A good wave pool trip creates quality moments. We tend to only recall the waves, the high-fives in the channel and the post-session cheers. We don’t see that guy pulling levers behind a curtain like in the Wizard of Oz. Do you really need want to know about torque pressure and corresponding lubrication requirements? No, your head should be focused on board choice, wettie thickness and post-surf nosh options. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to keep the waves pumping out at URBNSURF Sydney. And there’s a lot of work that goes into keeping this place running as a viable business where people can come, surf, and relax. As Facilities Supervisor Keith Barlow explained to us between sessions, “we have team members working on the machine at night to ensure everything’s good. A lot of hard work goes into it, and I don’t think people realize how much effort is involved.”

What is your job title here at URBNSURF Sydney?
My job title is the Facilities Supervisor.

What does that mean exactly?
So we’ve got a team that looks after the wave generator. We do all the preventative maintenance on it, look after the water treatment plant, and make sure the water is clean so the waves keep peeling down the point.

Is Sydney any different from the Melbourne Wavegarden Cove?
It’s a heftier structure, a more solid construction. It’s definitely very similar to the earlier Wavegarden generators, but there have been a lot of small, subtle improvements over time. We have a more solid steel structure and have ironed out little issues as we go.

And as you run through a lot of different wave programs, does anything change in the machine?
We don’t necessarily have to make physical changes, but we change the programming for the wave settings. The programmable logic controller stores all the settings and drives the pistons further, harder, and faster, depending on what kind of wave we want to generate.

Water treatment is a huge topic for all wave pools. Can you tell us about your water treatment?
Sure. Our system is supplied by Wavegarden and is different from URBNSURF Melbourne. We have two filtration skids, which are large filtration units, along with chlorine dosing and acid dosing. We operate to the same standards as a public swimming pool.

Do you ever get nervous being responsible for millions of dollars worth of equipment?
I try not to. Before I started here, I worked in maintenance of manufacturing equipment, so I’ve always worked on valuable machinery. I do feel a lot of responsibility to make sure it’s always operational for the customers and for the business.

What machinery did you work on before?
I started fixing printing machines. I was an electrician by trade, then moved into food manufacturing, dealing with bulk food products. I transitioned into maintenance planning and machinery reliability, focusing on lifecycle management. I came here to handle maintenance planning and programming so the team can keep everything well lubricated and looked after to achieve a long lifecycle.

Without giving away trade secrets, what kind of maintenance do you need to do on a machine like that?
Wavegarden gives us a plan of what we do. We check things like vibration and lubrication to ensure everything is within tolerance. If something starts to go out of tolerance, we can address it before it becomes a problem.

Are you able to look at the machine and see how it’s producing waves?
Yeah, to a degree. A lot of that stuff is monitored by Wavegarden themselves. The wave programming is all Wavegarden. We don’t actually work with the programming of waves at all. But you can see the pistons moving in and out, which affects the torque in the motors and the current flow.

What’s the best part of your job here?
It’s being able to combine what I love doing with what I do for a job. It feels like a dream job situation.

So your two passions are machines and surfing?
Yes. My work involves machinery, and my passion is surfing.

How old were you when you started surfing?
I was about 15. I just turned 46 this week. I still get to surf most days, which is great. Seeing the smiles on people’s faces as they enjoy the park is rewarding.