Europe’s first indoor wave pool calls it a day
SurfPoel, the indoor wave pool in the Binckhorst section of The Hague announced they would close due to insurmountable challenges. Among the obstacles faced by the surf park project were a lack of funding and a limited operational timeline.
The project’s initiators announced the decision in an email to stakeholders, expressing their disappointment after a long and arduous journey to establish the first indoor wave pool in Europe.
“With a heavy heart, we have to inform you that the prospects have become so minimal that we are forced to stop the project,” the company said. “Unfortunately, it has become apparent that we cannot use the building where the Surf Pool was built for long enough. As a result, we do not have sufficient prospects to raise the necessary funding for further improvements to the waves and to make the Surf Pool safer and more accessible.”
A good chunk of SurfPoel and the 24/7 wave technology was backed by small investment crowdfunders. The Hague has a core surf scene west of the city on the shores of the North Sea with most of the focus in Scheveningen. Investors included locals and a few global wave pool enthusiasts, like self-professed Surf Nerd Mike Goldys.
Goldys said he invested in Surf Poel with the hope of surfing the new technology during a European surf trip. He had been following SurfPoel for a couple of years and said he wanted to support the project.
“I ended up investing 250€, so $273.55 USD for five surf hours early last year,” said Mike. “I was personally intrigued by the indoor wave pool model. I wanted to try the original technology first-hand, especially before O2 SURFTOWN MUC and RiF010 were on the European radar.”
This year both RiF010 in nearby Rotterdam and Munich’s much-anticipated Endless Surf wave tank opened to the public. Both projects were years in the making and feature very different technology.
The Surf Poel concept began in 2018 using a hull and foil type wave generator created by Australian Steven Schmied. For 10 years, Schmied worked on the system that could be adjusted to produce a variety of waves. The Hague pool itself measures 72 meters long (230 feet) and 18 meters (60 feet) in width, with a maximum depth of 2.5 meters (8 feet). The building housing the pool covers a massive 2,400 square meters (7,800 square feet) and utilizes shipping containers and a timber beach for surrounding amenities.
Foil designs have fallen out of favor around the world. The exfeption is KSWaveCo who power both the Surf Ranch and the newly opened Surf Abu Dhabi. Early Wavegarden designs used a foil and were installed in Austin, Texas and Snowdownia, Wales. Both parks are now closed. Wavegarden went on to design the Cove – the most prolific surf basin to date.
Mike said the episode taught him the risk of investment in surf parks.
“My investment might not seem like a lot to some, but it is for someone who has to work full time to save their money to surf these wave pools,” added Mike. “For an unsponsored, non-pro, no-name surfer passionate about wave pools. Regardless, kudos to the 24/7Waves and the SurfPoel team who were among the pioneers in this wave pool space. They were able to produce human-made waves in their test facility.”
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