At a Glance

• Type: Side project (Founder / Product + Engineering)

• Users: Lake Michigan surfers (me + friends)

• Core value: Faster decisions + easier coordination on surf days

• Key features: Spot dashboard, aggregated data, notes, group check-ins

The Problem

When the surf is up, lake surfers bounce between multiple websites and applications to compare conditions across spots looking at weather, wind, waves, and live camera feeds. Then they text/call each other repeatedly to decide where and when to go shred.

What I Built

Surf’s UP brings together everything needed to make a “where should we surf?” decision in one place.

Aggregated Spot Dashboard

• View multiple surf spots in one place

• Compare conditions quickly without hopping across websites

• Pull in key data sources (forecast + visual context)

Camera Feeds + Visual Context

• Quick access to live cams at each spot (if available)

• Faster reality-check before driving

Spot Notes

• Add quick notes like “was firing at 7am” or “closed out / too much wind”

• Capture local knowledge and share it with the group

Coordination / Check-In

• Check in to a spot with an intended time

• See where everyone plans to go at a glance

• Reduce the constant texting/calling loop

Outcome

The app reduces the time and friction it takes to:

• scan conditions across spots,

• choose the best option,

• and coordinate quickly with the crew.

It turns a chaotic workflow into a single shared “source of truth” for surf days.

Product Thinking & Tradeoffs

• Speed > perfection: Prioritized fast scanning and decision-making over deep analytics.

• Single page by design: Aggregation beats navigation when users are comparing options.

• Lightweight coordination: “Check-in” is intentionally simple. Just enough to align the group without building a full social app.

Tools

Figma · Git · Render · FastAPI · Uvicorn

Python · JS · HTML · CSS · SQL

App Screenshots

Screens and examples shown are representative and may include simulated data.