Surf Captain vs Windy:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, Windy had more branded searches than Surf Captain among surf forecast sites worldwide. Windy had about 110,000 branded searches, while Surf Captain had 9,900. Windy made up 11.1% of all surf forecast site searches we track, and Surf Captain accounted for 1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about surf forecast sites, Windy appeared in four of the five answers and Surf Captain in none.
Who do people search for more?
Windy, about 11 searches for every 1 for Surf Captain
Who does AI mention more?
Windy, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Surf Captain in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Windy, the only one of the two named
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Top surf forecast sites in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Windy was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Surf Captain did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Surfline4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Windy4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Surf-Forecast.com4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Windguru3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Swellnet0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Swellmap0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Surf Captain0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about surf forecast sites
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best surf forecast site?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which surf forecast is most accurate?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What app do surfers use to check the waves?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“surf forecast”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“surf forecast app”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 27, 2026.
Is Surf Captain or Windy more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Surf Captain and Windy by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven surf forecast sites we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Windy, Surf Captain. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Windguru | Surfline | Windy | Swellnet | Swellmap | Surf Captain | Surf-Forecast.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 46.5% | 20.9% | 25.4% | 4.2% | 2.3% | 0.56% | 0.24% |
| Dec 2025 | 54.4% | 24.4% | 10.8% | 6% | 3.3% | 0.65% | 0.53% |
| Jan 2026 | 60% | 22% | 8% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 0.59% | 0.48% |
| Feb 2026 | 60.4% | 22.2% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 3% | 0.59% | 0.32% |
| Mar 2026 | 56.9% | 25.5% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 2.8% | 0.68% | 0.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 56.2% | 25.2% | 9.2% | 6.2% | 2.3% | 0.67% | 0.3% |
| May 2026 | 56.8% | 25.5% | 9.3% | 5.1% | 1.9% | 0.83% | 0.56% |
| Jun 2026 | 57.4% | 25.8% | 9.4% | 4.2% | 1.9% | 1% | 0.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 58.2% | 21.5% | 14.2% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 1% | 0.31% |
| Aug 2026 | 60.5% | 22.2% | 12.1% | 3% | 1.1% | 0.89% | 0.32% |
| Sep 2026 | 58.1% | 26.1% | 9.5% | 3.5% | 1.6% | 1% | 0.21% |
| Oct 2026 | 55.8% | 25% | 11.1% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 1% | 0.24% |
How has branded search for Surf Captain and Windy changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Windy was ahead of Surf Captain in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Surf Captain’s share of searches among surf forecast sites worldwide moved from 0.56% to 1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 9.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Windy’s share of searches among surf forecast sites worldwide moved from 25.4% to 11.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 301K to 110K.
How did search popularity change for surf forecast sites worldwide in October 2026?
2 changes
In October 2026, Windy gained share of searches among surf forecast sites worldwide, from 9.5% to 11.1%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Surf Captain worldwide rose 50% over 12 measured months, from 6.6K to 9.9K in October 2026.
How are Surf Captain’s and Windy’s branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Surf Captain’s and Windy’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Surf Captain
1 branded search term
- surf captain
Windy
1 branded search term
- windy app
Other head-to-heads among surf forecast sites
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