Urbnsurf announced this morning that they’ve filled their Wavegarden Cove lagoon in Melbourne. According to the report, it took four days of flowing water to fill the wave pool in Tullamarine adjacent Melbourne’s airport.

“The fill started late on Friday evening after our dedicated crew had spent weeks testing, inspecting and cleaning our massive, 22,000 square meter Wavegarden Cove lagoon,” said CEO Andrew Ross. “We cheered on as the valves were cracked and the first water entered our lagoon.”

Ross said the development and facilities teams worked around the clock, monitoring the flow rate of the water, checking equipment, moving hoses and making sure the lagoon floor wasn’t damaged.

“By Monday evening the water was lapping the shoreline, and on Tuesday we shut off the valves, and the lagoon was still. Ready for waves.”

The takeaway from this announcement, beyond being ready for surf testing, is the fact that with a full lagoon, Urbnsurf was able to test lighting and also gauge how local weather will affect the waves in Melbourne.

“We quickly learned which winds would create offshore conditions, and just how bright it will be to surf at night under lights,” added Ross. “Most days ended in dramatic sunsets and late afternoon glass-offs, giving us a taste of what after-work sessions will be like this Summer.”

Over the next few weeks, the company will be working closely with Wavegarden headquarters to test their wave machine – the giant cylindrical metal tube-like housing that sits on the pier. The crew at Urbnsurf Melbourne have named the wave machine “Roary” after the Roaring 40s latitudes that produce much of Australia’s surf.

To fire up Roary the crew will start off with small, “ripples” according to Urbnsurf, and then gradually increases the size of the waves.

“It’s a highly technical, considered process, and it’s not something we’ll rush. Once we’ve achieved full-height waves, Wavegarden’s founder and inventor, Josema, will begin loading our wave menu (we’re starting with 16 wave types, ranging from heart-in-your-mouth barrels to peeling pointbreak-style walls) and fine-tuning the generator to produce perfect waves.”

No “first date” for waves was given. Urbnsurf was supposed to open last Easter, but the company held off their debut for reasons unknown.

Urbnsurf is still accepting registrations to #surfitfirst and will be announcing their test pilots next month.