Ride more
Stop guessing. Start riding.
4Shor scores every spot for your sport and ability, up to 8 days ahead — so you always know when to go.
Stories
Guides, interviewsand stories from the water.
How to read the forecast, get started in your sport, and find the best watersports spots across Europe — plus the occasional conversation about how 4Shor works.
Featured · Interview
4Shor on The Kite Pod: hyper-local forecasting, explained
Richard Brittan joins IKSURFMAG's The Kite Pod to unpack how 4Shor turns raw wave, wind and tide models into a score you can actually ride by.
Watch & read more →
ForecastingSwell period explained: why a 14-second groundswell surfs nothing like a 6-second windswell
Same wave height, wildly different surf: a numbers-first look at why swell period changes energy, shape and spacing more than height ever does.
18 September 2026 · 6 min read
InterviewFrom twintip to foil: an interview with a kitefoil racer on switching disciplines
A kitefoil racer explains the honest trade-offs of switching from twintip to foil: wider wind range, sharper upwind angles, and real talk on crash risk.
12 September 2026 · 6 min read
SeasonalRiding the Meltemi: a windsurfer's guide to Greek summer wind
How the Aegean's Meltemi thermal wind builds each summer, which islands hold it best, and why you should plan around the season, not the forecast.
8 September 2026 · 6 min read
Getting startedOpen water swimming for beginners: wetsuits, safety and your first cold dip
A practical, no-hype guide to starting open water swimming this UK season: wetsuit thickness, tow floats, cold shock and picking a safe first spot.
6 September 2026 · 6 min read
ComparisonWing foiling vs kitesurfing: which should you learn first?
Choosing between wing foiling and kitesurfing for your first lesson? Here's how the learning curve, cost and wind range actually compare.
4 September 2026 · 6 min read
Getting startedeFoiling for beginners: what it feels like and what you need
A first-timer's guide to efoiling — no wind or waves needed — covering battery range, board choice, and that first silent lift-off.
4 September 2026 · 6 min read
ComparisonThe best water-sports forecast apps in 2026
An honest, sport-by-sport look at the forecast apps worth your time — Surfline, Windy, Windguru, Windfinder and 4Shor — and which one fits how you ride.
22 July 2026 · 9 min read
Field notesPaddleboarding into the Witches Cauldron, Pembrokeshire
Moving our Pembrokeshire trip to a calmer Friday evening so Sarah, new to paddleboarding, could SUP through the arch into the Witches Cauldron — and out at sunset.
21 July 2026 · 6 min · video
Field notesThree days chasing wind in Tarifa
A first-person diary of a long weekend on the Strait of Gibraltar — reading Levante against Poniente, rigging up, and the session that made the trip.
20 July 2026 · 6 min read
Field notesA surf weekend in Cornwall
Two days chasing clean waves along the north Cornwall coast — dawn patrols, tide windows, and letting the forecast decide which beach to drive to.
19 July 2026 · 6 min read
Field notesAlgarve mornings: SUP, swim and surf
Glassy dawns and afternoon swell on the Portuguese coast — a diary of easy paddleboards, warm-water swims and a cheeky evening surf.
18 July 2026 · 6 min read
ForecastingReading the wind for kite & wing: strength, direction and gusts
Wind speed is only half the story. Here is how to read direction, gust factor and squalls so you rig the right kite or wing every time.
9 July 2026 · 7 min read
ForecastingHow to read a surf forecast: swell, period and wind
Swell height gets all the attention, but period and wind decide whether it is clean and rideable. A plain-English guide to the numbers that matter.
2 July 2026 · 7 min read
Getting startedKitesurfing for beginners: wind, kit and your first sessions
What wind you actually need, why lessons come first, and how to read conditions so your early kitesurfing sessions are safe and fun.
25 June 2026 · 6 min read
Getting startedSurfing for beginners: catching your first waves
The conditions to look for, the ones to avoid, and how to pick a beginner-friendly beach and tide so you spend more time up and riding.
18 June 2026 · 6 min read
TravelTarifa: Europe's wind capital, and when to ride it
Two winds, two seasons and miles of beach. A rider’s guide to Tarifa in southern Spain — what Levante and Poniente mean for your session.
11 June 2026 · 6 min read
TravelEurope's best watersports destinations
From Atlantic swell to Mediterranean thermals — nine European spots worth travelling for, and the sport and season that make each one sing.
4 June 2026 · 8 min read
SeasonalWhen to go: a season-by-season guide to European watersports
Winter swell, summer thermals, spring and autumn shoulders — when each sport peaks across Europe, and how to plan a trip around the conditions.
28 May 2026 · 7 min read