STATUS: Full-size prototype at undisclosed location
WAVES: Wave heights range from 2-to-6-feet with turns and barrel sections, lefts and rights
LOCATIONS: None yet
SwellSpot is two components, an engine and a pool. First the engine: Clusters of modules along a wall contain hydraulic plungers that fire in software-controlled sequence to push out swell across a body of water (video below shows how they work). Plunger stroke height and velocity are adjustable to control the speed and size of the traveling swell. The second component is the bathymetry that determines how the generated swell will break. SwellSpot says pools can be built in any size or shape and create surf-able waves via reefs, points and bays.
The system can work continuously producing waves every 10-15 seconds and operation is easily adjusted for peak and low-frequency use. Wave heights range from 2-to-6-feet but can go bigger with more energy use and a larger pool setting. The system will produce around 360 swells per hour with waves breaking across several different reefs offering a higher surf-able wave count per hour, meaning the same swell is ridden multiple times at different parts of the pool. Plans for a 2.2-acre SwellSpot wave pool list waves breaking for a distance of 75 yards. Developers said the hydraulically powered surf lake will support up to 40 surfers each hour.
SwellSpot and SurfX have announced a joint partnership to build new inland surf parks in the United Kingdom and the United States.
