July 1, 2022  |  News

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

News

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

Employee of the Month: Amy Hunt of Waco Surf

News

Everyone who works in the wave pool world at this point in time wears several hats. Partly because the industry is so young that clear-cut job titles are still years off. We've heard of CEOs taking on social media duties, fixing dings and handing out singlets to customers. There's a wonderful we're-all-in-this-together vibe among staff at the world's wave pools.

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June 27, 2022  |  News

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

News

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 24, 2022  |  News

Project outside Berlin to feature largest indoor rapid wave pool

News

Potsdam, Germany is a beautiful city just outside of Berlin and is known for its remarkable palaces, lakes, and rich historical significance. And soon it will also be known as "that one place with a big ass rapid wave pool." The Havelwelle project announced they will feature an embedded 14 meter (46 feet) wide Unit Surf Pool as their hub.

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June 23, 2022  |  News

More surf in the UK: The Wave secures funding for future wave parks

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The Wave has completed a significant investment deal with Sullivan Street Partners this week. The Bristol surf spot said the partnership will enable the company to push forward with its ambitious roll-out plans. The initial funding platform of c.£27 million will support the expansion phase of the business, enabling the securing of sites and planning, and further debt finances for

The Wave has completed a significant investment deal with Sullivan Street Partners this week. The Bristol surf spot said the ...Continue ›

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June 23, 2022  |  News

Business: EpicSurf on building an economically-sustainable surf park

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Wave pools are, without question, capital-intense ventures with highly variable revenue models and returns. At some, like Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch, the wave is the main attraction, with just minimal infrastructure around it. The people that come to its location in Lemoore, California—an agricultural town about four hours from the state’s two biggest cities—are often professional surfers or deep-pocketed enthusiasts.

Wave pools are, without question, capital-intense ventures with highly variable revenue models and returns. At some, like Kelly Slater’s Surf ...Continue ›

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June 20, 2022  |  News

FlowRider enters the rapid wave pool market

News

Sheet-wave pioneers FlowRider entered the deep-water standing wave market this week with the launch of FlowSurf. The product launch puts FlowRider alongside other wave pool technologies like EpicSurf, Ka'ana, Citywave and Unit. According to the company, FlowSurf looks a bit different than the average product in the FlowRider lineup. FlowSurf is created using a deep flow of water, which enables

Sheet-wave pioneers FlowRider entered the deep-water standing wave market this week with the launch of FlowSurf. The product launch puts ...Continue ›

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June 20, 2022  |  News

Perth Surf Park is expected to produce first waves in 2024

News

The largest surf park in the Southern Hemisphere is one step closer to its first waves today, with global surf park creator Aventuur announcing it has signed a long-term ground lease with the Western Australian Planning Commission for the site of the Perth Surf Park. The $100m surf park will be Western Australia’s first, and is set to become a

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June 14, 2022  |  News

Ditch the Concrete: Endless Surf partners with innovative steel pool construct

News

Exclusive pool construction for Endless Surf customers is all stainless steel and uses no concrete. System offers a solution for surf parks with high-water tables, soft soil types and harsh environments. Both companies say the pre-fabricated modular design eliminates construction errors and results in faster-finished projects. Endless Surf announced a partnership this week with Myrtha Pools to help alleviate many

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June 13, 2022  |  News

How cool is your pool? Discover water temps for all the world’s wave pools

News

It goes without saying that here at WavePoolMag we think wave pools are pretty darn cool, in the raddest sense of the word. But how cool are the world’s wave pools in terms of temperature? We surfed 3°C (36°F) Alaia Bay last December for the Winter Cup but we’ve also heard reports of 30°C (92F°) water in Japan. Curious about

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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 13, 2022  |  News

The real reason wave pools haven’t been and won’t be in the Olympics

News

Remember those raging debates about which wave pool should be used in the Olympics? Back when the venue for surfing’s Olympic debut was still up in the air, everyone had an opinion on a wave pool's role in the Games and which technology would work best. Now as we head into the Paris 2024 Olympic cycle where the world-renowned Teahupo’o

