Today Wavegarden launched its 2020 product clip, a five-minute online video touting the wave maker’s positive selling points along with facts, figures, and a few technical details. In the accompanying press release, the company also revealed the number of upcoming projects. And it’s a lot.

Currently, there are four Wavegarden facilities open for surfing with four more set to launch this year and next. The world’s newest surf spots will be in Siheung, next to Seoul and Incheon International Airport, South Korea; Valais, Switzerland; Praia da Grama, Brazil and in Garopaba, Brazil.

After that, the company says another 30+ projects are financially contracted and in development across five continents.

The Wavegarden 2020 product clip comes out as pressure mounts from competitors in the artificial wave-generation game. SurfLoch, American Wave Machines, Kelly Slater Wave Co, and most recently Whitewater have all expanded their reach into the wave pool market this past year.

Wavegarden says they are the leaders in the surf park space and that to keep everything running they have a full-time staff of 60 persons specializing in everything from fluid dynamics, mechanical, civil and electrical engineering to software development, water treatment, architecture, business development, and operations.

By the numbers

Wavegardens open: 4
Wavegarden Coves by 2020/21: 4
Wavegarden projects globally in the works: 30+
Number of Top 35 Pros who’ve surfed a Cove: 22
Standard Cove commercial facility size: 2 hectares(1 hectare is 100×100 meters)
Waves generated per hour: 300-1000
South Korea Modules: 56
Urbnsurf Modules: 46
The Wave Modules: 40
Cove R&D Modules: 28

“In recent years, we have mastered all aspects of our technology, including an innovative water treatment system, and expanded our business development services to provide clients with a seamless experience from project concept through to opening and beyond,” said Josema Odriozola, Wavegarden’s founder and CEO. “Today, we can even go one step further by providing expert assistance across all aspects of commercial operations.”

Wavegarden says the success of its Cove designs at public-facing surf parks in Bristol and Melbourne is the result of years of meticulous testing and refinement at their demo center deep in the Basque Country of Spain.

While this week Surfrider Europe publicly came out in opposition to wave pools, Wavegarden says their system is environmentally friendly.

“The mechanical system employed by the Wavegarden Cove consumes less than 1Khw per wave – very little energy is lost in the transmission of forces and even part of the energy is recovered and reused,” the company said in the press release. “Comparability studies reveal that Wavegarden’s technology uses 10 times less energy than other pneumatic wave generation systems in the market today.”

Founders Josema Odriozola and Karin Frisch worked for years to develop their plow-system of wave generation (originally pulled by a farm tractor.) This original technology was installed at NLand Surf Park in Austin Texas and Adventure Parc Snowdonia in Wales. But soon after deployment of what is termed “the Wavegarden Lagoon system,” the company announced their new Cove technology.

“We can create an infinite variety of waves,” said Josema. “The user-friendly software is highly flexible and allows the operators to customize the waves according to the level of surfers in the water. Surfing is one of the most exciting sports, however, the amount of fun depends upon providing the right waves for each surfer.”

How it works, Modules:

The machinery is modular and the length of waves depends on the number of modules installed. Each module unit has several devices that work in sequence to push out water. As the wave travels down the wave pool modules activate to push the wave further down the line. A standard size facility like Urbnsurf Melbourne has 46 of these modules and offers rides up to 16 seconds long (according to Wavegarden.) The new facility being constructed in Siheung, South Korea – and scheduled to open in September 2020 – will have 56 modules.

“Large scale facilities are ideal if the space is available. However, it is also possible to create high-quality waves with fewer modules,” says Wavegarden. “The Wave Bristol has 40 modules and delivers world-class waves. The Wavegarden Cove demo center has 28 modules.”

Wavegarden Cove machinery also uses its own water treatment system. The setup is built on a series of treatments including fine filtration, ozone and UV disinfection. The company also uses low chemical chlorination.

Surfers can sample Cove waves currently at Urbnsurf Melbourne and later at The Wave Bristol when it opens again this summer.