surf-check

Checks surf forecasts and tells you when conditions are worth paddling out.

Quick Start

cd {baseDir} && npm install
npm run check

Commands

Run from the skill directory:

cd {baseDir} && npm run check

Command	When to Use
npm run check	User asks about surf conditions
npm run check:debug	Debugging why a day did/didn't qualify
npm run check:json	When you need structured data
npm run check:cron	Automated checks (cron job uses this)

Sample Output

🏄 **Surf Forecast Summary**

**Belmar (16th Ave)**
• Saturday: 2-3ft (Fair)

**Long Branch**
• Saturday: 2-3ft (Fair)

If nothing meets thresholds, output is empty (cron mode) or shows "No surfable conditions in the forecast."

Decision Thresholds

Days Out	Minimum Rating	Why
4+ days	Fair-Good+	Forecasts are fuzzy, need high confidence
1-3 days	Fair+	Sweet spot for planning
Day of	Good+ (before 8am)	Only if it's actually firing

Wave height: 2-6ft (configured in src/types.ts)

Your Job

When conditions are surfable:

1. Summarize naturally — "Looks like Saturday could be good at Belmar, 2-3ft and Fair conditions"
2. Include the day and spot — user needs to know when and where
3. Don't over-explain the ratings — surfers know what Fair/Good means

When user asks about surf:

• Run npm run check and summarize the output
• If nothing's showing up, check npm run check:debug to see why

Configuration

Default spots: Belmar (16th Ave), Long Branch (NJ)

To customize, create ~/.surf-check.json:

{
  "spots": [
    { "id": "5842041f4e65fad6a7708a01", "name": "My Local Break" }
  ],
  "waveMin": 2,
  "waveMax": 6
}

Find spot IDs from Surfline URLs:

https://www.surfline.com/surf-report/spot-name/5842041f4e65fad6a7708a01
                                              └── spot ID

OpenClaw Cron Integration

{
  "name": "surf-check",
  "schedule": { "kind": "cron", "expr": "0 */6 * * *", "tz": "America/New_York" },
  "payload": {
    "kind": "systemEvent",
    "text": "Run: cd {baseDir} && npm run check:cron"
  },
  "sessionTarget": "main"
}

When cron fires:

• You receive output as a system event
• Only new conditions are shown (state tracking prevents duplicates)
• If output is empty, nothing qualified or already reported

Troubleshooting

No output from cron: Normal if nothing qualifies or already reported. Run npm run check:debug to see evaluation.

Reset state: rm {baseDir}/data/state.json to re-report all conditions.

Add a spot: Edit src/types.ts or use ~/.surf-check.json config.