July 1, 2022  |  News

Code Red: Surf Lakes in Yeppoon is about to be torn down

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The iconic Yeppoon facility will be razed and a new commercial model will be built in its place. CEO Aaron Travis reveals to Neil Armstrong more about the new build, grand-opening plans and which animals are a problem on the site. Slick clips featuring filthy pits, family-friendly peelers, silhouetted kangaroos, and steampunk-esc machinery - frankly, it’s a marketing department’s dream.

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June 27, 2022  |  News

Can you bodysurf during regular hours at the world’s surf pools?

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To slide along a wave, with nothing bar a pair of fins, a bit of clothing, and possibly a handplane, is surfing at its simplest. Or to put it another way, bodysurfing is the oldest and often most overlooked form of wave riding. Mike Stewart, legendary bodyboarder, 16-time Pipeline bodysurf champion, and one of the greatest watermen of all time

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June 13, 2022  |  News

Neil Armstrong explores the wave pool (left) space

News

I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed with you. Well, most of you anyway.  There you are surfing, having a great time at wave pools, and letting waves go to waste. But not just to waste, often completely unappreciated. And just because these waves are born by machine doesn’t mean they’re any less special. I’m talking about lefts. Those waves often

I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed with you. Well, most of you anyway.  There you are surfing, having a great ...Continue ›

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June 11, 2022  |  News

Melbourne’s Urbnsurf Closed Due To “Serious Medical Incident”

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Editor's Note: Urbnsurf released the below update on 20-06-22, nine days following the incident: "The surfer is in a stable condition in hospital. He is awake and responding well, after experiencing a cardiac episode whilst paddling out during a surf session at the park. The surfer, his friends and family, and our team, extend utmost thanks and gratitude to the

Editor's Note: Urbnsurf released the below update on 20-06-22, nine days following the incident: "The surfer is in a stable ...Continue ›

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June 2, 2022  |  News

Is there such a thing as the perfect number of waves per hour?

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How much does the waves-per-hour boast matter? Surf park operators and insiders give their take on this contentious metric. The successful operation of a wave pool business largely comes down to the skill of the pool operators in knowing, and being able to cater successfully, to their clients. It’s a delicate balancing act with millions of dollars on the line.

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May 20, 2022  |  News

Waco session inspires Air Jordan wetsuit booties

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There are few harsher critics than surfers. By and large, inventions in the surf world are met with scorn and derision. That is until they are deemed necessary. The retractable legrope? Yeah, that didn’t last long. Nose guards? Out of vogue now and scoffed at when they first hit the market, but they’ve saved more than a few eyeballs and

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May 5, 2022  |  News

Zoning board in Jackson New Jersey approve big-ass wave pool. Surfers rejoice.

News

While many wave pools coming off the drawing boards now are being used as anchors for private communities, or hotel and restaurant combinations, an increasing number are being built as star attractions for activity parks. One such proposed development is Adventure Crossing, in Jackson, New Jersey. A sprawling 4-stage development featuring Golf, bowling, sports fields, rinks and courts, indoor recreation,

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April 29, 2022  |  Latest

The culinary offerings at the world’s favorite wave pools will surprise you

Latest

The often-heard mantra for surfers is Surf, Eat, Sleep, Repeat. Here at WavePoolMag, we can’t do much about the sleep part for you, though for surf stoke we do keep you updated with all Wave Pool happenings worldwide. But that leaves food. And oh how we need fuel after a good surf session, especially one at a wave pool where

The often-heard mantra for surfers is Surf, Eat, Sleep, Repeat. Here at WavePoolMag, we can’t do much about the sleep ...Continue ›

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April 26, 2022  |  News

Pools, Ponies, and Promises – California’s Olas Ranch shut down before it leaves the gate

News

Editor's Note: Last week and out of the blue we heard about the Olas Ranch project for San Juan Capistrano. We interviewed the development team and got a dialed-in schematic as to how it would all work. Then, just as quickly, the city of San Juan Capistrano tanked the idea in favor of one of the seven other proposals -

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April 15, 2022  |  News

The Dead (wave) Pool: What happened to the Big Three?

News

This is a very exclusive club. One for which you have to spend millions. And you don’t want to be in it. The qualifying barrier? Redundancy. Welcome to the Wave Pool Graveyard. But were their projects out-and-out flops, or simply ahead of their time? Regardless, some have paid a hefty price for trying and tripping, but in the process, they’ve

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March 31, 2022  |  News

Unit wave pool breaks ground in Utah

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The aptly named Hurricane Valley, Utah - 30 minutes from the gates of Zion National Park - is set to host waves. Namely, to be home to the first Unit surf pool in North America. On March 24 ground was broken on an 80 acre, luxury private surf community, Southern Shores. Along with a small lake hosting the 16-meter wide Unit surf

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March 14, 2022  |  News

Saying goodbye to the world’s first surf park – Arizona’s Big Surf

News

Welcome. Please be seated. We’re gathered here today not to mourn a loss but to celebrate a life well-lived - one of countless waves and good times. And, yes, there was that one time the Pope blessed our beloved wave pool. And it was with a slew of sad emoji faces on our devices that we learned of the closure

