Wavegarden just announced the addition of their Cove technology to a massive 2.1B€ mixed-use development in South Korea.

The announcement comes mere hours after URBNSURF Melbourne formally proclaimed they will open by Easter this year. Wavegarden said the South Korea project has already begun and is calling it “the world’s largest man-made surf park.”

The highly developed resort will be on Turtle Island, Siheung which is in the Gyeonggi province of South Korea. It’s scheduled to open in 2020.

The size and scope of a wave pool this large posed it’s own set of challenges.

“An innovative project of this magnitude doesn’t come without highly complex challenges,” Wavegarden said in a statement. “Specialized technological solutions are required in wave generation, water treatment and civil works.”

Wavegarden’s machinery can produce millions of waves per year and is designed to recover part of the energy used in the wave generation process to decrease overall energy consumption.

Regarding the health issues inherent with so many people in one body of water, the construction will incorporate an unspecified innovative water treatment system. These things are still closely held trade secrets. Wavegarden states they developed something specifically for wave lagoons that will keep the water transparent and clean throughout the year. 

Daewon Plus Construction, one of South Korea’s largest real estate and theme park developers, will build the project under the eye of Wavegarden. 
 
The formalization of this partnership comes after a year of intensive design and planning work between Wavegarden and South Korea.

“We are delighted to be working with Daewon and to bring the incredible sport of surfing and beach lifestyle to South Korea,” said Fernando Odriozola, Chief Commercial Officer of Wavegarden. “Turtle Island is going to be the new beach of Seoul and the place to surf for families, professional surfers, and everyone in between.”

The site is being constructed on land reclaimed from the ocean on a new man-made terrain called Turtle Island. Nearly one kilometre of beach will front the new wave pool. 10.8 million tourists visit this part of South Korea annually. The mega-complex is located one hour away from downtown Seoul.

According to the release from Wavegarden, “The centerpiece of the development will be the Wavegarden Cove surfing lagoon. The Cove, with its enticing turquoise waters, is capable of producing up to 1000 ocean-like waves per hour, which unfurl across a range of different surfing areas.”

While not a hotbed of natural breaks, it’s safe to speculate that this giant Cove will feature heavily for the learner crowd. Which brings up a point in this juncture of wave pool growth, will the coming boom in pools (Wavegarden has 28 plans drawn) be catered to the resort set, or the surf set?

Either way the Cove tech, and Surf Lakes’ 5Waves, are well-suited to all levels of the surf-ability arc.

Apart from riding waves, Turtle Island offers various other aquatic activities like kayaking, SUP and swimming in zones with and without waves. 
 
Wavegarden added, “This exciting news comes at a time when two Wavegarden facilities are currently in construction in Melbourne, Australia and Bristol, England, with another 28 contracts signed and in various stages of development in five continents around the world.”