Rip Curl continues to forge the connected surfing trail with a new version of its GPS watch. The Search GPS3 is thinner, lighter, and a little more durable. But above all, it's beefed up its features: in addition to tracking wave speed, distance traveled, and stroke count, it now offers more traditional activity tracking, with a step counter, calories burned, and daily goals.
A watch at the crest of the wave
It's still a watch designed for sessions at sea, but not only. The color screen is easier to read, even in direct sunlight, and surfers can view a session log directly from their wrist. Real-time surf conditions information still comes from Surfline, a well-known partner in the industry.
"We wanted a more comprehensive, more accessible watch," explains Michael Choma, product design manager at Rip Curl.
But the real innovation isn't so much the watch itself as the iOS app, which is finally coming to the Apple Watch. For those who don't want to change their watch, this is good news: Search GPS is coming directly to wrists that already have it.
The app lets you review your sessions, analyze your stats, and compare your performance with your friends—or the pros. It also offers a feature called "Boss of the Break": a ranking by spot to see who's throwing the hardest on the local beach. Those who prefer duels can even create private leagues, just to fight each other from a distance.
The Search GPS3 has been available since April 18th for €219.99, in stores or online. The app can be downloaded for free from the App Store, with a basic version and a premium plan for those who want more features.
Since 2014, the brand's watches have recorded more than 25 million waves on 2,400 beaches. With the Apple Watch as a backup, Rip Curl intends to increase the counters. And, in the process, transform each session into a little dashboard to share.
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