Terms of Service

Last updated: February 2026

Effective Date: February 20, 2026  |  Last Updated: February 20, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("you," "your," or "User") and Friend Surf, operating as friend.surf ("we," "us," "our," or "friend.surf"), governing your access to and use of the friend.surf website, mobile applications, and all related services (collectively, the "Service").

Please read these Terms carefully before using the Service. By creating an account, accessing, or using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Service.

1. Eligibility

To use the Service, you must:

  • Be at least 16 years of age (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction to consent to the use of an online service);
  • Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement;
  • Not be prohibited from using the Service under applicable laws;
  • Not have been previously suspended, removed, or banned from the Service.

If you are using the Service on behalf of an organization (such as a surf school, club, or business), you represent and warrant that you have the authority to bind that organization to these Terms, and "you" and "your" shall refer to both you individually and the organization.

2. Account Registration and Security

2.1 Account Creation

To access certain features of the Service, you must create an account. When registering, you agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information. You may register using your email address or through third party authentication providers (Apple Sign In, Google Sign In).

2.2 Account Security

You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to:

  • Choose a strong, unique password that you do not use for other services;
  • Not share your account credentials with any third party;
  • Notify us immediately at security@friend.surf if you suspect unauthorized access to your account;
  • Not create accounts using automated methods or false information.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that we reasonably believe have been compromised.

2.3 Account Termination by You

You may delete your account at any time through the account settings in the Service or by contacting us at hello@friend.surf. Upon account deletion, we will remove or anonymize your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy, subject to any legal retention requirements.

3. Acceptable Use

3.1 Permitted Use

The Service is provided for personal, non commercial use to connect with the surf community, discover surf spots, plan sessions, share experiences, and engage in community discussions. Commercial use by surf schools, rental shops, and other businesses is permitted through designated business features when available.

3.2 Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to engage in any of the following prohibited activities:

  • Harmful Content: Posting, transmitting, or distributing content that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, or that incites violence or hatred against any individual or group;
  • Harassment: Engaging in bullying, intimidation, stalking, or any form of harassment directed at other users, whether in public posts, crews, or direct messages;
  • Impersonation: Creating accounts or content that misrepresents your identity, falsely implies an affiliation with any person or organization, or impersonates another user;
  • Spam: Sending unsolicited messages, advertisements, or promotional material; creating multiple accounts for deceptive purposes; or using automated scripts, bots, or scrapers to access the Service;
  • Interference: Attempting to disrupt, overload, or impair the Service or its underlying infrastructure, including through denial of service attacks, exploitation of vulnerabilities, or introduction of malware;
  • Unauthorized Access: Accessing or attempting to access accounts, systems, or data that you are not authorized to access, including through password mining, credential stuffing, or other techniques;
  • Data Mining: Scraping, crawling, or using automated means to collect user data, content, or other information from the Service without our prior written consent;
  • Circumvention: Attempting to circumvent, disable, or interfere with security features, access controls, usage limits, or content moderation systems;
  • Illegal Activities: Using the Service in connection with any illegal activity, including but not limited to drug trafficking, money laundering, or the facilitation of any criminal offense;
  • Misinformation: Deliberately spreading false information about surf conditions, spot locations, or safety that could endanger other users;
  • Commercial Exploitation: Using the Service for unauthorized commercial purposes, including soliciting users for external services, unless expressly permitted through business features.

4. User Content

4.1 Ownership

You retain all ownership rights in the content you create, upload, or share through the Service ("User Content"), including photographs, videos, text, session logs, and spot reviews. We do not claim ownership of your User Content.

4.2 License Grant

By posting User Content to the Service, you grant us a worldwide, non exclusive, royalty free, sublicensable, and transferable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, distribute, and display your User Content in connection with operating, promoting, and improving the Service. This license continues until you delete your User Content or your account, except where your content has been shared with others and they have not deleted it.

4.3 Content Responsibility

You are solely responsible for your User Content and the consequences of posting it. You represent and warrant that:

  • You own or have the necessary rights and permissions to use and authorize us to use your User Content;
  • Your User Content does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of any third party;
  • Your User Content complies with these Terms, our Community Guidelines, and all applicable laws.

4.4 Content Moderation

We reserve the right, but are not obligated, to review, monitor, edit, or remove User Content at our sole discretion, including content that we believe violates these Terms, our Community Guidelines, or applicable law. We may use automated tools and human review to moderate content. Repeated violations may result in account suspension or termination.

