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Help me test a new swell service?

PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 5:22 pm
by hobiefisher
OK, I work with a jax beach surfer and we're launching a new service soon but it's in alpha phase right now. I need some surfers who would like to sign up and let me know what they think, what they would change, add, etc.

It's called (removed until you ask to post this) Basically, it sends you a text message when the surf is good, so you never miss a sneak swell.

You can sign up at (removed) free (it will always be free), and unsubscribe any time you want. You pick your beaches and you will get a text message when the surf is good.

1. You only get a text when the surf is good, never otherwise.

2. It's free, unsub at any time.

3. It's supported by small text ads at the end of the text alerts. We never will send ads by themselves, they only are tacked on at the bottom of alerts when the surf is good.

4. It's way not finished. The site is ugly, some stuff is broken, but the service works.

5. Let me know what you think in this forum.

Thanks for the help, I hope everyone likes it!

PS- It's not meant to replace great reports or forecasts like the ones here. It just alerts surfers that a swell is here and drives us to sites like this to get detailed reports.

PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:30 pm
by Milo
Na never work

PostPosted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:56 pm
by hobiefisher
Milo wrote:Na never work


Please let me know what it is that you think won't work. So far it's been working beautifully from our standpoint.

PostPosted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 2:13 am
by tomcat360
So does it say, "It's good, go surf!" or does it have buoy readings and wave heights/conditions?

PostPosted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 2:52 am
by hobiefisher
tomcat360 wrote:So does it say, "It's good, go surf!" or does it have buoy readings and wave heights/conditions?


LOL..We try to be a bit more specific than that Tomcat :) Thanks for the question. Here's a sample of what the message will look like.

____________________________________
Casino Pier, NJ (3-4 ft. - waist to chest high and fair)

Check www.surfing-waves.com for details.
Sign up for every beach you surf at www.swellsignal.com

---
To change alert settings, log in at http://www.swellsignal.com
To stop receiving emails altogether, log in and remove all the beaches you are monitoring.
If you've forgotten your account password, click here: http://www.swellsignal.com/forgot_password
----------------------------------------------------

That's it! A quick reminder so you never miss a sneak swell. Once you get it, come here for more info then head to the beach. The ONLY ad you will EVER see is that short reference to the sponsor. Let me know what you think.

PostPosted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:50 am
by tomcat360
And ya'lls readings are based off...........Surfline? Elsewhere?

Because I have yet to see "good" conditions for my local break on surfline.

PostPosted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 4:06 am
by pkbum
nah I don't think this will work. Surfers are people who occasionally check the condition via surfline, wavewatch and etc, and decide whether the surf is going to be good at a certain day.

PostPosted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 4:12 am
by parrysurf
In all honesty I think nah....but our information gorged youth might just buy into adding another beep on their umbilical cord.
For me it is check online and set my schedule for the week....pretty rare a swell sneaks in without knowing a day or so in advance.

PostPosted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 4:35 am
by greg@hoodatsurfco
I like the idea and would like to see how well it works.. please pm so I can check it.

I think it would be nice to be some where away from the computer and get a beep beep good swell double over head barrels beep beep...

Wait this thing doesn't control that stuff.. damn it.

PostPosted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 5:48 am
by pkbum
I mean if it detects barrel with no onshore winds and cranks up your phone, then we've got business here.

PostPosted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:29 am
by greg@hoodatsurfco
pkbum wrote:I mean if it creates barrel with no onshore winds and cranks up your phone, then we've got business here.


fixed :)

PostPosted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:51 pm
by hobiefisher
Thanks for your insight guys, we appreciate it! Right now we do use surf-line feeds, so we cover the 125 beaches they have available. Even though this is early in our un-official launch, we're finding the community response to be extraordinary. Must be all of us gadget hungry whipper snappers...:)

We will be adding more beaches from other sources, so I'll let you know as we get more added. Until then, folks are signing up for the closest beach to their breaks. Then at least their alerted that there is swell in the water, for free, with no spam EVER!

Thanks again for your feedback everybody!! Keep it comin. :)