Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 5, 2026 · 日本語

Surf Window is a surf forecast web app for breaks in Shonan and Chiba, at surfwindow.jp, made by SP Digital Labs, the name under which Joseph Suzuki-Parker, an independent developer based in Japan, publishes apps ("we", "us"). This policy explains what information Surf Window collects, why, who it is shared with, and the choices you have.

Information we collect

If you sign in

• Signing in is optional and uses Google Sign-In. We receive a user ID from Firebase Authentication. Your email address is shown to you in the app but is not saved in our database.
• We store the breaks you track and have checked, and your handle: a short public name that starts as the first word of your Google name and that you can change.

Surf reports

• When you post a report, we store your rating of the conditions, the wave size, up to four tags (such as glassy or crowded), an optional short note, the break and hour, your handle and your user ID.
• Reports are public. Anyone using Surf Window can see your handle, rating and note. Your user ID is stored with the report. Your email address is never shown.
• You can post one report per break per hour, and you can delete your own reports in the app.

Suggestions

If you send a suggestion or correction, we store what you wrote, which break it is about, your handle and your user ID. Only we can read it.

Your location

• Surf Window asks for your location only when you tap to use it. It is used on your device to show how far each break is and to check that you are at the beach before you post a report.
• Your location is not saved and is not sent to us, to our analytics or to the forecast services. Reports don't include your location or distance; we only check, on your device, that you were near the beach.
• Tap the location button again to stop using it.

Analytics and session recordings

• We use PostHog to understand how Surf Window is used and to find errors. It records the pages you view, actions such as opening a break, signing in or posting a report (but not your handle or note), and errors the app hits.
• PostHog also makes session recordings: replays of how the app was used, built from what was on screen. Anything you type is hidden, and your email address, your position on the map, your distance from each break, and lists ordered by distance are left out of recordings. Other text on screen, such as forecasts and public reports, can appear in them.
• When you sign in, PostHog links your activity to your user ID, not your name or email. Without signing in, it uses a random identifier stored in your browser.
• Coordinates are removed from analytics events before they are sent.

Device and browser

• Your tracked and checked breaks are saved in your browser, so the app works without signing in and offline.
• The app stores itself and its fonts in your browser so it loads quickly and can be added to your home screen.
• Forecasts come straight from Open-Meteo, and the wind map is an embedded map from Windy. Fonts load from Google Fonts. Because your browser contacts these services directly, they receive your IP address. They are only told the location of the break, never yours.

How we use it

• To run Surf Window: show forecasts, keep your saved breaks in sync across devices, and show surf reports.
• To check that reports come from people at the beach.
• To understand how the app is used, fix errors and improve it.
• To read and act on your suggestions.

We don't use your information for advertising, and we don't sell it.

Where it is stored

Account data, reports and suggestions are stored in Google Firebase (Authentication and Cloud Firestore), and the app is hosted on Firebase Hosting. Analytics are stored by PostHog in the United States. These services may store and process data in the United States or other countries. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest.

Who we share it with

• Google Firebase, which hosts the app and stores account data, reports and suggestions. Firebase privacy
• Google, for Google Sign-In and Google Fonts. Google privacy
• PostHog, for analytics and session recordings. PostHog privacy
• Open-Meteo and Windy, which your browser contacts for forecasts and the wind map. Open-Meteo terms · Windy privacy
• Everyone using Surf Window, who can see the reports you post under your handle.

We may also disclose information if the law requires it.

How long we keep it

• Your saved breaks and handle are kept until you delete your account.
• Reports are shown in the app for three hours and kept until you or we delete them.
• Suggestions are kept until we have dealt with them or you delete your account.
• Analytics and session recordings are kept for the period PostHog's plan allows, then deleted.

Your choices and rights

• Use Surf Window without signing in, and without sharing your location.
• Change your handle, or delete any of your reports, in the app.
• Signing out clears your saved breaks and handle from that browser.
• Delete your account with アカウント削除 Delete account at the bottom of the app while signed in. This permanently deletes your account, saved breaks, handle, the reports you posted and the suggestions you sent. If you can't sign in, email us and we will delete them within 30 days.
• Depending on where you live, you may have further rights, such as to see, correct or object to how we use your information, or to complain to a data protection authority. Contact us and we will help.

Children

Surf Window is not directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their information. If you believe a child has given us information, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top.

Contact

Questions or requests about your privacy: support [at] spdigitallabs [dot] app