Wavegarden
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Wavegarden SL is an engineering company dedicated to the research, design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and promotion of wave-generating systems and lagoons for surfing. The company's headquarters are in the Basque Country near San Sebastián, Northern Spain. The company employs over 60 full-time staff with departments in mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering, fluid dynamics, software development, water treatment, architecture, business development, and operations. All technologies are developed in-house and the company holds a range of international patents. Today , 6 Wavegarden surf parks are in operation: Adventure Park Snowdonia, North Wales; The Wave Bristol, England; URBNSURF in Melbourne, Sydney, Australia; Wavepark, Sihueng, South Korea; Alaia Bay, Sion, Switzerland and Lost Shore Surf Resort, Edinburgh, Scotland. Other Wavegarden surf parks are under construction in Brazil: Praia da Grama in San Paulo and Surfland in Garopaba. A further 30 projects are being developed in countries across 5 continents. In August 2025, Atlantic Park Surf in Virginia Beach, Virginia, became the first facility in North America to use the company's Wavegarden Cove technology.
Wavegarden SL is an engineering company dedicated to the research, design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, and promotion of wave-generating systems and lagoons for surfing. The company's headquarters are in the Basque Country near San Sebastián, Northern Spain. The company employs over 60 full-time staff with departments in mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering, fluid dynamics, software development, water treatment, architecture, business development, and operations. All technologies are developed in-house and the company holds a range of international patents. Today , 6 Wavegarden surf parks are in operation: Adventure Park Snowdonia, North Wales; The Wave Bristol, England; URBNSURF in Melbourne, Sydney, Australia; Wavepark, Sihueng, South Korea; Alaia Bay, Sion, Switzerland and Lost Shore Surf Resort, Edinburgh, Scotland. Other Wavegarden surf parks are under construction in Brazil: Praia da Grama in San Paulo and Surfland in Garopaba. A further 30 projects are being developed in countries across 5 continents. In August 2025, Atlantic Park Surf in Virginia Beach, Virginia, became the first facility in North America to use the company's Wavegarden Cove technology.
History
Wavegarden was founded in 20051 in San Sebastián, Spain by spouses Josema Odriozola (Engineer) and Karin Frisch (Sports Economist), both avid surfers, who aimed to reproduce an authentic surfing experience beyond the ocean. Their objective was to find a way to share surfing with more people around the world by fusing science and creativity. This eventually led to the creation of modern-day surfing lagoons with unlimited ocean-like waves.
2005-2009 Research phase
Different artificial wave prototypes for surfing are explored, both circular and linear.
2010 First man-made waves are produced in Spain
The first surfable ocean-like wave was constructed. The system comprises a hydrodynamic wavefoil that moves at the floor level, leading to the formation of a breaking wave. Bewildered by the unusual sight of waves breaking in a mountain backdrop, a range of top professionals, including former world champions Mick Fanning, Gabriel Medina, make folklore by surfing the artificial knee-high waves.
2012-13 Creation of Wavegarden Lagoon
Creation of the first bi-directional surfing lagoon with perfect left and right hand waves. The demo model measures 220 x 50m and has a bidirectional wavefoil. It creates 120 waves per hour that stand 1.20 m (4.25 ft) high and last for 20 seconds. Professional surfers Taj Burrow and Dane Reynolds validate the surfability of the waves.
2015 First Wavegarden Lagoon opens in the U.K
Opening of the world's first public Wavegarden surfing facility Surf Snowdonia in North Wales, U.K. Developed by Conwy Adventure Leisure Ltd. for £12 million. In the first 12 months, visitation reached 150,000 people, with 30,000 waves being created. The first international surf event in a wave pool, the Red Bull Unleashed, was staged and won by Hawaiian surfer Albee Layer. In 2019, Surf Snowdonia modified its trading name to Adventure Parc Snowdonia.
2016 Second Wavegarden Lagoon opens in USA
Opening of the second public surfing facility featuring a Wavegarden Lagoon in Austin, Texas.
2019 42 module first full-size Wavegarden Cove opens in Bristol, England
The world’s first commercial Wavegarden Cove facility opened to the public: The Wave Bristol, England, UK. A £25 million project, based in Easter Compton.
2020 46 module Wavegarden Cove opens in Melbourne, Australia
URBNSURF Melbourne, Australia becomes the second Wavegarden Cove to open publicly. Located in Tullamarine, adjacent the Melbourne airport, the park spans 2.2 hectares, can generate up to 30 different wave types and has a surfer capacity of 84 surfers per hour. 1 The park adopted a utilitarian and sustainable design approach by using 18,000 ton of recycled concrete to form the base and walls of the lagoon, making it the largest recycled concrete structure in Australia. Melbourne-born Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth joined professional surfers Julian Wilson and Sally Fitzgibbons at the opening ceremony. Visitation for the first quarter of 2020 was recorded at 65,000 people.
56 module Wavegarden Cove opens in Siheung, South Korea
Wave Park is Asia’s biggest surf park and the centerpiece of a new luxury marine complex. Located just 30 min. from Seoul’s Int. Incheon Airport is the largest Wavegarden Cove built to date. Wave Park is located on a new 167,000 m2 waterfront development on Turtle Island. The first stage of the project was completed in just 18 months and provides aquatic activities like kayaking, SUP and swimming in zones with and without waves. Stage 2 of the development includes six hotels, convention centers, marinas and museums.
2025 Atlantic Park Surf opens in Virginia Beach, United States
Atlantic Park Surf opened to the public in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on 16 August 2025, becoming the first Wavegarden Cove facility in North America. The distinction applies specifically to the Cove system; NLand Surf Park in Texas had previously opened with Wavegarden's earlier Lagoon technology in 2016. The 2.67-acre (1.08 ha) surfing lagoon uses a 46-module Cove system. It can generate up to 1,000 waves per hour and offers more than 20 wave profiles, with heights ranging from approximately one to seven feet (0.3 to 2.1 m). Sessions are offered throughout the year and can accommodate between 20 and 40 surfers, depending on the selected wave profile. The lagoon's wave-generating machinery was manufactured in Spain, transported to Virginia in approximately 50 shipping containers and assembled on site. The lagoon is the centerpiece of Atlantic Park, a $350 million mixed-use development on the former site of the Virginia Beach Civic Center, commonly known as The Dome. The development was led by Venture Realty Group and Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams as part of a public–private partnership involving the city and the Virginia Beach Development Authority. The wider development includes The Dome entertainment venue, apartments, restaurants and retail space, offices and a 20-room boutique hotel. Facilities immediately surrounding the lagoon include spectator areas, lounge chairs and cabanas.
Wavegarden surf lagoons
On August 1, 2015 the first Wavegarden lagoon, Surf Snowdonia in Dolgarrog, North Wales, opened to the public. NLand Surf Park in Austin, Texas featured their second commercial lagoon when it opened for business on 7 Oct 2016. 2019 The Wave in Bristol, the first Wavegarden Cove lagoon opens to public. 2020 URBNSURF becomes Australia's first surf park opened to the public 2020 WAVE PARK, Asia’s biggest surf park is the centerpiece of a new luxury marine complex 2021 Alaïa Bay in Sion, Switzerland, the first Surf Park in Continental Europe has opened. 2021 Praia da Grama, an inland tropical surf beach in Brazil. The first surf park in the world is located inside a residential complex. 2024 Lost Shore Surf Resort has opened in Edinburgh, Scotland. 2025 Atlantic Park Surf opened in Virginia Beach, Virginia, becoming the first North American facility to use Wavegarden Cove technology.
References
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1373989143 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.