A new app that allows you to see where friends and family are out on the water has been launched by marine technology startup Swell Advantage.

The app, launched last month, is compatible with iOS and can be downloaded from the app store for free.

The Swell Advantage app is designed to help build boating communities by allowing people to see where others are on the water, see when friends ​get onto their boats, and gives family members peace of mind by allowing them to track their loved ones.

Boaters’ locations are hidden while on land, and users can turn off the ability to be seen by their friends while on the water.

“In talking to our customers and having spent a lot of years out on the water, we have really just tried to design a product that fits our customers needs, fits their lifestyle, and helps them navigate and make decision,” said Swell Advantage co­founder and CEO Iaian Archibald.

The Swell Advantage suite of navigation tools aim to re­imagine the navigation interface making it more intuitive and easier for the recreational boater.

​​Using an innovative Navigation Ring, Swell Advantage strategically places the critical pieces of information needed by an operator, in a manner that is available and readable at a quick glance.

Swell Advantage provides the operator with standard features like boat speed and heading, and also unique features like a real­time radial scale and a visualization of drift affecting the boat.

You can download Swell Advantage for free in the Apple App Store, with an Android version expected later in 2015.