How SwellOracle surf alerts work

Triggers use height and period

A height-only alert can be noisy because local wind waves can lift the reading without creating useful surf. A period-only alert can miss size. Combining both is a cleaner signal.

For example, an alert at 4 ft and 12 seconds waits for both enough size and enough organization.

Frequency controls notification fatigue

Premium remote alerts can be configured to notify every 12 hours, once per day, or once per swell episode until conditions drop and rise again.

The best default for many users is once per episode or every few hours, because a swell can remain above threshold for many consecutive checks.

Remote alerts run away from the browser

Free accounts can explore favorites but do not include remote alert delivery. Premium accounts can use server-side checks and notification destinations such as email and WhatsApp when configured.

The backend evaluates active alerts on a cadence based on the shortest useful period among users watching the same station, which avoids unnecessary compute while keeping alerts timely.

Practical takeaway

Good alerts are specific enough to avoid noise and flexible enough to match how often you want to be interrupted.