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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: July 17, 2026

This privacy policy applies to the KayakSafe mobile application and website (collectively, the "Service"), created by FN Wizard and offered as a free service provided "AS IS."

Information Collection and Use

For a better experience while using the app, we may require you to provide certain information, including but not limited to your ZIP code. Your ZIP code is stored locally on your device and is used to derive approximate geographic coordinates for weather data requests. It is not transmitted to our servers.

The app may collect:

  • Anonymous usage analytics through Google Firebase Analytics (app opens, screen views, feature usage patterns)
  • Crash reports and diagnostic data through Google Firebase Crashlytics (device model, operating system version, crash stack traces, app state at time of crash)
  • IP addresses (collected by third-party services as part of standard network requests)

The app does NOT collect:

  • Precise GPS location data (GPS is off by default)
  • Personal information for AI processing
  • Names, email addresses, or account credentials (no account is required to use the app)

Location detection uses IP-based geolocation through ipinfo.io, which requires no device permissions. The detected ZIP code is converted to approximate coordinates on your device, and only those coordinates are sent to weather services.

Third-Party Services

KayakSafe uses the following third-party services. Each service receives only the minimum data necessary to function:

  • WeatherAPI.com receives approximate geographic coordinates (derived from your ZIP code) and returns weather forecast data including temperature, wind, precipitation, and conditions. No personal information is sent.
  • National Weather Service (NWS) API receives approximate geographic coordinates to retrieve active weather alerts for your area. The NWS API is a free, public U.S. government service. No personal information is sent.
  • NOAA Tides & Currents (CO-OPS) API receives approximate geographic coordinates to identify the nearest tide station and retrieve tide predictions (high and low tide times and heights) for coastal and tidal locations. This is a free, public U.S. government service. No personal information is sent.
  • Google Firebase Analytics collects anonymous, aggregated usage data such as app opens, screen views, and feature usage to help us understand how the app is used and improve it. No personally identifiable information is collected. See Firebase Privacy Information.
  • Google Firebase Crashlytics collects crash reports including device model, operating system version, crash stack traces, and app state at the time of the crash. This data is used solely to identify and fix bugs. No personally identifiable information is collected. See Firebase Privacy Information.
  • ipinfo.io is used for IP-based geolocation to detect your approximate location (ZIP code) during initial setup or when you tap "Detect My Location." See ipinfo.io Privacy Policy.
  • Amazon Associates and the Amazon Product Advertising API are used on our gear pages. When you click an affiliate link, your browser goes to Amazon.com and Amazon receives standard request information (including your IP address) and sets its own cookies for purchase attribution. When we display a price, it is retrieved by our server from Amazon's Product Advertising API, and no information about you is sent to Amazon in that request. See Amazon Privacy Notice.

Your information may also be disclosed in the following cases:

  • When required by law
  • To protect rights and safety
  • To investigate fraud
  • With trusted service providers bound by confidentiality agreements

Advertising, Affiliate Links, and Tracking

In the app: KayakSafe contains no third-party advertising and does not track you across other companies' apps or websites for advertising purposes. On iOS, the app does not use Apple's Advertising Identifier (IDFA) and does not present an App Tracking Transparency prompt, because it performs no cross-app or cross-site tracking. The anonymous, aggregated analytics described above are used only to understand how KayakSafe is used and to improve it.

On the website: kayaksafe.com displays no third-party advertising. Our gear pages contain Amazon Associates affiliate links. If you click one, Amazon sets its own cookies in your browser so that it can attribute any resulting purchase to us and pay a commission. That cookie is set by Amazon, is governed by Amazon's privacy notice, and is used for purchase attribution. We do not receive your name, your address, your payment details, or the contents of your Amazon order. We receive only aggregate reporting about clicks and commissions.

We also log affiliate link clicks in our own analytics, recording which product and which section was clicked. This carries no personal identifiers and is used only to understand which recommendations are actually useful. We do not use affiliate data to build a profile of you, and we do not combine it with any app data.

Our paddle size calculator runs entirely in your browser. Your measurements are not stored and never leave your device. Only an anonymous event recording that a calculation happened reaches our analytics.

If you would rather not be tracked for attribution, search for the product on Amazon directly instead of using our link. The recommendation is the same either way.

Home Screen Widgets

KayakSafe offers optional home screen widgets that display current conditions. Widgets access the same weather data as the main app using the same third-party services listed above. No additional data is collected or transmitted by widgets beyond what is described in this policy.

Data Storage

All user data (ZIP code, preferences, cached forecasts, species selections) stays on your device by default. The only exceptions are the third-party service requests described above and feedback or contact form submissions you explicitly choose to send through our website.

Our website collects email addresses submitted through the contact and feedback forms. These are stored securely and used only for their stated purpose (responding to your message or processing your request). We do not sell, trade, or share this information with third parties.

Clicking an affiliate link on our gear pages takes you to Amazon.com, where Amazon's own privacy notice applies. We do not transmit any information about you to Amazon.

No personal information is sold, traded, or shared with third parties.

Opt-Out Rights

You can stop all data collection by uninstalling the app through your device's standard uninstall process (via the App Store or Google Play).

Data Retention

User-provided data is retained during active use and for a reasonable time after. You can request deletion of your data by contacting us at privacy@kayaksafe.com.

Children's Privacy

This service is not intended for users under the age of 16. We do not knowingly solicit or collect data from anyone under 16. If you are under 16, please do not use the app without parental consent.

California and EU Residents

KayakSafe collects minimal data and does not sell personal information. If you are a California resident under the CCPA or an EU resident under the GDPR, you may request access to, correction of, or deletion of any personal data we hold about you by contacting us at privacy@kayaksafe.com. We will respond to verified requests within 30 days.

Security

We implement physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your information. However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Continued use of the app after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy, please contact us at privacy@kayaksafe.com.