A trio of lucky surfers blew the top off the first sets at the Snowdonia wavepool this week. Jayce Robinson, Alan Stokes, and Jarrad Howse chistened the world's first commercial wavepool dedicated just to surfing.
How did it fare? Take a look...
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A new column where a surfboard sage, otherwise known as Murray Bourton, answers everything you want to know.
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Rare showing of 2018 film, plus live music and conversation.
The turnout exceeded all expectations for Merc's paddle out.
Comments
perfect shark control measure
Whoa.......so were up and running .....cmon show us the ever promised 2 metre barreling waves.
How long before you got bored with it do you think....an hour would be me.
Looks super fun, but.. looks like you can't really pump out onto the face for a cutty as you'd get too close to the main centre structure? Be nice to get out of the pocket when you want.
What??? No air reverses???? That ain't surfin'
Summer in Wales?
Kelly could an Air Reverse over the centre structure and then go left!
Yeah not seeing any tubes, but looks pretty fun and would definitely surf it! - Pretty interested to see however, if it provides enough waves for the park to make a profit - Wave pools certainly seem to be evolving in the wave quality they produce but their commercial viability is still questionable in my mind - Still, I'd rather get in the car and hunt proper waves anyday rather than 'pay per wave' which doesn't quite seem like surfing to me
i agree sort of no show but i definitely think there is a market for it. a bloke who lives in say, sydney, and has an hour round trip to go and check 1 beach that will probably have 60-100 people on it, then have a 30 minute drive to check around the next headland to find the same crowded shit, then go home frustrated and pissed off, hes the type of bloke they will market it at i think. might be a big nighttime thing for all the cashed up 30-60 year old executives etc. theyd just have to put it in the right place. and thatd be sick cos it would stop them all driving down here on the weekends ;) build 100 in sydney i say!
The footage reminds of rick kane in arizona or an 80's 5 turns to the beach kinda comp. The little movie from the wavepool in the UAE was better with the bikini clad girls frolicking whilst dion was ripping.Not sure to many welsh girls own bikini's though. Looks kinda fun and will definately progress from here. not for me.
I'd definitely surf it. But I reckon it'd become boring after a while. That being said, it's a bloody good alternative to flat day fun.
This looks far better than the prototype in Spain and just goes to show how with the right modelling and space the size can be jacked up. I reckon this is a big thumbs up to the local government and developers to have the balls with going ahead with this.
Not a barreling wave as they have marketed but it looks fun and there wouldn't be one surfer in the world who wouldn't want to practice their backhand attack on this, granted not a great power pocket or trough but the scale and effort to create this is engineering used for stoke. About time!
Have to admit that although it's small you would be pretty happy to see that at your local, with nobody around.
Don't necessarily hate it, but don't love it either, but I might be one of those 30 - 60 year old (not quite) executives that geoffrey speaks of.
This could be fun. But where's the 6 footers they talked of. In saying that, how many of us have a wave at home where you can bash out 5 or 6 reos on. Show me the bazzas and I'll show you my money
Looks ideal if you eat vegetarian factory made bacon, drink non alcoholic beer, smoke legal scientifically altered herbs, drive a volvo, ride chinese made surfboards, have
a life size doll with holes in all the right places and own a bluetooth headset
A bit more Snowdonia.
The Definitive Surf Snowdonia edit : Vimeo
That looks like a lot of fun if you had it to yourself and a few mates. It would be interesting to see a clip of Toledo and Medina in one of these.
Few clips here, from 1st day of testing onwards. Check one of the instagram vid links...showing some bazza potential.
https://m.facebook.com/surfparktexas
Well that vid of the SUPs using the place will go down in history as the most ugly surfing seen by mankind.
Yuck I'd rather stay home. Shories at half the size look more fun atleast I can pull in, do flips ect.
Theres enough size there just no shape still. Here (
https://vimeo.com/133259242) is a Northern NSW break at similar size (2-3'?)... I know which one I'd rather. Plenty of other breaks like this that work in all sorts of swells around here (n nsw / SEQ) too.
Edit: I imagine something like that has safety / insurance problems for a wave pool
Looks fun enough for a go once or twice but for 50 quid an hour? No thanks.
I've surfed worse. I'm impressed these guys are out there getting it done.
Still wondering about the choice of location though???
Dudes--seems your all forgetting one thing--this ain't free--a 1 hour surf costs 50 to $70 dollars an hour. So a 2 hour surf--twice a week --equals $200 to $280 dollars a week..or $800 to $1160 a month. At these prices--the novelty of riding a chlorinated wave will wear off pretty fast....No one--should ever have to pay anyone--to ride a wave....Peace.......
Exactly. At that price a two foot shorey starts to look very attractive.
Most people would do it once or twice for the novelty but as a regular gig?
"Most" of you guys are spoiled for waves though. I've moved miles off the ocean to Toronto, Canada and get to surf sloppy shit on the great lakes (and infrequent US east coast and Central Am trips). I'd love to have one these close by... sure doesn't beat the real thing but when you ain't got much it looks pretty fucking great t me haha
Pommies are at it again another wave pool : Wave Bristol
Wavegarden Lagoon 33,000 cubic metres / 6m Gallons (UV Recycled/24hrs)
300m long x 110m wide
50 waves/hr =
3 advanced (L/R) 12-18 waves/session.
