Surfr 4.0 for Garmin is a single app covering the Garmin line-up, from Instinct to fenix 8, MARQ and Venu — including the quatix, tactix and Descent editions built on the same hardware. Garmin watches differ in how much memory they give to apps and in which motion sensors apps can read, so the app ships in three feature categories. Your watch's category is fixed by its hardware, and every supported watch records speed, distance and a FIT activity in Garmin Connect; Essentials and Connected + Live watches also measure jumps. The Instinct 2 family, Instinct Crossover, Descent G1 and the Forerunner 245 can’t run Surfr 4: on them the app shows a short notice, and they keep recording with The Surfr. App - Legacy instead (see the Legacy app section below).
If you'd like to learn more about supported devices in general, check out 👉 Which devices are compatible with the Surfr App?
‼️ If your watch is not listed below, it is not compatible with Surfr because it lacks the necessary sensors, for this reason the app will not appear in the Connect IQ store for that watch.
🔎 Look for your exact model name, including its size and edition — the quatix, tactix and Descent versions of a watch are listed separately from the fenix or epix they are based on.
Feature matrix
Feature | Essentials | Connected + Live | Basic |
Speed, distance and GPS session recording (FIT activity) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Jump tracking with live jump heights on the watch (Big Air) | ✅ ¹ | ✅ ¹ | ❌ |
Surfr account linking | — | ✅ | ✅ |
Spot sync + Downwinder mode | — | ✅ | ✅ |
Kite selection from your synced quiver | — | ✅ | ✅ |
Live broadcasting (auto-live, per your privacy settings) | — | ✅ | ✅ |
Friend Alarm (triple-press DOWN — or BACK — while recording) | — | ✅ | ✅ |
Friends Nearby on-screen widget | — | ✅ | ✅ |
¹ On the models under One-time sensor check below, live heights turn on after a one-time sensor check.
⚡ Connected + Live
⚡ Connected + Live
The full feature set: jump and speed tracking, FIT activity files, Surfr account linking, spot sync with Downwinder mode, kite selection from your synced quiver, live broadcasting, Friend Alarm, and the Friends Nearby widget.
Approach S70 42mm
Approach S70 47mm
D2 Air X10
D2 Air X15
D2 Mach 1
D2 Mach 1 Pro
D2 Mach 2
D2 Mach 2 Pro
Descent G2
Descent Mk2
Descent Mk2S
Descent Mk2i
Descent Mk3 43mm
Descent Mk3 51mm
Descent Mk3i 43mm
Enduro 2
Enduro 3
Forerunner 255
Forerunner 255 Music
Forerunner 255S
Forerunner 255S Music
Forerunner 265
Forerunner 265S
Forerunner 570 42mm
Forerunner 570 47mm
Forerunner 955
Forerunner 955 Solar
Forerunner 965
Forerunner 970
Instinct 3 AMOLED 45mm
Instinct 3 AMOLED 50mm
Instinct 3 Solar 45mm
Instinct 3 Solar 50mm
Instinct Crossover AMOLED
MARQ (Gen 2)
MARQ (Gen 2) Adventurer
MARQ (Gen 2) Athlete
MARQ (Gen 2) Captain
MARQ (Gen 2) Commander (Carbon Edition)
MARQ (Gen 2) Golfer
MARQ Adventurer
MARQ Athlete
MARQ Aviator
MARQ Aviator (Gen 2)
MARQ Captain
MARQ Captain: American Magic Edition
MARQ Commander
MARQ Driver
MARQ Expedition
MARQ Golfer
Venu 2
Venu 2 Plus
Venu 2S
Venu 3
Venu 3S
Venu 4 41mm
Venu 4 45mm
Venu X1
epix (Gen 2)
epix Pro (Gen 2) 42mm
epix Pro (Gen 2) 47mm
epix Pro (Gen 2) 51mm
fenix 6 Pro
fenix 6S Pro
fenix 6X Pro
fenix 7
fenix 7 Pro
fenix 7 Pro (no Wi-Fi)
fenix 7S
fenix 7S Pro
fenix 7X
fenix 7X Pro
fenix 7X Pro (no Wi-Fi)
fenix 8 43mm
fenix 8 47mm
fenix 8 51mm
fenix 8 Pro 47mm > ⚠️ Device related GPS issues
fenix 8 Pro 51mm > ⚠️ Device related GPS issues
fenix 8 Pro MicroLED > ⚠️ Device related GPS issues
fenix 8 Solar 47mm
fenix 8 Solar 51mm
fenix E
quatix 6
quatix 6X
quatix 7
quatix 7 Pro
quatix 7 Sapphire
quatix 7X Solar
quatix 8 47mm
quatix 8 51mm
quatix 8 Pro 47mm
quatix 8 Pro 51mm
tactix 7
tactix 7 AMOLED Edition
tactix 8 47mm
tactix 8 51mm
tactix 8 Solar 51mm
tactix Delta Sapphire
tactix Delta Solar
tactix Delta Solar Ballistics Edition
vívoactive 6
🎯 Essentials
🎯 Essentials
These models give apps only a fraction of the memory of current watches — too small for the connected feature set. They keep the complete recording experience: jump and speed tracking, FIT activity files, and session upload to Surfr through Garmin Connect, exactly as before. Connected account features are not available on these models.
