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The new Shark Tooth surf watch from Freestyle USA connects with an Android or iOS smartphone app to provide up-to-date tide, weather and related surf data to active wearers, whether they are boating, surfing, swimming or participating in other water-related activities.
The Shark Tooth retails for $120 and connects to smartphones through a free app that can harness real-time surf, tide and weather data for thousands of locations around the world. The app also includes activity tracking and the ability to control a smartphone’s camera and music applications, according to Freestyle, which describes itself as a California beach culture brand.
The Shark Tooth, which claims water resistance to a depth about 328 feet, is powered by the Wavetrak API from ocean weather information service Surfline, which geo-locates the wearer’s location using the location capabilities of an accompanying smartphone, providing what the company claims is the “most extensive global network of surf conditions available” on a surf watch. The watch connects to the app via Bluetooth.
The watch is battery-operated, rather than powered by a frequent recharging cycle. It features an oversized easy-to-read dot-matrix display, a lightweight polycarbonate case and buttons, a soft and durable silicone watch band and a stainless steel buckle and clasp.
When connected to the app, the sports mode can track a user’s time and distance, calories expended, average and maximum speeds, elevation and direction, according to Freestyle.
“When we first approached Surfline with the concept, the platform and technology was not yet available; it had to be built,” Mani Farhang, head of products for Freestyle, said in a statement. “The platform is now open to others who have taken advantage of this work, but for Freestyle, our aim was always to make this technology accessible at an incredibly affordable price.”
Users can customize their preferred watch buttons to control the phone camera and music and select desired activities in sports mode, according to the company.
The Shark Tooth does not include a built-in gyroscope, accelerometer and other components that mark a typical smartwatch, but it costs less than a smartwatch and still works with a smartphone. Apple, Samsung, LG, Huawei and others offer a varied collection of smartwatches in a growing market.