple Watch, the arrow moves to your wrist. Pick Swim, Surf, Paddle or Boat and your watch runs the session as a workout of that type, saved to Fitness, pointing you back to shore with its own GPS and compass. Your phone can stay on the sand: the watch already has the forecast, and it buzzes if conditions turn while you are out.

A home screen widget keeps your beach a glance away, and an optional morning alert reaches you around 8am at the beach, not on your own clock, when a morning looks rough.

BeachSea is guidance, not a guarantee. Conditions change faster than any forecast and no app can see the water in front of you, so obey the posted flags, swim near lifeguards, and when in doubt, stay out.

Available in English, French, Dutch, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.

No account, no advertising and no tracking.

Made by My Daily Apps.