4 intermediate (L/R) x 2 splits waves riders 12-18 Waves/Session
6 Beginners share the hollowed out Keg dregz (The tail end is most shallow & hollow)
18m pounds + 16m pounds Hilton Adventure Garden Centre
2014 Welsh Govt invest initial 4m pounds + 3.9m pounds
April 2015 Fire
July - Surf Snowdonia Open
https://www.facebook.com/AdvParcSnowdonia/photos/a.243010629157252/5756…
https://www.facebook.com/AdvParcSnowdonia/photos/a.243010629157252/5828…
https://www.facebook.com/AdvParcSnowdonia/photos/a.243010629157252/5408…
Aug - Lagoon is drained for Mechanical Fault
Sept - Red Bull International Comp Crowd 2,000
https://www.facebook.com/AdvParcSnowdonia/photos/a.243010629157252/5190…
Sept - Lagoon is drained for tears in Lining
Oct - Lagoon is drained for Main Drive 3 month long Repairs
Closed + Floods delay 2016 reopen...
March 2016 Reopens then Closes Pool > drained due to Wave Generating Machinery
No reopen time given?
July / Aug Concerts
Oct - UK Pro Tour Comp
Oct - Early closure Lagoon is drained for unforeseen work.
Closed
March 2017
July - 2 day Electric Wave Music Festival
Oct - Current #1 WSL Surfer Jordy Smith + Ellie Turner
https://www.carvemag.com/2017/10/jordy-smith-takes-surf-snowdonia/
Oct - UK Pro Tour Comp
Oct 2017 Europe Surf Park Summit
Close
March 2018 Waves, Mud & Mountains + reopen
July - 2 day music fest
Aug - Girls on Board > Grog / Sound waves season
Aug - Lagoon is drained for fault in Wave Generating Mechanism (Refill delayed)
Sept - UK Pro Tour
Oct - O'Neil / Jordy's Rookie Rippers
Oct - Early Close to accommodate expansion until Spring
Nov - Rebrand to Adventure Parc + Zip lines
March 2019 International Chix Day Session (ONLY)
Easter Reopen
June / July / Sept Celeb Actor / Ski Sessions
July : Adaptive Comp
Aug/Sept - Celeb Model promotes Cocktails & Chix Season
Oct - Park confirms new Winter Sessions
Nov - Waves, Mud & Mountains ( Ironman Event)
Dec - Xmas Surf Sessions (Only)
March / April 2020 Open Delayed by Covid to September
June Covid Closes the Park beyond September until 2021
https://wavepoolmag.com/snowdonia-wave-pool-forced-to-close-for-the-sea…
Whole 2020 Closed due to Covid
Jan 2021 Covid Year loss 1.2m pounds
Jan - Local Water Group : Surf Snowdonia ongoing releases cause Embankment Erosion
March - Covid delayed
April- Covid delayed
May - Reopen-Welsh Govt funded 3.9m pound / Activity Garden / 106 bed Stalag Hilton
July - Adaptive Comp
Aug- UK Surf Pro Tour
Oct/Nov Halloween Night Sessions
Dec- Surfing Santa + Winter sessions
https://www.facebook.com/AdvParcSnowdonia/photos/3625507904240824
Jan 2022 Lovers Sessions
Feb Lagoon is again drained for 'Essential Maintenance'
Closed
Easter Re Open
July 2022 Adaptive Comp
Aug- Ben Gravy (Possibly invited to last Session)
Aug Lagoon is drained for Foil mechanical failure
2022 Closed "Water Shortages"
https://www.adventureparcsnowdonia.com/2022/08/22/surf-lagoon-update/#:….
Oct -Welsh Tourist Boss pleads for owners not to sell up!
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-63145248
Beautiful area. I wouldn’t even think of surfing there. I just don’t get it.
Timeline Continues
Oct : Room with a View of the Line Up. (Far bank looks a bit cannibalized)
https://www.facebook.com/AdvParcSnowdonia/photos/a.243010629157252/4510…
Nov : Locals : "These Wave Pool photos are said to be misleading as Wave Machine is shot!"
Talk of Investors to repair Machine / Immigrants in Accom / Local's Passes being useless...
Xmas Adventure Promos + Surfing Santa
https://www.facebook.com/AdvParcSnowdonia/photos/a.3520713454720270/468…
2023 NYE
Surfing Promo
https://www.facebook.com/AdvParcSnowdonia/
However! Still no waves...1st April Waves will Return...
https://www.facebook.com/AdvParcSnowdonia/photos/a.3520713454720270/471…
https://www.facebook.com/AdvParcSnowdonia/photos/a.3520713454720270/474…
Feb /March : The park seems to be running flat water Surf lessons & bookings for April
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=556459479845667&set=a.546410694183…
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=578665320958416&set=a.546410694183…
March : Paddle Boarding packs
2nd April : List Spring Surfing
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=590205999804348&set=a.546410694183…
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=592637566227858&set=a.546410694183…
1st May : Waves are running during 3hr am slots only (Beginning of the end...)
https://www.facebook.com/AdvParcSnowdonia/
14th June Wave Machine breaks again...Other Water activities Ok for Summer! (Repair after Summer!)
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/adventure-parc-snowdo…
2 Sept 2023 ( Machine is too expensive to repair ) Park Closure > Money returned to Ticket holders.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=694887442669536&set=a.546410694183…
News Reports
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/surf-snowdonia-sud…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12478845/Worlds-inland-surfing…
#1 Surf Site
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2023/09/05/surf-snowdon…