SALTR Watersports App
AI-powered watersports conditions app for kiteboarding, surfing, and diving. Real-time wind, waves, and visibility with smart scoring.
Client
SALTR
Services
UI/UX Design, React, Web Development
Industries
Sports, Weather, SaaS
Date
2025
Challenge
Watersports enthusiasts were juggling multiple apps and websites to check wind, waves, tides, and visibility. No single platform gave them what they needed to plan the perfect session.
SALTR wanted to change that. The brief was to design and build an intelligent conditions platform that uses AI and advanced algorithms to help kiteboarders, surfers, and divers find the right conditions. The challenge was taking complex data (wind patterns, wave heights, tidal movements, historical conditions) and presenting it in a way that felt simple. Athletes needed depth. Casual users needed clarity. Everyone needed to check conditions in seconds.
The platform had to cover Cape Town and the Western Cape, with 50+ spots, real-time updates from Open-Meteo, sport-specific scoring, and community features. The design had to work across devices and feel as good on a phone at the beach as on a desktop at home.
Solution
We built it end to end from concept through to the React build. The platform pulls live data from Open-Meteo and runs it through a proprietary AI prediction model that scores conditions for kiteboarding, surfing, and diving. Sport-specific scoring means a kiter sees wind and gusts, a surfer sees swell and period, and a diver sees visibility and currents.
The spot finder lists 50+ locations across Cape Town, Langebaan, and False Bay with condition ratings, wind, wave height, and water temp. Mapbox maps with clustered markers let users explore visually. Multi-day forecasting goes up to 10 days for premium users. Community chat rooms, safety alerts from local riders, and personalized weather widgets round out the experience. The interface is clean and modern so checking conditions is as simple as glancing at your phone.
SALTR is live at saltr.co.za with 1,200+ active users. Free and premium tiers, real-time updates every 3 hours, and a focus on never missing an epic session.
Project
Outcome
SALTR is South Africa's premier watersports conditions app. Real-time data, AI-powered scoring, and a community of riders make it the go-to for planning kiteboarding, surfing, and diving sessions across the Western Cape.
Urban Catalyst
Lead Designer, Cape Town
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