Each wave pool has its own unique scene and customer base. And although today’s top artificial wave technologies come with a full menu of settings, sometimes a little tweak is necessary to please the locals.
Alaïa Surf Ops director Coco Colombo says that since opening five years ago, the surf park has been offering high-quality barrel waves, but a lot of their clientele want to know how to get barreled surfing.
“However, like any barreling wave in the ocean, these waves are still mainly for skilled surfers,” said Coco. “These sessions are less popular than regular sessions, simply because our pool of prospective riders is smaller — especially here in the middle of Switzerland, where there are very few experienced surfers.”
Coco said they worked with Wavegarden engineers to help make barrels more accessible.
“When the operations team suggested creating a more approachable version of these tubes, I jumped at the opportunity. They succeeded in creating several waves, and we selected one for our new Easy Barrel session.
Alaïa Bay said that compared to the Expert Barrel, Coco said that this wave offers a more forgiving ride. It allows surfers to position themselves on the shoulder rather than strictly in the pocket. The ride is slightly longer, with an extended barrel section that is more linear and features fewer abrupt changes in speed. The second section of the wave is noticeably less powerful, with a thinner lip that facilitates easier exits from the barrel. Wipeouts in this section are also less intense, contributing to a generally more approachable and manageable experience.
“To ride it, you should be an intermediate surfer, capable of catching a fast shoulder height wave in the ocean,” said Coco. “The session is led by our Alaïa Bay instructors, so it is a coached session with a clear goal: to help you surf your first barrel.”
Alaïa set out with the goal to create a more accessible wave, which in turn has proven very popular.
“It has turned into an amazing barrel! Our entire staff and local bodyboarders absolutely love it.
We also had our Alaïa Bay Cardholders — our most loyal group of clients — try it out, and they loved it too.”
Easy Barrel will be launched as a temporary session. It will only be available through to the end of October, which Coco says allows them to gauge if it’s successful enough to become a permanent offering in 2026.
WavePoolMag has documented a few of these customizations over the years. AllWaves promoted their beginner-friendly wave pool, and we did a deep dive on how Bristol made their take-off sections easier. You can listen to the full podcast here.
