New: first client places open
Conditions forecast for your website
A five-day ocean forecast on your own website, scored from 0 to 100 for fishing, surf, kite or boat launch, in your colours. Visitors check it before they book, and every visit lands on your site.
An add-on to every package: R4 000 once-off setup, then from R1 950 a month.
See it working: FactSmith ocean forecast: Umtentweni and Melkbosstrand →
What your visitors see
The same forecast that runs on our own page, set to your place, your colours and the activities that fit your business.
For your visitors
- A five-day forecast in four-hour windows, scored for the activity they pick: fishing, surf, kite or boat launch
- Tide, swell, wind, pressure and sea temperature on one chart, with arrows for direction
- Each day's best window, the moon, springs or neaps, and sunrise and sunset
- A panel that explains why a window scored as it did, and sliders to weigh things their own way
- Safety warnings (a big sea, strong gusts, thunder, an offshore wind for kiters) shown apart from the score
- Works on a phone, and keeps showing the last forecast, with its age, if the signal drops
For you
- A reason for visitors to open your site again before every trip, next to your rates and contact details
- Guests who can see which day looks better plan around it and book with a day in mind
- Nothing for you to run: no data account, no code, no updates to install
- Your colours and fonts, with a small Conditions by FactSmith credit
What it costs
An add-on to every package (Starter, Brochure, Business and Custom) at the same price: R4 000 setup once-off for your first place, then from R1 950 a month. Each extra place is R1 500 setup and R500 a month. Prices are in rand, and the final amount is quoted for your site.
Setup
R4 000 once-off
First place
- The forecast set up in your brand colours and fonts
- A location profile for your place: which of fishing, surf, kite and boat launch apply, and the direction your beach faces, confirmed with you before go-live
- Embedded on a page of your site and tested on phone and desktop
- The data credit and Conditions by FactSmith credit in place
Monthly
From R1 950 a month
First place, all four activities
- Your own paid forecast data plan with the weather service, managed by us, so your page never depends on a free, non-commercial feed
- The forecast service kept running, with the last good forecast shown if new data is late
- Routine maintenance and widget updates, tested before they reach your site
- Standard support by WhatsApp or email
More than one place
Each extra place: R1 500 setup and R500 a month
For a business with more than one beach, branch or launch site. Each place has its own location profile.
Why a monthly fee? Your forecast data comes from its own paid commercial plan with the weather service, set up for your site and managed by us, so this is the one add-on with a running cost. The monthly fee pays for that plan, keeps the forecast service running, and covers routine maintenance and support.
Terms: Month to month. Cancel with one month's notice by email. Billed on the 1st of each month, in advance.
South Coast business? We want to encourage investment in the South Coast and help it grow, so any business based on the KZN South Coast gets 10% off every package when the job is set up through Sharon. It covers the website tiers, the add-ons and the care plans, and it is taken off your quote automatically. The prices on this site are list prices.
Availability: It is live on our own forecast page for Umtentweni and Melkbosstrand. Client places are being set up now, so it is not yet running on a client site. We agree your go-live date when you book.
Where it fits
Any business whose visitors check the sea before they come. Choose the activities that matter to you; the rest stay off.
Guest houses and lodges by the sea
Guests plan the beach, the fishing and the day trips around the forecast.
Fishing charters and guides
Anglers check wind, swell and tide before they book a trip.
Surf and kite schools
Lessons and rentals go where the conditions are good, and clients can see why.
Boat launches and slipways
Launch conditions, with a warning when the sea or gusts are up.
Caravan parks and holiday rentals
A reason for holidaymakers to keep your page open all week.
What it is and what it is not
- The score compares windows for one activity at one place. It is a guide, not a promise of fish or waves, and not a safety rating
- Safety warnings are shown apart from the score and never change it. No warning does not mean it is safe
- The tide is modelled, not read from a tide gauge: good for planning a day, not for navigation
- Weather data is from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). The data credit and the Conditions by FactSmith credit stay on every embed
- We confirm each place's beach direction with you before it goes live, because it decides which winds count as onshore or offshore
We cannot promise bookings or catches. The forecast is a planning aid built on a third-party weather model. Forecast data requires a commercial subscription with our data provider; FactSmith arranges and manages it, and it is included in the monthly fee.
Common questions
What does the Conditions forecast cost?
An add-on to every package (Starter, Brochure, Business and Custom) at the same price: R4 000 setup once-off for your first place, then from R1 950 a month. Each extra place is R1 500 setup and R500 a month. Your forecast data comes from its own paid commercial plan with the weather service, set up for your site and managed by us, so this is the one add-on with a running cost. The monthly fee pays for that plan, keeps the forecast service running, and covers routine maintenance and support. Month to month. Cancel with one month's notice by email. Billed on the 1st of each month, in advance. Prices are in rand, and the final amount is quoted for your site.
How is the Conditions forecast different from the free weather and tides page?
The weather and tides page is a free library page: hour-by-hour weather, wind, swell, a tide curve and maps. The Conditions forecast scores five days in four-hour windows from 0 to 100 for fishing, surf, kite or boat launch, explains each score, and shows safety warnings apart from the score. It is a paid add-on because each site has its own paid weather data plan.
Can I rely on the Conditions score for safety?
No. The score is a guide for comparing forecast windows, not a promise of fish or waves and not a safety rating. Warnings are shown separately and never change the score, and no warning does not mean it is safe. The tide is modelled, not from a tide gauge, so it is not for navigation. Always check conditions on the day.
Is the Conditions forecast running on a client site yet?
It is live on our own forecast page for Umtentweni and Melkbosstrand. Client places are being set up now, so it is not yet running on a client site. We agree your go-live date when you book.