During an on-site visit to Alaïa Bay this year, WavePoolMag caught up with surf park industry star Diana Da Costa. We use the word “star” because we happened upon the Swiss wave pool’s send-off for Da Costa, and it was apparent that she is near and dear to everyone on the Alpine wave pool’s team.
Endless Surf recently appointed Da Costa as Customer Experience & Implementation Lead. In this role, she focuses on surf park operations and the end-to-end guest journey, leading the rollout of the company’s unique Surf Concierge software platform across its growing portfolio, including five openings this year.
Da Costa joined the company after three years at Alaïa Bay, where she worked in customer service, event coordination, and operations management. Her role evolved quite organically, from back-office coordination into leadership of front-office operations and sales, including responsibility for booking systems and team management.
“I started this job at Alaïa three years ago,” she said. “At first, I worked as a back-office coordinator handling corporate outings and VIPs. My main focus was customer service. I managed emails, bookings, and phone calls. I also organized events for companies that came on site for beginner surf experiences and dining. After one season, I took responsibility for front-office operations and sales. I became team leader, managing six staff members.”
At Endless Surf, Da Costa works directly with operators using the company’s wave technology, advising on customer flow, booking protocols, and operational procedures.
“My role is really like a customer journey specialist. I will be in direct contact with the operators that chose the Endless Surf technology. I will be advising them on how to build the customer journey from the moment you think about going into the surf park until you exit. This includes booking tools and daily operations, like what happens when a customer cancels a booking, or when there is a disruption with the schedule.”
She is part of a team that includes product and surf specialists (Cheyne Magnusson, Axel Terradillos, and others) who focus on adapting operational models to different surf park formats using bespoke software.
The proprietary system is called Surf Concierge, and it integrates booking data with wave generation controls.
“Surf Concierge is a tool that we developed, and we have as well, Wave Doctor included and Swell Studio. Depending on the bookings you have, for example today if there were seven people in the water, then the waves would be adapted to the number of customers because the booking system will talk to the machine,” she said. “So basically, if there are five of us in the water, you will have the number of waves adapted, so waves don’t go by unridden.”
Da Costa said that when the system adjusts wave output based on user volume, it affects operational efficiency and energy use, which really helps surf-focused business models.
She recently completed training and traveled to The Red Sea, where she supported operations at the new mixed-use Adrena facility that combines a surf lagoon with other hospitality amenities and action sports attractions.
“I went to the Red Sea in my second week and stayed for two weeks, supporting daily operations and helping with their new booking system. What’s unique for the industry is that it’s a mixed model — it’s not just a surf lagoon. There’s also a wake park, skatepark, FlowSurf stationary wave, and activities like scuba diving.”
In short, the site includes multiple revenue streams and access models, which require additional operational coordination.
“They have a park entrance fee, and then you pay for the surf session. They also have a beach club to handle food and beverage. It is kind of a new challenge because you have to make sure that access to the surf lagoon is controlled.”
Da Costa said during the testing phase that they worked out gaps in both systems and infrastructure, which she addressed through both on-site support and remote guidance.
“For surf parks, it’s always when it is the busiest time that you see everything that is not working, everything that is missing. It’s good to catch these things early.”
She continues to support the Adrena project remotely and is also working with upcoming Endless Surf developments in Brazil, Florida, and Mexico.
“The main focus I have right now is those three, and I am really helping Florida because they are going to be surf-centric. We organize meetings with them to pose questions, like what is your plan for hiring staff, do you have all the equipment, what did you think of this, or this. All the little pieces of a surf park rollout.”
The Florida project will follow a model similar to Alaïa Bay but with differences in food and retail operations. While the Swiss wave pool prides itself on one of the best restaurants found at any surf park, Da Costa said The Point in Florida will have a uniquely American approach.
“The Point won’t have a restaurant. But they are going to have food trucks in the parking lot, and they are going to have a masseuse as well, and a welcome center with surf retail. Apparently, in the US, it is really common to have food trucks. This was news to me, as it’s very easy to change up the menu and offerings. A great idea.”
Interested in a job in the wave pool industry? Check out Wavepooljobs.com.
