Getting started
Where do I start?
Download WAVOA for your phone, sign in using an available option, and choose your sports and units. Star the spots you ride most, then open a spot to explore its forecast. WAVOA covers Windsurfing, Kitesurfing, Wing Foiling, Surfing and SUP. The download section shows current store links and availability.
Which permissions do I need?
Notifications let WAVOA send alerts. Location access is needed for features that use your position, including recording a track. Watch recording can also request activity or health access. Read each request when the feature asks for it; you can review permissions in your device settings.
Forecasts & live observations
Which forecast models are available?
WAVOA has 16 model tabs: 4 global and 12 regional. Availability at a spot depends on coverage and the data received. Switch models to compare their forecasts. WAVOA keeps the curves separate; NBM is NOAA’s own upstream blend. The models page explains each grid and its coverage.
Why do forecasts and measured wind disagree?
A model predicts conditions across a grid; a station measures at a particular place and time. Terrain, station distance and data age can matter. Compare models and check the observation timestamp and source. A finer grid adds detail, but does not guarantee a more accurate forecast.
Why is a model or weather value missing?
Regional models appear where data is available, and individual feeds may lack a field. AIFS and SMN-WRF do not publish gusts; estimated gusts are marked with ~. Marine and observation coverage is separate from wind-model coverage. Check timestamps and another available model if a feed is delayed.
Spots & favorites
How do I save a spot or add my own?
Tap a spot’s star to add or remove a favorite. For a custom spot, long-press on the globe or map and complete the form. Plan limits apply. Custom spots start private; publishing to the community is a separate action when available on your plan.
What changes when I switch sports or models?
Sport filters focus the view on relevant spots and conditions. Your sport preferences and thresholds influence the ratings. The model picker lets you compare forecasts and choose a preferred model for a spot. If a rating surprises you, check the sport, model, units and thresholds first.
Smart alerts
How do I create a useful alert?
Choose the spot and sport, then set your conditions in the alert editor. Check the wind, gust, wave and direction rules you add, their AND/OR combination, and any day or time window. Enable notifications on your phone. Available options and alert limits depend on your plan.
Why did an alert not arrive?
Check that the rule is enabled, its forecast conditions match, and its time window is open. Review notification permission, notification-silencing settings and repeat or rearm settings. Reopen WAVOA with a connection. If it still fails, send support the spot, rule, expected time and time zone.
My Gear & Go-To setups
How do I set up gear and use it in a session?
Add equipment in My Gear with its sport, type and size. Set suitable wind and wave ranges where offered, then combine items into Go-To setups. Choose gear when logging or before recording on the watch. If new gear is missing on the watch, reconnect the phone and open WAVOA to sync it.
Logbook & session details
How do sessions get into my Logbook?
Add a session manually, record with a WAVOA watch app, or import a supported track file. Manual entries let you choose sport, spot, time, gear and rating. Recorded and imported sessions can include a route and calculated metrics. Review the details and add your notes afterwards.
Why are some session metrics missing?
Metrics depend on the source data. A manual log has no GPS route; a track file may omit heart rate or contain too few points for reliable short speed intervals. Missing data is not zero. Keep the original recording if you need to compare results.
Apple Watch & Wear OS
How do I set up my watch?
Pair Apple Watch with your iPhone, or a supported Wear OS watch with its Android phone, using the device’s normal setup. Install the available WAVOA watch app, sign in on the phone and open both apps while connected. Wait for your account, sports and gear to appear before recording. Check the listing for device compatibility and release availability.
Can I record without carrying my phone?
After initial account setup and sync, the watch can record while the phone stays ashore. Check battery and recording permissions first. Conditions may be cached: read their source and age. Reconnect the devices after saving so the session can transfer to your phone.
How do I pause, resume and finish?
On Apple Watch, use the recording controls and follow the on-watch confirmation to end and save. Hardware shortcuts depend on the model and setup. On Wear OS, Pause is on the live screen and Resume on the paused screen. Swipe to the controls for Mark and End, then confirm End and save. A supported app button can also pause or resume.
What should I check before going on the water?
Check GPS status, permissions and battery, and practise pause, resume and saving on your own watch. Wear OS also has swipeable metrics, speed dial and conditions pages. Water Lock and touch-lock behavior depend on the platform and device; follow the watch’s guidance rather than assuming all buttons and wet-screen gestures work alike.
My saved session has not reached the phone. What now?
Keep the session on the watch. Bring the paired devices together, check their connection and open WAVOA on both with the correct account. Allow time for transfer and check any waiting-to-sync indication. Contact support if it stays pending. Avoid reinstalling or clearing app data while a recording is waiting to transfer.
Garmin, Suunto, Polar & COROS tracks
How do I import from another tracker?
Export the activity from your tracker’s service as GPX, FIT or TCX. Add a session in WAVOA, choose Import sessions, then select the file. Garmin, Suunto, Polar and COROS recordings can use this route when the export contains a supported GPS track. It does not require a native WAVOA tracker app or automatic account sync.
Why is my file rejected or its summary different?
Choose the activity file, not a ZIP archive, screenshot or summary document. WAVOA accepts GPX, FIT and TCX up to 25 MB with usable track data and timestamps. Recording intervals and source fields affect calculated metrics. FIT or TCX can preserve data that GPX omits. Reimporting the same unchanged file is detected as a duplicate.
Can I export a session to another service?
Export a session with a GPS track as GPX from its sharing options, then save or share the file with a service that accepts GPX. File import and GPX export are available on every WAVOA plan. A manual session without a route has no GPS track to export.
Account, privacy & data
How do I recover access or use another phone?
Use the same sign-in method and account as before. For email and password, use the password-reset option and check your inbox and spam folder. Saved account data can load after sign-in. Keep recordings or imports that have not finished syncing until you have confirmed they are available.
Where can I export data or delete my account?
Review the app’s privacy controls and use its account-deletion action to remove your account. The Data & deletion page explains the process and scope. You can request an export through the contact form using your account email. Never send a password or sign-in code.
Plans, purchases & cancellation
What is included in Drift, Plane and Foil?
Compare the current feature sets and limits in the pricing section. Before purchasing, check the offer in the app: your store displays the applicable currency, billing period and any available trial. Offers and availability can vary by store.
I paid already. How do I restore my purchase?
Use the store account that made the purchase and sign in to the intended WAVOA account. Open the subscription screen and choose Restore purchases. Allow the result to refresh. If access is still missing, send support the store, purchase date and error shown, without payment-card details.
How do I cancel or request a refund?
Manage a store purchase through the App Store or Google Play account that billed you. Check renewal and expiry dates there. Refund handling and applicable withdrawal rights are described in the terms and the store’s process. Deleting the app or WAVOA account does not replace managing a store subscription.
Troubleshooting
The map is blank or the forecast is not loading. What can I try?
Check your connection, reopen WAVOA and try another network to rule out a blocked map or weather request. Check for an app update and compare the timestamp at another spot. Preserve unsynced recordings before considering a reinstall or clearing app data.
Why is my track incomplete or speed unavailable?
Check location permission and GPS status before starting. Poor satellite reception, a permission change or an interruption can leave gaps. WAVOA can withhold an unreliable speed instead of displaying it as a measurement. Review recording warnings and contact support with the watch model and session time if the problem repeats.
Contact support
What should I include in a support request?
Describe what you tried, what happened, your phone or watch model, app version and approximate time with time zone. Add a screenshot with personal details hidden. For a missing session, say whether it was logged manually, recorded on a watch or imported. Never include passwords, sign-in codes or full payment details.