Myrtle Beach is a well-known vacation destination on the Atlantic coast with a boardwalk, theme park and Ferris wheel. Along with golf courses, the area attracts 20 million visitors annually. Unfortunately, quality surf in the area is lacking (mostly due to a pesky, shallow continental shelf).

American Surf Parks is aiming to bring a surf park to the area with a Wavegarden Cove wave pool. The project recently got a push from the local tourism council.

In listing new tourism developments for the region along with the Carolina Opry Theater, Ripley’s Aquarium Autism Designation and Penguin Playhouse, the tourism council provided some new information on the American Surf Parks development, including an entertainment facility for thousands of people.

“Myrtle Beach will soon be home to South Carolina’s first man-made surf park, called American Surf Park,” the statement said. “The park’s surfing lagoon will generate up to 1,000 waves per hour, with waves between 2-6 feet in height. The development will also include an amphitheater to accommodate up to 15,000 people. American Surf park is planning to open its doors by 2021.”

American Surf Parks will use Wavegarden’s Cove technology. Construction is expected to begin soon. The new wave pool hopes to see completion by 2021.

“We’ve been working on bringing Wavegarden Cove to Myrtle Beach since October of 2016,” said Phil Dixon at American Surf Parks. “It’s taken some time to find the right piece of land for this development. We think we’ve hit a home run with this location.”

The max-sized Wavegarden Cove will cover 5 acres (about the size of 6 football fields) in a 12-acre development. It will be comparable in size to the Wavegarden Coves recently completed in Bristol and Melbourne.

American Surf Parks says they will create 50 new jobs and produce nearly half a million dollars each year in tax revenue to the city. Plus, visitors will have reliable surf.

“Many of these visitors book surf lessons during their stay, but unfortunately, there’s only an 11% chance of surfable waves during peak summer months,” says American Surf Park on their website.

“Even when the waves are good, it’s typically due to strong winds. These conditions are not favorable for beginner surfers and can significantly limit their progression. A surf park, powered by Wavegarden, will offer perfect waves all day, every day. Our facility will be the ideal place for learning to surf and progressing rapidly.”