Wave pools are everywhere. It was way back in 2011 when Wavegarden released the first images of a perfect, tiny wave they created. At the time, the Kelly Slater Wave Co. was a blip on the man-made wave radar. Sure, there were a few others already on the map—Typhoon Lagoon, et al.—but none really ever measured up to Mother Nature. Then Kelly Slater joined the party, simultaneously blowing everyone’s mind and ensuring that Adriano’s moment in the sun was very brief. Wavegarden tech showed up all over the place—Texas, the UK, Spain, etc. Then American Wave Machines threw its hat in the ring with the Waco pool. Now Surf Lakes is finally at the party, and they have the wildest looking iteration to date. The race for the finest man-made wave is well and truly on.
Located near Yeppoon, QLD, the pool is 33 feet deep at the center. It’s basically a giant plunger that drops into a pool, displacing water that moves outwards in rings over a series of carefully designed cement “reefs.” Today, they released the first footage. Of course, as is so often the case with new technology, this is just a test. According to reports, it’s only getting warmed up and there will surely be a few kinks to be worked out. With any luck, we’ll see full-sized waves soon.
