When we mention a real estate developer, there are stereotypes, and it’s understandable if we drift toward Rodney Dangerfield’s character in Caddyshack. Along the same thread of ’80s cinema stereotypes, we have the surfer stereotype of Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Surfer-developer David Likins is proudly neither. Well-spoken, centered, and deeply knowledgeable on all things wave pools, we spoke about real estate development and club operations, all within the context of surfing.
David develops and operates surf-centered real estate and club projects. He describes his work as figuring out where artificial wave facilities can function as part of a larger business, especially in residential communities and private clubs. That includes evaluating land, working with capital partners, finding local development partners, planning operations, and making sure the surf component can be supported by the surrounding economics. His earlier work included executive roles in the ski industry, serving as chief operating officer at Surf Ranch and later helping reposition Waco Surf. In those roles, he focused on resort operations and customer-use patterns. At Meriwether, he is now applying that approach to projects featuring Endless Surf technology in Baja, the California desert, and other markets.
