Although the pandemic has slowed progress on the four surf parks currently under development in the Coachella Valley it hasn’t changed plans to move ahead on the projects. Completion times for the developments are expected to be during 2022-23.

The Palm Springs Surf Club is moving forward on a 50 million dollar project featuring a three million-gallon state of the art wave pool at the former Wet N’ Wild water park on Gene Autry Trail in Palm Springs. The developers have transformed an existing pool with large wave-making technology which will be open to the public. Other planned amenities include a lazy river and restaurant. Palm Springs Surf Club will be open for the public. It will be the first public surf park powered by Surf Loch technology.

Plans for DSRT Surf, a proposed 5.5-acre wave lagoon in Palm Desert, are progressing with new details expected soon. The development is planned to include up to two hotels and up to 88 residential villas on a 15-acre property near Desert Willow Golf Resort. Plans also include a surf academy for all levels and spa and fitness center. The project is expected to be completed in 2023 and open to the public. DSRT surf will use Wavegarden Cove technology.

The Thermal Beach Club will feature a 20-acre surf lagoon surrounded by up to 326 luxury homes in Thermal, 25 miles southeast of Palm Springs. It is being developed on the 2,200 acre Kohl Ranch on Avenue 66, which also includes the Desert Mirage High school complex, the Thermal Motor Sports facility and BMW Performance Driving Center. Only residents and their guests may utilize the lagoon and surfing activities. An opening is expected sometime in 2023. The wave pool at the center of this development is an American Wave Machines’ PerfectSwell system.

World champion surfer Kelly Slater has teamed up with Meriwether Companies and Big Sky Wave Developments to begin construction on Coral Mountain in La Quinta. The full-service private resort plans include a hotel, restaurant and wave basin said to create the biggest, rideable open barrel, human-made waves in the world. It is also speculated that there may be ponds for stand up paddleboarding and electric hydrofoil boards. The resort and surfing amenities are exclusive to members and guests. Slater is the founder of Kelly Slater Wave Company which created the wave technology for the wave basin.

Coral Mountain joins the three approved wave pool projects that will make Coachella Valley, already a music mecca, an unlikely but highly desirable destination for surfers.

Main Image by John Fowler via Unsplash. Update provided by Coachella Valley Surf Club