4 Apps For Shark Sightings & Tide Reports

For those of us that love the ocean, there are very few things that can keep us out of the waves on a beautiful day. The sound of the pounding waves, the glint of the sun against on our waxed boards, the feel of the hot sand as we approach the water: some people are beckoned to the ocean. However, as with any terrain, the ocean has its own set of dangers against which we must protect ourselves. Below we’ve outlined our list of absolute essentials for those of us that love to spend time in open water.

Shark Sightings 

Although statistically very unlikely to occur, having an awareness of shark sightings is crucial. In the US there are an average of only 19 shark attacks each year, accordingly to National Geographic. The Dorsal app is a great crowd sourced gadget that’ll give you the lowdown on where sharks have been sighted most recently so that you can plan your beach day accordingly.

Originally hailing from the waters of Australia, Dorsal has been such a success that it is now available for USA water recreationists!

If you’re in the Atlantic Ocean, The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy Sharktivity App provides information on White Shark sightings, detections, movements, and research to raise awareness and help people and White Sharks co-exist peacefully.  You can use the app to view sightings on submit your own!

Tide Reports 

There’s nothing in life quite as frustrating as packing up the wetsuit, throwing the board in the car, and getting to the beach only to realize the major swell your friend texted you about has since calmed quite down.

We love the TideGraph app for this very reason. Providing incredibly up to date and accurate swell information for the entire month, it makes certain that you’ll get the perfectly surf-able waves you literally just saw a snapchat of!

Tides Near Me app focuses on nearby tide stations and current tidal conditionsl  You can learn the time of the last and next tide and current, as well as when the sun and moon will rise or set.