Categories: Feature

Wavepools with waves a reality

Perfect or WHAT?

The first wave pools were a bit of a joke but they certainly inspired some great thinking, and along the right lines.

There is a bit of debate as to who thought up the foil idea. The first I heard was Kelly Slater dragging one behind a marlin boat and jacking up a huge wake that was well surf-able.

The circular shaped endless wave wavepool that Kelly Slater Wave Company is punting

But a chap named Webber in Australia has been conducting experiments for years and seems to have thought up the circular shaped pool with foil generated waves that continue around it forever!

This version just travels in one direction, producing two waves. (c) Wavegarden

The foil is dragged along by machinery on a rail and the wave can be customised in many ways. Speed, and then most importantly, size. At the moment the waves are breaking absolutely perfectly at about 2ft or less, which translates to about a metre face in normal speak. Coupled with a tailor shaped bottom that doesn’t shift or change with the tides, a super fast and hollow breaking wave is created. It’s enough to launch the likes of Gabriel Medina in all directions and with more horsepower, the waves will just get bigger and bigger, and the airs higher and higher.

So far there has been one built in Spain and a smaller one in Snowdonia.

Here it all is on video…and the official Wavegarden website.

And the Kelly Slater project…here.

Click here for older story with the BBC…

Or watch this newer piece of spin…

Watch this video featuring three pro surfing chicks ripping it up…

So at the end of 2015, Britain’s installation in Wales, will be producing2 or even 3 metre waves!!! All day long! And all night too hopefully!