Are Wave Pools the Future of Surfing?

Wave pools are large facilities that create artificial waves for people to swim or surf in when they are either not around the ocean, or there are no waves. Recently many organizations are in the developmental stages of building wave tanks thought the United States and the world. The waves produced in these pools tend to not hold the same power and shape as waves produced naturally by the ocean. This has kept experienced surfers away from these facilities for years.

Now there is a new facility going up in Long Island, New York, that claims to plan on creating a world-class wave. Wave pools in the past have yet to create something amazing. Many have managed to create fun, beginner level waves that anyone learning how to surf would enjoy. None however have created a difficult and aggressive wave that intermediate and advanced surfers are looking for. The science behind this has been studied for years, and advancements have been slow. It is difficult to include nature’s power into these small bodies of water that are in the water pools. Because of this, it is hard to generate the perfect shape and size of the artificial waves, and in that case the attention of any advanced surfers.
Run by Chris Portera, The Long Island Surf Park is still in the blue print stage, but plans to, “design, build, and successfully open a world class surfing wave pool.” Right now they are looking for investors to fund their project. Their plan is to run it much like a private county club, requiring memberships that cost anywhere from $3,500 to $8,000 a year, along with an initial initiation fee of $5,000 to $20,000. With $7,000,000 in stock selling expectancy, and a budget well beyond that, the Long Island Surf Park is trying to develop the most advanced wave pool ever created. They hope to give surfers the ability to surf everyday, whether the ocean is flat or not. The plan is to revolutionize the surfing industry and give the people of Long Island a steady flow of waves.

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