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June 11, 2022  |  News

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

News

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 8, 2022  |  News

In Korea a wave pool and startup surf league anchor a fledgling surf scene

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Surfing is contagious. Just shy of the 20th century, Hawaiian Royalty gave demonstrations in California while a couple of decades later Duke Kahanamoku wowed crowds in Australia. Both locations immediately embraced the sport and it flourished. Fast forward a century and you can now find groups of like-minded surfing devotees gathered together in boardriders clubs. But the Duke never gave

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June 3, 2022  |  News

Firsthand: The Surfing Samurai, adaptive sessions and wave pools

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Eleven years ago Dylan Hronec rode his first wave and “In that moment I felt like I was no longer in my body anymore; I was flying and totally free.” Dylan was born with Cerebral Palsy, a neurological disorder that affects fine motor skills.  We received some clips of Dylan at SkudinSurf American Dream and wanted to chat with him.

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June 2, 2022  |  News

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

News

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.

How much does the waves-per-hour boast matter? Surf park operators and insiders give their take on this contentious metric. The ...Continue ›

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May 22, 2022  |  News

By popular demand the WavePoolMag app is now available for Android users

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WavePoolMag announced today a reboot and several functional updates to the Surf Planner page which powers the iOS and Android apps. Both the webpage and the apps allow users to discover the latest proposed, planned, and open-for-business wave pools from around the world, roughly 100 projects around the world! Hit the buttons below to download the FREE WavePoolMag app Android

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May 20, 2022  |  News

Waco session inspires Air Jordan wetsuit booties

News

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 17, 2022  |  News

First Person: Melbourne airport’s got barrels in a vending machine!

News

Max Emerson is a mid-level surfer who has been lucky enough to cobble a career out of making their internet life look more glamorous than it really is. One million Instagram followers is enough to support a chronic travel (and surfing) addiction. As a result, Max has been fortunate enough to paddle out in places like Hawaii, Texas, Australia, Costa

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May 13, 2022  |  News

California desert wave pool updates 2022

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The WavePoolMag desert update focuses on developments in the evolving surf park oasis east of Los Angeles. After the pandemic, progress on the four surf parks planned for the Coachella Valley is moving ahead with one scheduled to open in a few months with the others to follow in 2023-2024. This current article is an update of the one we

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May 12, 2022  |  News

We speak with possibly the fastest advancing adult learner on the planet

News

“Adult Learner” can be a pejorative term in the surf world. The comments thread for salt-focused publications is rife with kook-calling and the unrealistic expectation that everyone should know how to surf before they even, uh, learn to surf. If surfing was that easy, there would be no Kookslams insta page or Novice-shaming threads on BeachGrit. Fortunately, this hostile climate

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May 12, 2022  |  News

Backyard Sheetwaves: A glimpse into D.I.Y wave machine fails and wins

News

Creating inland surfing experiences doesn’t always have to cost millions of dollars and require the infrastructure of a small village. As with any awesome innovation, there are those who will try and recreate it at home. With zero regard for efficiency (or safety), these bold pioneers are determined to release the stranglehold of “Big Surf” on the wave pool industry.

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May 10, 2022  |  2022 Gear Guide, News

2022 WavePoolMag Gear Guide

2022 Gear Guide, News

Gear guides are fun. Everyone loves to window shop. That’s why there are so many product showcases sprinkled across the internet. At their worst, they are paeons to objects born of an unsustainable capitalist structure. At their best, they herald a sublime shift in surf culture and remind us that our current pair of boardshorts won't survive another season. We’re

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May 6, 2022  |  News

Andrew Wray explains how today’s pools draw from a well of rich surf tank history and innovation

News

Editor’s Note: Andrew Wray had a hand in designing many of the first-generation wave pools. With the launch of Endless Surf, he's been kind enough to provide background, history and overall perspective to bridge yesterday's wave tanks with today's modern marvels of engineering. In this installment, he talks about the patents on those first pools and how that changed everything.

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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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