Terms of Service

Version 1.3 — Effective February 22, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, or using the Good Buoy application ("App"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the App.

2. Description of Service

Good Buoy provides marine weather and buoy data visualization from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The App displays:

  • Real-time buoy observations
  • Historical weather data charts
  • BuoyCAM imagery where available
  • Station location information
  • Nautical chart overlays (depth contours, channels, hazards) via NOAA ENC data
  • Seamark overlays (buoys, beacons, navigational aids) via OpenSeaMap

3. Data Attribution

All marine weather data is provided by NOAA's National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). Nautical chart overlay data is provided by NOAA's Office of Coast Survey via the MaritimeChartService, sourced from Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC). This data is in the public domain (CC0-1.0) as a U.S. government work. Seamark overlay data is provided by OpenSeaMap contributors and is licensed under the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL) and Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 (CC-BY-SA 2.0).

Good Buoy is an independent application and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NOAA, OpenSeaMap, or any government agency.

4. Critical Safety Disclaimer

NOT FOR NAVIGATION

The data displayed in this App is for INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY and must NOT be used for:

  • Marine navigation decisions
  • Safety-critical planning
  • Commercial maritime operations
  • Emergency response planning

ALWAYS consult official NOAA sources, marine VHF weather broadcasts, and certified navigation equipment for any marine activities.

5. Data Accuracy Limitations

Weather data may be:

  • Delayed from 5 minutes to several hours or more from actual conditions due to data transmission delays, sensor outages, or network issues
  • Subject to sensor malfunctions or outages
  • Affected by transmission errors
  • Missing during maintenance periods

Buoy sensors can fail, drift, or provide erroneous readings. Never rely solely on this App for weather assessment.

6. User Account

If you create an account:

  • You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials
  • You agree to provide accurate information
  • You must be at least 16 years old
  • We may suspend accounts that violate these Terms

7. Acceptable Use

You agree NOT to:

  • Use the App for any illegal purpose
  • Attempt to reverse engineer or modify the App
  • Interfere with the App's operation or servers
  • Impersonate another person or entity
  • Use automated tools to scrape data

8. Intellectual Property

The App's design, code, and non-NOAA content are owned by Good Buoy. NOAA data remains in the public domain as U.S. government work. OpenSeaMap data is licensed under the Open Data Commons Open Database License (ODbL), and seamark tile imagery is © OpenSeaMap contributors, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 (CC-BY-SA 2.0).

9. Disclaimer of Warranties

THE APP AND WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. GOOD BUOY DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICES WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR-FREE, SECURE, OR FREE OF HARMFUL COMPONENTS.

WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, GOOD BUOY MAKES NO WARRANTY REGARDING THE ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, TIMELINESS, OR COMPLETENESS OF ANY DATA DISPLAYED IN THE APP, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WEATHER DATA, SAFETY RATINGS, NAUTICAL CHART DATA, OR DEPTH INFORMATION.

10. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, GOOD BUOY AND ITS DEVELOPERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

  • Any injury, death, or property damage arising from use of or reliance on App data
  • Any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages
  • Service interruptions or data inaccuracies

IN NO EVENT SHALL GOOD BUOY, LLC'S TOTAL LIABILITY EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID FOR THE APP IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

YOUR USE OF THE APP IS AT YOUR OWN RISK.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Good Buoy and its developers from any claims arising from your use of the App or violation of these Terms.

12. Dispute Resolution

12.1 Informal Resolution

Before filing any legal claim, you agree to first contact us at support@goodbuoy.co and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days.

12.2 Binding Arbitration

If we cannot resolve the dispute informally, you and Good Buoy agree to resolve any claims through final and binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. Arbitration will take place in Cook County, Illinois, or remotely at your election.

12.3 Class Action Waiver

YOU AND GOOD BUOY AGREE THAT ANY DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEEDINGS WILL BE CONDUCTED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT AS A CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. Neither party may participate in a class action or class-wide arbitration against the other.

12.4 Small Claims Exception

Either party may bring qualifying claims in small claims court in Cook County, Illinois.

12.5 Opt-Out

You may opt out of this arbitration provision by sending written notice to support@goodbuoy.co within 30 days of first using the App. Your notice must include your name, email address, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out of arbitration.

13. Modifications

We may update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated through the App and require re-acceptance.

14. Termination

We may terminate your access for any reason without notice. You may stop using the App at any time.

Upon termination, your right to use the App ceases immediately. Sections 9 (Disclaimer of Warranties), 10 (Limitation of Liability), 11 (Indemnification), 12 (Dispute Resolution), and 15 (Governing Law) survive termination.

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the State of Illinois. Any disputes not subject to arbitration shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Cook County, Illinois.

16. Contact

Questions about these Terms: support@goodbuoy.co