Terms of Service

These Terms govern your use of Buoy, the SMS surf-forecast assistant operated by Buoy Labs LLC (“Buoy,” “we,” “us”) at hibuoy.co. By signing up or texting Buoy, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you don’t agree, don’t use Buoy.

The service

Buoy sends surf-condition forecasts, alerts, and answers your questions over SMS, drawing on public ocean and weather data and your stated preferences. Forecasts are informational estimates, not guarantees.

Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old (or the age of majority where you live) and provide a valid US mobile number you own or are authorized to use. Buoy currently serves the US East Coast.

SMS terms

• By signing up you consent to receive recurring SMS from Buoy. Message frequency varies.
• Message & data rates may apply.
• Reply STOP to cancel, HELP for help.
• Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

Safety — please read

Buoy’s forecasts and scores are estimates for general information only. They are not a substitute for your own judgment, real-time on-site observation, official forecasts and warnings (e.g. NOAA, the National Weather Service, the U.S. Coast Guard), lifeguards, or local authorities.

Surfing and other ocean activities are inherently dangerous and can result in serious injury or death. Conditions change rapidly and can differ from any forecast. You are solely responsible for assessing conditions and your own ability, and for your safety and decisions in and around the water. Never rely on Buoy as your only source of safety information, and never paddle out based on a Buoy message alone.

Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Use Buoy for any unlawful, harmful, harassing, or abusive purpose.
• Attempt to overload, disrupt, reverse-engineer, or gain unauthorized access to the service.
• Use bots or automated means to message Buoy, or resell or redistribute the service.
• Send another person’s number without their permission.

We may suspend or terminate access (including blocking a number) for violations or abuse, at our discretion.

No warranty

Buoy is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including accuracy, fitness for a particular purpose, or uninterrupted availability.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Buoy and its operators will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, or for any injury, loss, or damage arising from your use of (or reliance on) the service. Our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us, if any, in the 12 months before the claim.

Changes

We may update these Terms from time to time. Continued use after changes means you accept the updated Terms. The “last updated” date above reflects the latest version.

Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey, USA, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules.

Contact

Questions about these Terms? Contact us.