Flowstate tends to turn things upside down. One example is their born-in-the-wave-pool technology that has now evolved into a beach-accessible system for use by surf clubs, coaches, competitions, and anyone surfing their local beachie.
The company has also released a new iPhone app designed for users to collect, store, and engage with their session footage across its global network of surf parks. The app offers enhanced accessibility, new social and coaching features, and progression tools that aim to build a sense of community while encouraging repeat visits.
Luke Wallace, CEO of Flowstate, said the app simplifies how surfers interact with their footage and provides more convenience than the company’s website offering.
“The iPhone app allows you to really seamlessly collect your content, store your content from any of the wave pools that we operate around the world, all in this one location,” said Luke. “That app icon that sits on your phone, that’s just a thumb tap away, and it just makes the overall user experience a lot easier.”
How Does it Work?
At its core, the app functions as a digital passport, linking every surf session, regardless of location, to a user’s profile. This structure reflects the growing trend of surfers traveling between wave pools, the beach, anywhere really, and consolidates what has traditionally been fragmented across various devices and platforms.
In the app, surf clips and session data are automatically stored and categorized, creating a permanent log of a surfer’s activity. Users can also upload past footage from personal archives, whether from external hard drives, Dropbox, or phones, further contributing to the goal of making the app a long-term home for surf content.
Social Media For Surfers
The app’s global activity feed introduces a social networking layer. Users can follow friends, pro surfers, or public figures, and view their latest sessions. Previously limited to individual wave pool feeds, the new unified stream brings all content into one place, enhancing discoverability and engagement.
Flowstate plans to evolve the feed with personalized recommendations, tailoring content based on a user’s surfing habits and demographics. Luke said this level of personalization is meant to increase relevance and inspire users.
“If you were a teenage girl, you’re going to see other teenage girls surfing, and you want to see people who look like you,” he said.
Beyond social features, the app integrates tools for tracking individual surf progression. Users can set goals, monitor metrics such as the number of turns or maneuvers per session, and access detailed video analysis. These tools are designed to encourage ongoing improvement and increase user retention. Luke noted that access to performance feedback is a major driver of repeat usage in wave pools.
“You just get that one wave where your turn’s a little bit better, there’s just a little more spray and your timing is better, and it keeps driving people to come back.”
Informal and Formal Competitions
The app also allows surfers to set performance goals and monitor basic statistics like the number of turns or maneuvers during a session. Users can generate reports tied to specific objectives.
“You can create reports so that you set a goal that I want to improve my pop-up speed, or I want to surf more, or I want to catch more waves,” said Luke. “At the moment, we track the quantity of turns and manoeuvres that you do.”
An AI-based scoring system is in development to automatically rate waves and maneuvers, to deliver instant feedback. The system will also support informal competition among friends or clubs, letting users run events directly in the app. Luke said the eventual automation of judging and scoring will streamline the experience.
Coaching in the Pool and at the Beach
While coaching software is already used in partner pools, the new app will offer a marketplace to connect surfers with remote coaches. Surfers will be able to upload a session and receive feedback from a coach based anywhere in the world. This feature is intended to eliminate the need for in-person logistics such as filming and content sharing, which Wallace said often takes up more time than actual coaching.
A mobile video capture tool allows users to film themselves surfing in the ocean, using a mounted phone. The footage can then be analyzed and stored alongside wave pool sessions, reinforcing the app’s role as an all-in-one surfing platform.
“This single app, this single profile, this single location for you to be able to store all your content is going to be a great thing,” said Luke. “I don’t know where half of my clips are from the last 30 years. But now I can upload any of that content and store it all in this single place.”
The company plans to introduce more features in 2026, including automated scoring and competition support, as it builds out the app as a central tool for managing surf sessions in both the ocean and in wave pools across the globe.
