Developers Clay Rockefeller and Jerry Pucillo are seeking approvals for a proposed surf park just 15 miles from Plymouth Rock in Middleborough, Massachusetts. The proposed wave pool would be a six-acre artificial lagoon and use Wavegarden technology, according to The Boston Globe. The project, planned for the former Schobel Farm site on Route 28, is expected to cost up to $80 million and could include lodging, food and beverage offerings, and more than 120 jobs.
The developers are pursuing permits and financing while presenting the proposal to local officials. Rockefeller said he hopes the facility could open in 2028 and operate for much of the year, including the cold season.
“It offers the opportunity to create more safe surfers and have people understand the etiquette and the ocean, and how it’s supposed to work,” Rockefeller said. He also described surfing as “a healthy addiction,” adding, “If you don’t get in the water and get the opportunity to surf, you get itchy . . . . Hopefully, I’ll be surfing in Middleborough.”
According to the Encyclopedia of Surfing by Matt Warshaw, Massachusetts has the largest population in New England but a relatively small and insular surf community. The state’s surf breaks are generally divided into four regions: the North Shore around Cape Ann, Gloucester and Nahant; the South Shore around Hull and Scituate; Cape Cod; and the offshore islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
The Boston Globe article said that the proposed surf park remains subject to local approvals and permitting. Developers were scheduled to present the project to the local board while seeking financing and community support. The proposal would be built on the former Schobel Farm property, where an earlier plan for a large warehouse development drew opposition from residents. If the plan is approved, you will be able to find this project on the WavePoolMag Map.
