The PHX Surf facility will be built where State Route 238 and Loma Road cross and will include two 5-acre surf lagoons surrrounded by RV camping, tiny surf villas, a hotel, restaurants, shopping, a concert stage and other amenities.

Hot on the heels of “The North Shore” 35th anniversary, Arizona has notched another wave pool project, this one will feature two wave pools.

Maricopa City Council approved the sale and lease of a nearly 60-acre parcel to PHX Surf LLC. Last year the company had proposed “a facility to offer a world-class surf experience along with play pools and related amenities to offer food, beverage, retail and outdoor recreational elements.”

PHX Surf LLC will house two surf basins each covering about 5 acres. No technology was named, but architectural drawings show what looks like Surf Loch wave generation systems (this hasn’t been confirmed). The two-tank approach is unique, as the only two other projects on the global map with dual pools are Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and SurfWRLD in Germany.

The project will be an interesting mix of stay offerings including an 80-room upscale hotel and 42 tiny home surf villas. The mini-villas will be half 600 square ft units and half 900 square ft units. In addition, the project will offer a 30-spot camping area with RV access. The company said this approach will help the project appeal to a wide variety of patrons from throughout the surf world. 

Other amenities will be water slides, spa, pump track and lazy river. They also plan a concert stage and lights for nighttime surf sessions.

In construction adjacent to the new surf spots are a commercial development called West Maricopa Village and an office and warehouse park – all dwarfed by the majestic expanse of the American desert.

Arizona is challenging Southern California’s Coachella Valley as the desert wave pool capital of the world. If all goes according to plan, PHX Surf LLC will join Cactus Surf Park (formerly known as The Strand), Revel Surf Park, Monsoon Wave Park, and Surf Town Arizona. Big Surf was razed this year to make room for a shopping development. As of today Revel is the only project pumping out test waves in anticipation of opening.

The Lowdown: Forty minutes south of Phoenix in Maricopa, PHX Surf LLC is planning a two-surf-tank project with surrounding amenities that include camping, tiny homes and a luxury hotel. The two surf basins will each cover roughly five acres. No technology was named, but architectural drawings show what looks like Surf Loch wave generation systems. However, the company has not officially confirmed Surf Loch, and as we’ve learned this year some projects make this decision late in the game.

WavePool Construction Progress: Just planning at this point

Accessibility: Public wave pool with access via hotel, tiny house rental or campsite.
Type of wave(s): Lefts, Rights and Split Peaks.

Wave Generating Technology: SurfLoch wave systems.

Wave’s Technical Information: Surf Loch – The Palm Springs test pool was 8 caissons and a tad smaller than the BSR Surf Ranch. The number of caissons for the new pool is unknown. The Surf Loch system is pneumatic and works by using air to push water into deep-end caissons. Wave shape, size and frequency is controlled by sequencing and firing of the caissons which is all controlled by Siemens software.

Hours of operation/Seasonal Hours: With the desert climate, year-round surfing is anticipated.

Price Breakdown: None yet.

Waves per hour: 450 swells breaking across different zones.

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

We are hoping the PHX Surf LLC project contributes to pop culture on the same level that Big Surf provided a unique backdrop for The North Shore and The American Girls.