Everyone is always looking for Sarah Wiseman. Which sounds weird and existential, but during WavePoolMag’s last visit to Waco Surf we encountered firsthand just how key she is to the success and daily operations of Texas’ favorite surf park. During our interview, staff literally cued up on occasion to ask her one thing or another. Granted, it was the launch of the season and all those wonderful opening weekend anxieties were on high. Sarah is a sage and always has the perfect answer. As Director of Hospitality and Sales at Waco Surf, Sarah oversees guest services, sales, and customer experience across the surf park’s growing range of attractions and, yes, nervous staff.
In this interview, she discusses how the facility is managing seasonal operations, expanding opportunities for beginner and intermediate surfers, and balancing surfing with a broader, new mix of activities. Wiseman also explains why flexibility, attention to detail, and a willingness to learn are valuable traits for anyone entering the wave pool jobs sector.
What is your work background?
I’ve always been in the water park industry. Up in Dallas, I worked for eleven years at Hawaiian Falls Water Parks corporate. I did sales and marketing there. Eventually, it got to the point where I just needed to grow somewhere else. After eleven years, I decided to finish that chapter. Then I went into a marketing agency and I worked for a marketing agency for about a year or two. But I really wasn’t the biggest fan of working in it, and I wanted to get back into the industry that I loved and knew.
Eventually, I saw a post for Waco Surf for a sales and marketing manager, and I just decided to take a leap. Then I joined the team in 2022, and it’s been the best decision I ever made.
What is your official job title here?
Director of Hospitality and Sales.
What does that mean exactly?
Pretty much, I deal with all guest points of sales, customer service on and off property whenever they’re emailing or calling. And then, of course, deal with guest complaints and making them happy and stoking them out for Waco Surf.
Waco Surf is unique because you have such a diverse range of offerings. Can you give me a list of everything that someone can do here?
Yeah. So we have our surf lagoon where you can surf sessions. We just opened our Shred Mill, which is our standing wave. We also have our water park, which is our slides and lazy river. And then, closer to summer, we’re going to be offering a couple of other activities, such as fishing, pickleball, and biking.
Do you plan on hosting guest visits to Lemur Island? I’m becoming obsessed with them.
We are working on the logistics of that. Whether it’s going to be they can go on the island or if it’s just going to be a boat. I think more than likely it’s just going to be like, “Get on this boat, we can get closer, you can throw a banana at the lemurs, get them fed,” those types of things. But we still haven’t really figured that out yet.
From my cabin, I saw the lemurs get fed and it was a total Tom Sawyer moment with the guys on the raft using the poles to skootch across the water.
Lemurs are great, especially our newest addition, which we just added last year. She’s an interesting character for sure.
Are they social? Do they like people?
Some of them do. Some of them don’t. That’s also why we’re trying to figure out if we would allow people to go to the island, but more than likely it’s going to be the boat action just because we all have bad days, right? Sometimes we’re cranky, sometimes we’re not. So I think it’ll just be a better option if we just do the boat and then let them feed them.
How do you staff up when you go from shoulder seasons to full summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day?
So the water park is open May ninth to September 13th. In the lead-up we hire for the water park side. We kind of vamp up the surf lobby side by adding a mid shift. That way, we have pretty much two people there constantly, versus in the shoulder season, where you really just need one person and then a manager on duty just to handle and step in whenever it’s needed.
For the water park, we’ll hire a good number of people, probably about ten to fifteen, just depending. Then on weekdays it’s pretty much three people, and then on the weekends we have to ramp up to six people. That way, everybody and the lines can go down a lot faster.
Do you do any of the hiring?
I do, but I also let my hospitality manager handle a lot of that so that she can kind of vet them out. Then I’ll join on that second interview. We kind of make the decision together of who we want to hire, and then we’ll do the training together as well.
So it’s serious when you show up on the second interview.
Yeah, exactly.
You’ve diversified your customer offering.
So we’re trying to be more accommodating to beginner and intermediate surfers so that everybody gets a chance. We have been more advanced session-heavy, but now we’re offering multiple levels throughout the day. That way, if you’re coming and staying, your kid or you can do the beginner session a couple of times a day versus maybe one or two times.
We try and offer at least three to four beginner sessions, three intermediate sessions, and then about four to five advanced sessions a day. That way, everybody gets a shot, and they can try and get some practice in.
Are you consciously trying to curate a surf base – people will learn to surf, get hooked and come back?
We are pushing more towards making it so that Waco Surf is where you can learn how to surf. So we do offer a learn-to-surf option, which is the inside wave, where we’ll give you about fifteen minutes of a sand lesson to learn your basics and how to pop up. Then we apply that to the inside wave. That way it sets you up so if you want to do the beginner session after, you’re not just jumping in without any experience. You can kind of learn how to do it and then progress better in our wave pool.
When you add the development and the other wave pool and such, will that change what you do here?
It is possible that it might change, but I think more than likely with the Desperado stuff, they’re still figuring out those logistics. But I don’t think it’ll affect too much. It might just change a little something here and there. For the most part, from my understanding, it’s still going to be separate in its own community and it shouldn’t affect Waco Surf. This is better for our stay-and-surf guests as well as our day-use guests. Then the back lot would be more signified towards Desperado.
What do you feel is the most underutilized component to Waco Surf that people might be missing out on?
That’s a good question. Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t think there is one.
What’s the best part about your job?
Honestly, dealing with the guests. I love when they come and they’re stoked out because we’re constantly communicating about getting them booked in. Then once they get here, they’re always asking for either me or any of my other customer service reps and hospitality people. It’s just nice because they’ll say, “I’m looking for Sarah,” and then you go up to the desk and they’re like, “Thank you so much and thanks for helping.” You get gifts from all over the world, which is really nice. But I love stoking out the guests for sure and dealing with the stoked out ones.
So that’s why you’re putting your name at the bottom of an email. It means there’s a human at the end of the thread.
Exactly. That way, they know.
That’s great. If someone is looking to work in the surf park space, what should they be aware of? What personality traits would they need to have and what should they be willing to do?
When you’re dealing with surfers, I’ve just found that it’s a different vibe than if you were to deal with a corporate job or even just the water park industry. It’s a lot more laid back and chill.
I enjoy these customers because even if something is messed up, they’re very understanding about it and they’re like, “Cool, you’re going to get me taken care of. I know you are.” That’s always one thing that I’ve enjoyed. The vibes are definitely a lot more chill. It’s not so serious, but you still have to be serious in some things.
Even if you don’t have a surf background and you’re trying to get into it, it’s more about being able to learn because I didn’t have a surf background. I just had a water park background. I’ve learned so much about surfing and the surf lagoon, as well as the Shred Mill and those different options since working here for the last four years.
Would you say that’s part of your personality, that you’re always open to new things and you thrive on learning new things?
Yes. I love to learn new things and I love to progress in some way. Pretty much if you want to get into this industry, just be willing to learn. If you’re not willing to learn, it’s kind of one of those things where maybe you shouldn’t be applying. But as long as you’re willing to learn, you’re able to do pretty much anything. That’s always my mindset.
So flexibility and attention to detail?
Exactly.