5. Intellectual Property

5.1 Our Intellectual Property

The Service, including its design, layout, look, appearance, graphics, logos, trademarks, service marks, trade names, software, code, and all other intellectual property ("Our IP"), is owned by or licensed to us and is protected by copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, reproduce, modify, distribute, create derivative works from, publicly display, or exploit Our IP without our prior written consent.

5.2 Trademarks

"friend.surf," the friend.surf logo, and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs, and slogans are our trademarks or the trademarks of our licensors. You may not use these marks without our prior written permission.

5.3 Feedback

If you provide us with feedback, suggestions, or ideas regarding the Service ("Feedback"), you grant us an unrestricted, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty free license to use, modify, and incorporate that Feedback into the Service without any obligation to you.

6. Premium Features and Payments

6.1 Subscriptions

We may offer premium features through paid subscription plans ("Pro Subscription"). Subscription terms, pricing, and features will be clearly presented before purchase. All prices are stated in the applicable currency and include VAT where required by law.

6.2 Billing

Subscriptions are billed in advance on a recurring basis (monthly or annually, as selected by you). Payment is processed through Stripe, Inc. By subscribing, you authorize us to charge your designated payment method for the subscription fees.

6.3 Cancellation and Refunds

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings or by contacting us. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. We do not provide prorated refunds for partial billing periods, except where required by applicable consumer protection law. For EU/EEA consumers, you have a 14 day right of withdrawal from the date of purchase for digital content, provided that you have not commenced use of the premium features during that period.

7. Third Party Services

The Service may integrate with or contain links to third party services, websites, or applications that are not owned or controlled by us. We are not responsible for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third party service. You acknowledge and agree that we shall not be liable for any damage or loss arising from your use of or reliance on any third party service.

8. Disclaimers

8.1 Service Provided "As Is"

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR FREE, SECURE, OR FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

8.2 Surf Conditions and Safety

Surf condition data, forecasts, and spot information provided through the Service are for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as the sole basis for safety decisions. Surfing is an inherently dangerous activity. You are solely responsible for assessing conditions, understanding your own abilities, and making safe decisions in the water. We strongly recommend that you always check conditions in person, surf within your ability level, and follow local safety guidelines.

8.3 User Interactions

We are not responsible for the conduct of any user on or off the Service. You are solely responsible for your interactions with other users. We encourage you to exercise caution and good judgment when meeting other users in person. We do not conduct background checks on users.

9. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT SHALL FRIEND.SURF, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OR AFFILIATES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM:

  • Your access to, use of, or inability to access or use the Service;
  • Any conduct or content of any third party on the Service;
  • Any User Content obtained from the Service;
  • Unauthorized access, use, or alteration of your transmissions or content;
  • Personal injury or property damage resulting from activities coordinated through the Service, including but not limited to surf sessions, meetups, or travel.

OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO US IN THE TWELVE (12) MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED EUROS (EUR 100). Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or fraudulent misrepresentation.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless friend.surf and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) your use of the Service; (b) your User Content; (c) your violation of these Terms; (d) your violation of any rights of a third party; or (e) your interactions with other users.

11. Dispute Resolution

11.1 Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Portugal, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. For consumers within the EU/EEA, this choice of law does not deprive you of the protection afforded by the mandatory provisions of the law of your country of habitual residence.

11.2 Jurisdiction

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Lisbon, Portugal, unless mandatory consumer protection laws in your jurisdiction require otherwise.

11.3 EU Online Dispute Resolution

If you are a consumer in the EU, you may also use the European Commission's Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr.

12. Modifications to the Service and Terms

12.1 Service Changes

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service (or any part thereof) at any time, with or without notice. We shall not be liable to you or any third party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuance of the Service.

12.2 Terms Changes

We may revise these Terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting a prominent notice on the Service and, where required, by sending you an email notification at least 30 days before the changes take effect. By continuing to use the Service after the effective date of any changes, you agree to be bound by the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must stop using the Service and delete your account.

13. General Provisions

  • Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, Community Guidelines, and Cookie Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and friend.surf regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements and understandings.
  • Severability: If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
  • Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.
  • Assignment: You may not assign or transfer these Terms or your rights hereunder without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms without restriction.
  • Force Majeure: We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations where such failure or delay results from circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, pandemics, war, terrorism, labor disputes, governmental actions, or internet or telecommunications failures.
  • Notices: We may provide notices to you via email to the address associated with your account, through the Service, or by posting on our website. Notices from you to us should be sent to legal@friend.surf.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us: