Have you ever heard a well-lit, hardwood room say, “Hey there, grab a coffee, pull out your laptop, get cozy and let’s get some work done.” No. Not literally of course, but the elements themselves suggest accommodating a certain activity. Design-wise, everyday items placed correctly can convey a message. For surf parks, each of these amenities contributes to the overall functionality and user experience. If done correctly, guests will feel a certain ease and comfort in simply being on site and occupying the space.
During a recent trip to Waco Surf, we had the opportunity to peer into this design window and learn a few of its principles from Bill Duncanson of BAR Architects & Interiors.
It was pretty simple. Bill and I walked the grounds. I would point something out, and Bill would explain the non-verbal messages inherent in the design. We covered how elements such as surf centers, seating layouts, bars, hot tubs, bathrooms, and flexible gathering spaces contribute to the functionality and atmosphere of a modern surf park, in this instance, Waco Surf in Texas.
Give us a brief background on yourself and what you do with the BAR.
I’m a partner at BAR Architects & Interiors. I do a lot of different things there. Multifamily housing, hospitality, and urban planning. But I also do a lot of surf park work of all sorts.
You were here in 2018 when it first opened, correct?
Yes, my first surf park experience was here on Labor Day in 2018, and the day after Labor Day 2018, which instantly taught me about seasonality.
We’re here today, eight years on and Waco Surf has just entered its ninth season. What have you noticed in terms of changes?
Well, the arrival hasn’t really changed. The parking lot is pretty much the same as it was. And the stairs up are the same as it was. At some point, they added a ramp, which I’m sure was appreciated for people who need ramps. The surf center, when I first arrived in 2018, was really still a construction site. Half the ground floor was still being built out, and the hospitality component upstairs was just being framed. It wasn’t really operating yet. Bathrooms were a work in progress but the waves were epic. So over time, they’ve expanded the ground floor of the surf center and increased their offering in terms of the surfboard rental fleet. Now it’s more of a lounge. You could see people really hanging out here. The bar is a nice addition, of course. Every surf park needs a bar. At least one, if not many. Over the years, they’ve added more cabanas, changed the beach, added the hot tub, and added wi-fi. Everybody who’s been here over the course of its history knows it’s changed a little bit, and for the better!
How important is the surf center to the customer experience? Do you have certain things that you need to have within the surf center to make it welcoming?
I think every surf park, or surf anchored amenity, or surf destination, needs to have some variant on a surf center. This is clearly more of a medium-volume turnstile-type program here at Waco Surf. Some people are staying on-site, some people are staying off-site and coming mostly for a few hours, although there’s a lot of private bookings interspersed here and there, so a good variety of users. The surf center has a particular function because there are lots of different groups that are occurring on site at any given time, and the surf center needs to be able to flex and accommodate all their needs. Clearly, a private club would have a fundamentally different type of surf center. It might not need to be as big, might not need to accommodate as much throughput as this one does, which has grown over time as I think they’ve done a good job over eight or nine years.
I’m looking around, and I’m seeing there’s a bar, there’s some tables to sit at, there’s some couches, a stretching area, a photography center, and board rental. Are there any core things that you need in a surf center? And does this one tick all the boxes?
You covered them with your question! Most of them anyway. Maybe adding some performance recovery components and changing rooms are important. Most newer surf parks are catering to the full continuum of surfers, people who have been surfing for decades and people who are experiencing surfing for the first time. People experiencing surfing for the first time aren’t going to be comfortable wrestling with a wetsuit on the beach for all to see.
So, the group of benches over there, why is that an important element?
People can kind of work while they’re here. You can have bigger groups. Of course, if you’re ever going to have an event here, you could rearrange the furniture and turn this into a bigger type of F&B experience or even a movie screening, or music event type of gathering.
I worked a little bit between sessions. I saw some other guests working between sessions. Having places for people to camp out with a variety of different FF&E makes sense, just to get people. Different people are going to feel comfortable in different FF&E situations.
What is FF&E?
My apologies for getting wonky! Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment. Stuff that’s not bolted down to the building. If you turn the building upside down, FF&E is what falls out.
Moving into the area around the lagoon, what added amenities make a difference?
Well, the hot tub was a great addition. As somebody who’s come mostly in the winter, in November, and December, or early March, I certainly appreciated using the hot tub. It makes a big difference when the water is in the low fifties or high forties for sure. And it was nice today when the water was in the mid-seventies as well. Every surf park, regardless of what climate they’re in, needs a hot tub because that’s a place where you build on the relationships you’ve started in the line-up. When you’re in a session, you’re mostly with people that you’ve never met before, unless you’re doing a private buyout. Even if you’re traveling with some friends, you’re going to meet people that you’ve never met before. And the post-session hot tub is a way to continue that camaraderie.
How about the water?
Clear water is important. Very important. I like it here because of the dark bottom; you can actually see the wave a little better.
Some of the super crystal clear pools with white bottoms, it’s almost like surfing a reef where you see through the wave, so sometimes it’s a little hard to read the wave. So I like this setup, but it’s still clear for sure. Not milky like back in 2018.
Some things have stayed the same, like the lemurs
Ha! Yes, the lemurs are the true locals! The lazy river is still here. The big slides are still here. It’s still a very peaceful place, at least before Memorial Day and after Labor Day.
You used the term “surf trip” describing coming here. Why?
That’s one of the reasons why I keep coming back here, because this place always feels like you’re on a surf trip. My most memorable visit was a private buyout with friends in late 2020. We had about 20 people of all different abilities and ages. We had catering, and we even had a solo music show with Jim Heath of Reverend Horton Heat. Listening to Bales of Cocaine, live in Texas, post surf, was a peak moment for sure! Good luck making that happen in Indo.
How many times have you been to Waco Surf now?
I think this is my sixth. I always have a blast when I’m here. Can’t wait to come back.
