We receive queries from around the globe asking for specifics about any number of ongoing wave pool projects. “Oi, how’s that the London pool goin’?” or “Bro! Is Fresno even still happening?” Depending on our caffeine levels, we reply with a little or a lot of information from the 100-plus wave pool entries cataloged right here on our Surf Planner Map (which is also available as an app for iOS and Android devices.)

Here’s how it works

We have a few hard and fast rules for what qualifies as a wave pool project. And we only disseminate information provided to us by surf park developers, wave pool technology companies, and local news. There are no “a friend of a friend told me about this one deal…” entries.

The dreamers, developers and wave-making companies issue press releases announcing a project. The dreamers are crowdfunding and building momentum to bring their surf park to life and want to make as much noise as possible. For developers, typically the goal is stoking local excitement, appeasing investors while also broadcasting their company’s successes. The wave-making technologies are asserting their latest accomplishment in an uber-competitive market. In addition, information found off the newswire contributes to a fair share of our Surf Planner Map entries.

Then there’s this fly in the ointment. Companies never issue a press release saying their project is a no-go. So there is no way to confirm if a surf park development is dead unless it’s in the news like Coral Mountain. Some of the projects you see on this map are dead. There is just no coroner to issue a death certificate.

At WavePoolMag we do our best to separate the real from the imagined. A 3 am drunken text message announcing a Kelly Slater Wave Co. facility on a neighbor’s ranch does not go on the map. After months of rumors and DMs, we waited until the official press release to post the Abu Dhabi wave pool news.

And here’s how it looks: