Privacy policy
Effective 22 October 2026
Kayak Window is an Android app made by Clearview Solutions (Daniel Roux), Western Cape, South Africa ("we"). This policy explains what the app collects, why, who sees it and how to delete it. We follow South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
1. Without an account
You can use the forecast, alerts and catch log without signing in. This information is stored only on your phone:
- your spots (name, launch and fishing point positions) and your limits
- your catch log, including photos you add and the conditions at the time
- your settings and the history of the daily check
- the emergency contact name and number you set for a "back by" check-in
It leaves your phone only if you share it yourself (for example to WhatsApp) or save a backup file where you choose.
Forecast requests
To get forecasts, the app sends the position of each spot (no name, no account, no device ID) to these services:
| Service | What for |
|---|---|
| Open-Meteo | wind, gusts, pressure, swell and sea temperature forecasts, from several weather models |
| Our server (Supabase) | tide times, which our server fetches from Stormglass, and satellite sea temperature, which it fetches from NASA/NOAA and EMODnet. Both are kept by area (about 10 km), not by person |
| OpenStreetMap | map pictures when you place a spot or open a report's map, and a public place name for your launch (such as "Langebaan") when you start an "on the water now" report |
Like any website, these services see your phone's internet (IP) address when the app connects to them.
Your phone's location
The app reads your phone's location only when you tap Use my location while placing a spot. It's used on your phone to drop the pin and isn't sent to us.
"Back by" check-in
The app writes a message with your launch, fishing spot and back-by time. You choose who to send it to, and you send it yourself through WhatsApp or SMS. We don't see it.
Crash reports
If the app hits an error, it sends us a short report: the app version, phone make and model, Android version and the technical error. It has no name, no location and no spot details. If you're signed in, it's linked to your account so we can follow up. We use these only to fix bugs and keep them for up to 12 months.
2. With a Community account
Community (catch feed, crew trips, comps, clubs and "on the water now" reports) needs a free account. You sign in with Google. Google tells us your name, email address and profile picture link; we never see your Google password. Community is for adults (18+) only.
| What we store | Why | Who can see it |
|---|---|---|
| Name shown to others, experience level, 18+ confirmation, home area name | your profile | signed-in users see the name on what you post |
| Profile photo you add, and the number of launches and fish in your catch log | your profile page | your friends (and everyone signed in, if you make your profile public) |
| Email address | your login, and to contact you about your account | only you and us |
| Catches you post: species, size, bait, time, conditions, photo, and the location you choose (none, area to about 1 km, or exact) | the catch feed | signed-in users. People you block can't see them |
| Trips you post: plan, date, area, level, the friends you invite and their answers | finding a crew | signed-in adults see the trip; invites and answers only the people on the trip |
| Exact launch position and contact details on a trip | so your crew can meet you | only you and people you accept |
| Requests to join trips or clubs, club membership and role | trips and clubs | the organiser or club admins, and club members |
| Clubs you start: name, description, area | clubs | signed-in users |
| Comps you run: name, your rules, prize, dates and how the winner is picked | competitions | signed-in users |
| Comp entries: photo, species, length, code word, date and the story you add | competitions and checking entries | accepted entries appear in the comp; entries waiting to be checked only to you, the organiser and us |
| Your comp votes, and comps you mute | community-vote comps | which entry you voted for: only you. Vote totals are shown to everyone once voting closes |
| "On the water now" reports: wind, swell, water, fish, a short note and a place name you can edit, with the position of your launch rounded to about 1 km (never your fishing mark or your spot's own name) | live conditions for anglers nearby | signed-in users see it for 12 hours, in Community and near their spots |
| Reports and blocks | keeping Community safe | reports only to us; blocks only to you |
| Friends: your friend code, friend requests and your friends list, with names | adding friends and friends-only posts | you and the person you added or asked |
| A notification token for your phone (from Google Firebase), and the notices we send you | telling you about trip requests and invites, club requests, comp results, new comp entries to vote on or check, and friend requests | only you and us |
| "Was the forecast right?" answers: your rating, the date, the area (to about 10 km) and the forecast wind and swell | checking and improving forecast accuracy | only us |
| Problems you report: your message, an optional screenshot, the screen you were on, app version and phone model | fixing problems and replying to you | only us |
Photos: before a photo is uploaded, the app removes hidden information such as GPS position, camera model and time, and shrinks it.
3. Who processes your data
- Supabase: database, photo storage and sign-in for Community, hosted in London, United Kingdom.
- Google: "Continue with Google" sign-in, and Firebase Cloud Messaging to deliver notifications to your phone.
- Stormglass: tide data. Our server asks for an area, never a person.
- Vercel: hosts this website.
Because these services are outside South Africa, your Community data is stored in the United Kingdom, which has data-protection law comparable to POPIA. We don't sell or rent personal information, and we don't share it for advertising.
4. How long we keep it
We keep your Community data until you delete it or your account. You can delete any post at any time. When you delete your account, your profile, posts, trips, club memberships, comp entries, votes, water reports, reports, blocks, friends, notifications and forecast answers are deleted straight away. Comps you organised stay up without your name, so other anglers keep their entries. Problem reports and crash reports you sent stay, but are no longer linked to you. Your photos are removed within 30 days. Copies may remain in server backups for up to 30 days.
5. Your rights
Under POPIA you may ask what we hold about you, correct it, delete it, or object to how we use it. Most of it you can do in the app. For anything else, email us. If you're unhappy with our answer you can complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa): inforegulator.org.za.
6. Deleting your account
In the app: Settings > Community account > Delete my Community account. Or see how to delete your account. Deleting your account doesn't touch the spots and catch log on your phone; uninstalling the app removes those.
7. Security
All connections are encrypted (HTTPS). Every table on our server has access rules so people can only read what they're allowed to. No system is perfectly secure, so think before you share an exact spot.
8. Children
The forecast and catch log can be used by anyone, but Community accounts are for people aged 18 or older. If you believe a child has made an account, email us and we'll remove it.
9. Changes
If we change this policy we'll update the date above, and tell you in the app if the change is important.
10. Contact
Clearview Solutions (Daniel Roux), Western Cape, South Africa
danieroux101@gmail.com