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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

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.

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A surfer checking conditions from a headland above a clean beach break.Comparison

The 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
A paddleboarder gliding between towering cliffs toward the low evening sun at the mouth of the Witches Cauldron, Pembrokeshire.Field notes

Paddleboarding 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
A kitesurfer powered up on a windy, sunlit beach in Tarifa.Field notes

Three 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
A surfer walking towards clean waves on a north Cornwall beach.Field notes

A 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
Calm, glassy morning water on a sandy Algarve beach.Field notes

Algarve 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
A wing foiler carving across mid-range wind and small chop.Forecasting

Reading 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
A clean, well-shaped wave peeling along a sandbar.Forecasting

How 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
A kitesurfer riding cross-onshore wind in flat, forgiving water.Getting started

Kitesurfing 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
A beginner surfer catching a small, clean whitewater wave.Getting started

Surfing 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
Kitesurfers packed along a wide sandy beach in strong wind.Travel

Tarifa: 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
A dramatic European coastline with surf rolling into a bay.Travel

Europe'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
A windsurfer powered up on a bright, breezy day.Seasonal

When 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
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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.

4Shor Water Sports Forecast App | Stories