The Ocean Sports Development company is back on the surf park map after lighting up search engines with plans for an Orlando wave pool.

Growthspotter reported the project that would include a 15-acre wave tank to be built on a 44 acre land parcel. According to the report the site is currently a privately held landfill that will be cycled out of use. Anthony Davis told the news outlet that the project would cost around $45million and include a playground, volleyball, pavilion, surf shop and more.

The company behind the proposal is Ocean Sports Development, a group promoting Greg Webber wave technology and looking to make wave pool surfing a standardised competition circuit.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on 12 October, 2023. This week Orlando newswires aired new concept drawings from Ocean Sports Development which we have added to this original report (above and main). No new information about the wave pool was made available.

OSD’s website says they acquired the exclusive rights to Webber’s technology in order to create National Surfing League surf parks across the USA and to help advance surfing as a high school, collegiate and Olympic sport. They plan to build 30 stadiums in the next 20 years.

“Our ability to create a world-class hollow barrel – and change its shape in motion on demand – provides OSD with the ability to create a unique onshore surfing experience with the potential for television programming content,” said Davis. “Our stadium resort locations will make the proliferation of surfing possible by providing municipalities, non-profits, high schools, colleges and the Olympics with the same economically feasible training facilities for all.”

Before shovels hit the ground the site located at 7902 Avalon Rd adjacent Orange County National Golf Course, would require a land-use amendment and is pending final approval by the county.

OSD told Growthspotter that the park would be open to the public, at a rate of $100 per hour, adding that a customer can choose playlist waves or shuffled waves.

WavePoolMag reported on Oceans Sports Development in 2019 with much of the focus on Webber’s technology.

Current Webber Technology

In talking points years ago Webber said his tech can create 500 waves per hour. Estimates lately by Webber and company state the new number at 2500 waves per hour.

To make a wave pool successful commercially wave count is key. We’ve seen this with Wavegarden replacing the one-wave-every-90 seconds Lagoon model (Snowdonia and the former NLand setup) to the new one-wave-every-10-seconds Cove model.

“You need a high wave rate,” said Webber. “You need to make waves that surfers want, and you need to be able to change those waves from year to year, day to day, wave to wave or even during the ride. Only with the Kelvin wake and our highly responsive hull drive system is all of that possible.”

His responsive hull design departs from the traditional locomotive-driven foil of Kelly’s Wave. Webber’s design employs something called “roller bogies.”

“Each roller bogie can work in unison or independently by track zone,” added Ocean Sports Development. “Unlike inferior systems, the Webber system generates waves traveling in either direction in each zone of the pool. Hydraulic “Tilt, Trim, and Yaw” change the attack angles of the foil to provide any number of wave heights, wave speeds and tube shapes.”

Motors drive the wheeled carriages along a looped steel rail track kitted out with nitrogen-filled tires (to eliminate noise). So think of it as several smaller, rotating and adjustable wave foils working in unison across a large pool.

“Software controls the speed, the draft, and the angle of each hull,” added OSD. “Control software can be programmed to produce small changes in these three elements, resulting in immediate changes to the wave size and shape.”

As of this writing, no specific US locations are named as sites for Webber’s tech. We’ve reached out to both Greg Webber and Ocean Sports Development for more details. Stay tuned.

The Lowdown: Ocean Sports Development will be the first to bring to life Greg Webber’s two decades of wave pool research. The pool will be located in Orlando and be ground zero for the company’s National Surfing League vision should all the components come together. 

WavePool Construction Progress: Planning stages.

Wave Generating Technology: Webber Wave Pools. According to the website: DC electric semi truck technology allows total control over the wave generation drive mechanism in terms of starting, speed control, and breaking. Unlike inferior systems, the Webber system generates waves traveling in either direction in each zone of the pool. Hydraulic tilt, trim and yaw change the attack angles of the foil to provide any number of wave heights, wave speeds and tube shapes. This unique technology can create a wave which is exact every time, thereby enabling a legitimate and non-circumstantial platform for contests in the sport of surfing. The hull drive system comprises a DC electric semi truck guided by a center power and steering rail onto which hydraulic arms are attached. The hydraulic arms control the wave hull, giving the system the ability to tilt, trim, and yaw the hull in motion. Webber patented flow control technology creates the ability not only to change a wave’s shape in motion, but also to calm the pool surface in a matter of seconds, thus enabling smooth rides at an industry-leading wave rate. Software controls the speed, draft, and angle of each hull. The software can be programmed to produce small changes in these elements, resulting in immediate changes to the wave size, shape, and intensity.

Hours of operation/Seasonal Hours: Expect year round surf.

Atmosphere: Florida Fun.

Apparel: Boardshorts and bikinis.

Greg Webber – The Fastest Brain in Surfing