For the past few years, Brazil has upped its wave pool game with six new parks coming online. All of the new facilities except SurfCenter and SurfLand are in the São Paulo region and follow the residential or club business model – that is they don’t operate as turnstile stand-alone surf parks.
But last year, ground broke on a 48 caisson Endless Surf pool 100 miles east of Rio. WavePoolMag wanted to know why this club model is so popular in Brazil and why Rio de Janeiro (population 6.7 million) could soon be vying with São Paulo (population 12 million) for the “most wave pools in one metropolis” title. We were also curious about pricing, as an apartment rental with full surf access at the São Paulo Surf Club runs $10,000 per month.
To answer these questions and flesh out how the Brasil Surfe Clube at Região dos Lagos will be uniquely “Rio-esque” in its vibe and branding, we spoke with Jesse Crawford at Endless Surf.
How long have you been with Endless Surf, and what is your job title there?
I’ve been here for almost 3 years, come April, and my job title is VP of Business Development. I cover all of Latin America and Asia for Endless Surf.
Latin America and Asia, that’s pretty huge.
That’s a lot. It’s a lot of languages, a lot of cultures, and a lot of beautiful countries that could benefit from inland surfing, too.
How many projects are you in the works on for Endless Surf right now?
In those regions specifically, we have over five formally signed and/or announced projects. Looking at opportunities, where developers have the money, the land, or the means to get them, there are probably over 50 or so we are working on.
Out of those that are announced / under construction in South America right now, what’s going to be the soonest to open?
The soonest to open will be Brasil Surfe Clube (BSC), just north of Rio de Janeiro, in a place called Búzios.
Let’s talk about that. So most of the surf clubs to come out, kind of the residential development or club model in Brazil, have been around São Paulo. Will this be the first wave pool around Rio?
Yeah, this’ll be the first one in Rio, and they’re actually doing a second one in the city of Rio as well, so even closer, right in the heart of the city, with the same group, Brasil Surfe Clube. All of the wave pools in Brazil thus far are concentrated in São Paulo for the moment. That is where a lot of the wealth is in Brazil. It’s a very corporate city with no access to beaches in São Paulo, so it’s been a very popular first mover for these surf pools. But we’re starting to see it trickle out to the other cities as well, since it’s had such great traction in São Paulo.
Can you explain a little bit about the BSC business model?
Their business model is a private club membership. You don’t have to be a part of the the condo development. Anybody can come from anywhere, but you have to buy a lifetime membership. On top of that lifetime membership, there are annual and monthly dues for each member. They have an all-star ambassador team for BSC, including the likes of World Champ Yago Dora, Victor Bernardo, and Michelle Des Bouillons. We’re stoked to have them all in the pool when we start making waves.
Can you share what the cost will be?
For a family lifetime membership, they are currently going for about $60-70k USD.
In comparison to São Paulo pools, that is much lower.
Yes, a fraction of the price for a very comparable, if not better, experience. A lot of the São Paulo models are very corporate. You go there not only to surf, but you go there to network, to be seen. They’re very high-level, elite clubs. Búzios is going much more for a family atmosphere. You’re not going there to be the who’s who. You’re going there to enjoy time with your family and spend time in the surf pool. You’re not walking up in a suit, you’re walking up with board shorts and flip-flops, and your kids are carrying their shovels to dig in the sand.
BSC is a club, but is it going to have residences on site?
There are residences on site. There’s an existing condominium development called Aretê Búzios. But you don’t have to be a homeowner to use this club. You can come from the town of Búzios, or you can drive in from Rio for a day trip. You don’t have to have a condominium there to have a membership at the pool, just have to purchase the lifetime membership.
Can you talk a little bit about the club model in Brazil, and why it’s so popular?
