Get ready to surf perfect waves day and night in a new freshwater pool that will soon be built just an hour away from St. Augustine.
The dream of a perfect wave pool in Florida has been elusive. For decades surfers have been relegated to renting out a mushy wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon for some mediocre thrills during the park’s off hours.
But not even Disney could create a manmade wave with glassy barrels and hollow waves that peel right or left in crystal clear water.
One company that built several wave parks around the world to simulate these perfect swells, called American Wave Machines, is bringing its next project to Edgewater, FL.
The company announced Thursday it will be building the 15-acre “PerfectSwell® Edgewater” wave pool right off I-95 near New Smyrna Beach.
The company designed surf pools in Japan and New Jersey along with the acclaimed Waco, TX surf park that draws many local First Coast surfers to the middle of Texas for surf trips.
Now the travel will be much closer for a wave that can be customized for different riding experiences.
The technology allows waves to emulate challenging braking conditions like in the ocean and Olympic surfers have used these wave pools for training.
The first-ever U.S. Olympic surf team catching some waves ahead of surfing’s Olympic debut 🌊 #TokyoOlympics
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) July 23, 2021
(🎥 @usasurfteam, Justin Jung) pic.twitter.com/aM4C7uwUjo
The location will include surf-inspired food and beverage, surf shop, surf training facility, clubhouse, meeting rooms, and cabana and day lounge areas.
The design of the pool will be similar or better than the most recent pool build in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
“The eastern seaboard is home to the most surfers in the world. Add to that a location right next to one of the most heavily trafficked highways and you have a compelling proposition,” said Mike Lopez, Project Developer. “Combined with the natural beauty of the area, PerfectSwell® Edgewater will create a distinct and local vibe. We’re ready to start surfing.”
The wave can be configured to offer a wedging ramp bowl where aerials can be performed or switched to barrel mode where it can stretch for one long tube or be split into sections.