First Person Report from Surf Abu Dhabi
We wanted to know what the differences are between Surf Abu Dhabi and Surf Ranch. Within the below first-person narrative, our source touched on a few key points including that the saltwater changes the overall feel and power of the wave. In addition, the Abu Dhabi left is cleaner and more open than its Surf Ranch doppelgänger.
“My life motto is, If you don’t ask, you don’t get,” and I’m proud to say I’ve lived by this, and it has served me well.
So, Abu Dhabi, Kelly Slater built a new pool, and I wanted to surf it ASAP. Knowing they were opening in late October, I sent out some emails to try to book a slot. Since they were busy preparing for the opening, I wasn’t holding my breath for a quick reply. Enter Plan B.
My first thought was to reach out to surf coach at the Surf Ranch, all-around legend, and my go-to, Pat Miller. He had spent time in Abu Dhabi training all the guides, and I knew he could at least get me a contact number. Pat knows everyone there, and within 24 hours, he got back to me with, “How does the 12th-13th of October sound?” A spot had opened up via Nirvana Supertrips with a Brazilian crew and Fred Pompermayer, a six-time Big Wave Award-winning surf photographer.
If you don’t ask, you don’t get! Now, to book flights.
I was in Bali, checking on the progress of my villas Dreamweaver Bali Villa (shameless plug), and managed to snag a flight that got me into Dubai at 6 a.m. the following morning. I locked it in. Vava from Nirvana Supertrips gave me the lowdown and arranged everything, including transfers and two nights at the Conrad by Hilton in Abu Dhabi, which was only 20 minutes from the pool.
Once I landed, I took a much-needed day of rest, knowing that two days of surfing in 30°C water and 35°C air would be taxing on my body. Fully rested the next day, I had a 7 a.m. breakfast at the hotel, then hopped on a quick shuttle bus with my new Brazilian friends to what has to be the most amazing wave pool setup in the world. As we pulled up, we were greeted by Mitch Crews, an ex-WSL tour surfer and Director of Surf Experience, along with some of the surf guides. After a quick tour of the surf room and facilities, we had an induction preparing us for the two days ahead.
Day One at Surf Abu Dhabi
I was in the first heat, so I threw on some board shorts, slapped on some sunscreen, and got ready to hit it. I grabbed a 5’9 Channel Island Too Happy P’U from a rack loaded with hundreds of boards to choose from and jumped on the Jetski. Within minutes, I was stroking into a reeling, perfect left with two barrel sections and enough wall to smash out six-plus turns. Flicking off and flying into the air after a crazy fast five-second barrel at the end section, I was met with the sound of the Jetski crew and surf guides screaming, “YEAH!!!!”
What a start!
The rest of the day was spent surfing perfect lefts and rights, with plenty of waves to my name, plus poaching another 10 or so waves that others had fallen off (and yes, I fell off a few myself). Between heats, the Surf Abu Dhabi staff took care of everything—from board waxing to providing food, drinks, and even video analysis using Flowstate to help us understand our mistakes and how the wave behaves.
After an insane day of waves, hugs, and high-fives, we celebrated with an amazing dinner at Nalu Surf Club, complete with beers and Pornstar Martinis. And the best part? Knowing we’d be doing it all again tomorrow. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.
You know how after a sick barrel on a boat trip, you tell your mates about it, but no one will ever truly know how good it was? Well, at Surf Abu Dhabi, every wave is captured by Flowstate using AI and facial recognition technology, guaranteeing that every wave is recorded. Not only do you get the video, but with @Fred_Pompermayer and in-house photographer @erickproost in the water, every angle is captured in stills and videos. Literally, every second is immortalized.
Day Two at Surf Abu Dhabi
Day two? Even better than day one. Once you understand how the wave breaks, it’s all about longer barrels, fewer falls, and more critical turns. After 24+ barrels, it was time to pack up my carry-on, enjoy another spectacular dinner, and fly back to Melbourne, knowing without a doubt that I’d be back.
So what’s the difference between Surf Abu Dhabi and Surf Ranch? Both locations treat you like royalty from the moment you arrive and provide an amazing surfing experience. The waves are quite similar—same machine, concrete bottoms, and tech—but the saltwater at Abu Dhabi gives the wave a different feel, dare I say, more power. Saltwater is denser than freshwater, so I guess this makes some sense. Plus, the left at Abu Dhabi has an open, fast end section that doesn’t pinch, making it (in my opinion) a much better left than the Ranch. Another bonus: Abu Dhabi has afternoon offshores for the left every day, making it one of the most perfect waves I’ve ever seen in a pool, and being a goofy foot, I’m pretty happy about this.
I believe the wave basin was designed to dissipate water faster, reducing the interval between waves and creating more waves per hour. But the biggest difference? Money. I’d estimate Surf Abu Dhabi as a $200 million investment versus the $60 million at Surf Ranch. The Ranch was built for surfers, bringing Kelly Slater’s dreams to life, whereas Surf Abu Dhabi is on Al Hidayriyyat, a man-made island that’s set to be a sports mecca with stadiums, velodromes, skate parks, and BMX tracks—a huge boost for tourism.
Surf Abu Dhabi is designed as a tourist attraction with a beach club, multiple restaurants, and facilities that draw in more than just surfers, making it financially viable and not reliant solely on surfing. Once it opens, there will also be opportunities to book the entire pool for you and your mates for the day/weekend or one-hour sessions with a three-month booking window. Having the ability to book a one-hour session is something you can’t do at the Ranch, and I’m sure it will attract surfers from all around the world, as it’s now more affordable with the one-hour session option.
Editor’s Note: A 90-minute private session for 6 surfers is AED 15,000 or $4,083. Price and wave count for Open Surf on the Advanced (expect 5-6 waves per surfer) is 3,500AED or nearly $950 per surfer.
Getting there is easy too. Dubai is 90 minutes away from Abu Dhabi by car and both are convenient stopovers for Europe-bound flights, so maybe plan a day on your next trip.
My experience was made possible thanks to Fred Pompermayer and Nirvana Supertrips, who coordinated everything perfectly. If you’re keen, I know they have some slots available in the coming months and into 2025—just reach out, and you won’t regret it.
The author would like to thank the staff and guides at Surf Abu Dhabi as well as Mitch Crews, Fred Pompermayer and Pat Miller.
All photos and videos by @fred_pompermayer and @erickproost.
Editor’s Note: We are posting the above content as it’s our job here at WavePoolMag to present information on wave pools. We recognize the existence of human rights issues in this country. Our duty is to report on the evolving landscape of surf parks and wave pools whenever and wherever they may occur, regardless of the laws or culture of that location.
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