The club model down there is very popular due to the existing culture of secondary and third homes all over the country. And for those who have the wealth, they like to be in, a gated community. So you drive into these, and there’s security at the front, they check your car, they check your IDs, etc. The special part is that they can let their kids run free once they’re in the community. So you don’t have to keep an eye on them; they’re not going to get into any trouble. Whereas if you go to the beach around São Paulo, you can’t really let your kids out of your eyesight. In Rio, you can’t leave your phone on the table. So there’s a lot of petty and serious crime. These gated communities offer an escape from that reality. That model was developed long before surf pools and has been a strong part of Brazil’s wealthy culture for a long time.
So there is already an established club culture, and it sounds like offerings were pretty stagnant with just Tennis and golf options. But now with wave pools, there’s kind of a new option and centerpiece?
Exactly. Brazil’s culture is largely based around the beach. They don’t have ski mountains or other big natural features. The beach is the culture in Brazil. If you live in Rio, you’re at the beach every day. It’s very similar to the SoCal culture. If you live in São Paulo, you long for the beach every day so you hit the surf clubs instead.
Talk about how Endless Surf fits in with these projects. What about the technology makes it work with these upcoming developments?
The real strong suit of Endless Surf, and why we are getting a lot of interest in Brazil, is a couple of things. One is the very small footprint. They’re often tied to tight real estate, or there’s a condo next door, so land is very valuable. The smaller we can make the pool while still offering the same or greater experience, the better. Second is our ability to develop any sort of wave on command. Our tech allows nuanced tweaks in the wave, much more granular than any of our competitors. You can keep members entertained day to day, wave to wave — and that’s key for lifetime memberships. You have to keep people stoked 10 years later. Third is the flexibility of our system. You get single peak rides and super extended surf time. The pool at Buzios will get 30–40% more ride time than Boa Vista in a very similar footprint, at a fraction of the membership price. Some of the rides will last up to 30 seconds!
How many caissons will Brazil Surfe Clube be?
That one will be 48, and Munich, for comparison, is 34. We also have a 66-caisson project recently announced outside of São Paulo.
Tell us about São Paulo, which is being promoted as having up to 40-second rides.
The 66 caisson is going into an existing condo area called Terras de São José. They have Terras 1 and 2 — both gated golf communities. Now they’re developing Terras 3. These older communities are more traditional living spaces, so they surveyed residents asking if they wanted a surf pool. Everyone was ecstatic, ready to buy memberships and pitch in for construction. It not only brings something new to do, but it also elevates land value.
How hard is it to drop a new pool into a pre-existing development?
That one’s actually going across the street into a new development — Terras 3 — so they have brand new land for that.
What is something you feel is really unique about this development? What makes you proud?
We’re extremely proud of our partners, Terras de São José. They developed the first gated community in Brazil. This is not a flashy, networking-focused club. It’s quieter wealth. It’s for families to enjoy the beach, a safe space, without showing off. We’re proud of who we’re partnered with and who the end users will be. It’ll be a very unique, high-end, but subtle club.
Do you want to talk about any of the other upcoming developments you’re allowed to mention?
Yes, we also have Ocean Club Alphaville, in a suburb of São Paulo. That’ll be an ES48 with up to 30-second rides, looking to open around mid-2028. The developer is NLS, partnered with The Peak — Kevin and Leo. It’s their first Ocean Club project in Brazil, but one of many. Alphaville is a very high-end neighborhood. Right now, they only have a tennis club. This project brings new life: surf pool, tennis, pickleball, beach tennis, spa, and wellness. The surf pool is the anchor. We are stoked to be working with those key partners on that project, and can’t wait for it to come to life. What they are doing is going to change the surf pool game in São Paulo.
When will you be able to surf the wave pool in Rio de Janeiro?
Construction of the ES48 is nearing completion day by day and we are super excited to make waves in that pool in the coming months. In addition, BSC Rio has been announced, but it’s still very quiet. There’s more coming soon — it’d be like opening a pool in the middle of San Diego. It’s going to be very well-received in the community.