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March 2, 2022  |  News

Is it worth it? The risks and rewards of wave pool investment

News

Here's what to expect if you are considering investing in a wave pool. We spell out the risks, rewards and explore whether there's such a thing as a "sure bet." What does it take for a wave pool to get up and running? Dreams and daring help, sure. But mostly it's money. Lots of it. This means major investors with

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February 25, 2022  |  News

The Wave Pool Whisperers – What professional surf coaches really think of wave pools

News

In sports coaching it’s not too difficult to get close to an athlete/participant, watch and record their moves and interrupt them for tips and advice. Football, tennis, golf, swimming, baseball, easy done. And then there’s surfing.Unless a surfer is listening to a coach through a waterproof headset (as Ken Bradshaw and 7x world surf champ Layne Beachley did for a

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February 25, 2022  |  User Guide

Wave Pool Reviews by You: The Wave with Nick and Hannah

User Guide

Search “wave pool” through social platforms and you’ll find a hive of influencers and pros claiming “best pool ever.” But what about us mortal surfers who have to trade hard-earned currency for a crack at perfect waves. We might feel differently after sinking a day’s wage for some surf time. Doesn’t our opinion count? Sure there is Trip Advisor, but

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January 29, 2022  |  News

DSRT Surf gets the official go-ahead, construction to start soon

News

DSRT Surf has received final approval from the City of Palm Desert, in the Coachella Valley. Construction is planned to commence this summer, with an opening date by the end of 2023. Says Doug Sheres, founding partner at Beach Street Development and Desert Wave Ventures, “There were three Palm Desert City groups which needed to approve this project - first

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January 29, 2022  |  News

Former quarry now closer to being British Columbia’s first wave pool

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Canada’s first west coast wave pool project has passed its initial reading at a Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) board meeting. While this is only the first hurdle, it’s a vital step towards the realization of a pool and associated residential development.The site is an ocean-front disused quarry in South Britannia Beach, 45 minutes north of Vancouver, near the halfway point

Canada’s first west coast wave pool project has passed its initial reading at a Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) board meeting. ...Continue ›

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January 28, 2022  |  News

Melbourne boardriding club charts new territory in the wave pool world

News

One of the great things with wave pools popping up all over the world is, as a journalist, being able to connect with many people from various walks of life who share a common passion/obsession. And then you meet folks who’re outgoing and to put it mildly, more enthusiastic than Tony Robbins on uppers. What tall Tony is to life-affirmation,

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January 7, 2022  |  User Guide

Know how to protect your head holes from Surfer’s Ear

User Guide

Finding the best surf earplugs is a tricky task. Mainly because the human ear canal, annoyingly, doesn’t come in one size.Let’s face it, the human body hosts the most magnificent natural engineering in the known world, yet is also one of the greatest mysteries in the universe, not counting however it is that Star Wars Stormtroopers manage to go to

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January 5, 2022  |  News

Need help building your wave pool? We spoke to 3 experts in the field

News

We pull back the curtain to discover what it is exactly that wave pool consultants do. With surf parks being such a new space the title for this job rol e has yet to be set in cement. We've seen such perfunctory gems as "planner," "manager," "advisor" and "administrator" - all of which are quite acurate. For now, we’ll call

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November 24, 2021  |  News

Wave Pool Surf Travel: Will it become a thing. You know, like the Mentawais?

News

Scoring epic waves in the wilds of Indonesia, South America, or any of the myriad of far-flung corners on this watery world is an adventure. An adventure that’ll take a week or more, a nice chunk of change, and possibly provide waves. If you could have guaranteed man-made waves with less time spent traveling, as opposed to potentially scoring storm-bred

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November 19, 2021  |  User Guide

Want to become a wave pool designer or engineer? Here’s how

User Guide

If you want to be happy, do what you love. An old trick used the world over by school guidance councilors is to ask you, “If you had a million dollars, what would you do all day?” And whatever your response - aside from “nothing” - be it working on old cars, computers, beekeeping, or sketching skyscrapers, is what they

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October 20, 2021  |  User Guide

Alt-Board aficionado Harley Ingleby’s surfboard choice for two very different wave pools

User Guide

Harley Ingleby rides anything he can get his mitts on: mid-lengths, logs, twins, and finless - but mostly quads and longboards. In this piece, he runs us through a few favorite alternative surfboard designs for wave pools, specifically Kelly Slater's Surf Ranch and Urbnsurf in Melbourne. With the exception of the recent longboard event at The Ranch, the majority of

Harley Ingleby rides anything he can get his mitts on: mid-lengths, logs, twins, and finless - but mostly quads and ...Continue ›

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October 11, 2021  |  Latest, News

Arizona’s pool total could top 5 surf basins

Latest, News

The City of Cottonwood, in the middle of Arizona, may become home to the states’ fifth proposed wave pool, one-upping California’s Coachella Valley who has four on the drawing board. If successful, Cottonwood would join Surftown AZ, The Strand, the nearly completed Revel Surf Park and Big Surf. Cottonwood is the epicenter of the Verde Valley wine region and has

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October 5, 2021  |  Latest

Wave pool opposition in the desert: Will Kelly’s wave damage the La Quinta neighborhood?

Latest

As residents take aim at wave pool developments across the globe, we do a deep dive into one project on the front lines, Coral Mountain in La Quinta. Will this wave pool drastically alter the quality of life for nearby residents? Or are neighbors just opposed to any construction done after their own house was built? The recent 3 1/2

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