Nixon and Surfline partner on new watch

Nixon and Surfline are partnering on a new watch called the Ultratide that provides real time tide data for 2,700 surf locations around the world, in addition to other important information like water temperature, swell direction and wind data.

Tyson White, Nixon Global Vice President of Product, answered some questions for SES about the new product.

How did the alliance with Surfline come about? 

Nixon Global VP of Product Tyson White: The alliance with Surfline stems from the product and what it does.  It’s essentially a smart watch where the function is focused completely on providing the wearer with live, real-time surf report data, just the same as you can get from your smartphone, tablet or computer. 

When we knew we wanted to build this product, there was no question in our mind that Surfline was the best source for data. They have the best computer-generated data matched by the most knowledgeable and largest human forecasting team.

How is this watch different than other tide watches on the market? 

Tyson: Until now, surf watches have predominantly been watches that have pre-programmed, predictive tide data, which is only a single data point.  It’s useful, but a surfer can look at his phone at any moment and get nine or 10 data points in a single glance – all of which combined are what really determine whether you go surfing or not.

A traditional tide watch is less relevant than it was more than a decade ago when they first started entering the market. With data provided by Surfline, the Ultratide can give the wearer all of those same nine or 10 data points at a single glance down at their watch. 

And it’s not predicted tide data; instead it’s live, current surf conditions.  Wave height, swell direction, water temp, air temp, wind conditions, sky conditions, and of course tide information. It’s available in real time, 100% of the time. 

Because of the connection to Surfline and all of the locations around the world that Surfline reports on, there are now 2,700 tide locations available.  To put it in perspective, that’s 10 times the number of locations that the Supertide and most other tide watches provide.

How long did it take to develop this product? What kind of testing was done to ensure all the features work consistently?

Tyson: It has been in development for two years now.  We’ve been working with some of the world’s best engineering firms – including the group that produced the Nike Fuel band – to develop this product, and the components that are inside this watch are produced by manufacturers that make the world’s most advanced microchips, smart phones, tablets, etc. 

One of the reasons it’s taken two years to build was due to the extensive testing it has been put through.  It’s a solid product.

What are the price points? 

Tyson: The Ultratide will retail for $300.

Will this watch be in stores in time for Christmas? Have retailers already seen it?

Tyson: It will be available early next year.  Retailers haven’t seen it yet, but we’ll be showing it at the upcoming shows in January.