Enduro
fenix 6
fenix 6S
🛰️ Basic
🛰️ Basic
Speed & GPS recording. These models don't give apps the 100Hz motion-sensor stream (gyroscope + accelerometer) needed to measure jumps, so they record speed, distance and your full GPS track — without jump heights, live or afterwards. Surfr.AI does not apply here: it recalculates jumps from raw sensor data these watches can't produce. Sessions sync to the Surfr app as normal, the connected and live features all work (see the matrix above), and these models are never asked to subscribe — speed recording needs no subscription.
Approach S50
Forerunner 170
Forerunner 170 Music
Forerunner 245 Music
Forerunner 745
Forerunner 945
Forerunner 945 LTE
Legacy Hero Captain Marvel
Legacy Hero First Avenger
Legacy Saga Darth Vader
Legacy Saga Rey
Venu
vívoactive 4
vívoactive 4S
vívoactive 5
ℹ️ The Forerunner 170 (incl. Music) does have a gyroscope in its hardware spec, but Garmin currently doesn't make it available to apps. If a future Garmin update changes that, live jump heights could become possible there.
🕰️ Legacy app required
🕰️ Legacy app required
Surfr 4 does not run on these models. The new app shows a short notice on them and does not record. They keep recording with The Surfr. App - Legacy — the previous app, available as a separate download at thesurfr.app/garminlegacy — with full Big Air on the Instinct models and Descent G1, and speed & GPS on the Forerunner 245 (its sensors can't measure jumps). See the Garmin compatibility list for the Legacy app.
Descent G1 (incl. G1 Solar)
Forerunner 245 (speed & GPS only)
Instinct 2 (incl. Solar / Dual Power / dēzl Edition)
Instinct 2S (incl. Solar / Dual Power)
Instinct 2X
Instinct Crossover
🔬 One-time sensor check
On the 2019–2020 sensor generation, some individual watches have a hardware quirk where the motion sensors drift apart while streaming. It varies per unit, not per model, so the app runs a one-time sensor check of a few minutes during onboarding on these models:
Enduro, fenix 6, fenix 6 Pro, fenix 6S, fenix 6S Pro, fenix 6X Pro, quatix 6, quatix 6X, tactix Delta Sapphire, tactix Delta Solar, tactix Delta Solar Ballistics Edition.
Watches that pass show live jump heights as normal.
Watches that don't record with Surfr.AI instead: jumps are recalculated from the raw sensor data after the session uploads, so heights appear in the app rather than live on the wrist. 👉 Learn more and how to report it to Garmin
The check is automatic, so nothing to configure. You can redo it anytime via Settings → Check Compatibility on the watch.
ℹ️ Basic models skip the check: they record speed & GPS sessions without jump heights either way, so there is nothing to test. All other models not listed here have healthy sensors and show live heights — no check, no Surfr.AI needed.
💡 Free vs Surfr Plus: Speed recording needs no subscription on any watch. Big Air with live jump heights includes 5 free full sessions to try; after that it requires Surfr Plus. Watches that can't show live heights (Surfr.AI units and Basic models) are never asked to subscribe.
Related articles:
Using the previous app (The Surfr. App - Legacy)? See the Garmin compatibility list for the Legacy app