Surf Park Design: What Goes Into Creating a Great Wave Pool Experience

Bill Duncanson came up surfing the beaches of New Jersey, working at one of the area’s core surf shops before architecture became his second passion. Over time, those two paths merged.Today, through BAR Architecture and Design, he’s carved out a unique niche designing surf lodges and surf parks—combining architectural thinking with a surfer’s understanding of how these spaces should feel and function.In this podcast, we dig into what makes a good surf park design, what makes a great one, and where some parks still fall short.

One year ago, I sat with Eneko Elosegui at a restaurant overlooking the ocean near his home in St Jean De Luz, a Basque seaport famous for jai alai, artisan patisseries, and being one of the oldest whaling ports in Europe. Today’s meeting was less picturesque; instead, carried out remotely on a generic conferencing platform. But the subject matter was lively and somehow more inspiring than a plate of Poulet Basquaise and a view of the Atlantic. How? Well, announcing that you have 5 surf park projects in the works and shovels in the ground is a huge deal. In this podcast, Eneko shares how being raised in the family development business, becoming an engineer, working at Wavegarden and surfing, have all merged together into his current role to take on the world of wave pools.

In Episode 87 of the WavePoolMag Podcast, with Skip Taylor of Surf Park Management we dig into some industry secrets and insights from someone who's been in the game longer than most. This conversation touches on the evolution of the space post COVID, including increased capital costs, residential versus turnstile developments, booking systems, water filtration and, uh, bowling. What does this all mean for the estimated 15 parks opening this year? Find out.

In the early days, artificial standing waves struggled for recognition outside of Munich, Germany, and a few niche surf communities. But today’s advanced systems closely replicate the feel of natural river waves. These next-generation wave pools now offer unique advantages that are reshaping how the waterpark industry views artificial waves.Citywave, originally born from Germany’s river-surf scene, has expanded to 20 installations worldwide. To support growth in the U.S. and select territories, citywave® USA was formed and is now backed by legacy venue leader Aquatic Development Group (ADG). With more than 50 years of expertise in water attractions, ADG now oversees CityWave USA, providing in-house engineering, design, manufacturing, and installation.This partnership adds a substantial amount of weight to ADG’s commercial offerings, while creating an entry point for Citywave USA into the world of aquatic attractions.WavePoolMag spoke with Bruce Quay, Chief Operating Officer of ADG, and Andrew Limbocker of CityWave USA to learn what developers can expect as each company expands further into the surf park space.

Julan Topham is used to storms. He’s put on multimillion-dollar festivals, like Boardmasters, for several years and knows that something as wonderful and sublime as rain can make or break an event. He knows that big, expensive productions (which is what a wave pool is, really) are exposed to the whims of the climate, both literally and figuratively.Media outlets pounced on the tumultuous changeover of ownership that closed the gates of Bristol's best-known attraction and left employees and surfers wondering what was to come next. Much of the post-mortem dialogue focused on whether the changeover was some Machiavellian financial maneuver or a simple fiduciary update. We’ve heard from both sides, and there is no middle ground. Which means neither will be happy with whichever story is told. And whichever side you land on, the one undeniable fact is that Julian and Sea Level Wave Company Limited are now the owners of The Wave Bristol surf park. But for us, the real question is, how will Julian run this large, multimillion-dollar facility? We explore this and much more in our latest episode of the WavePoolMag podcast.

Where is Surf Lakes now? According to the company, eight live-wire projects are being developed across several countries. The company relocated its financial headquarters from Australia to the USA in 2024. In 2025, it went full throttle, with an investment agreement with US Capital Global Partners and the appointment of Troy Warfield as CEO. Troy is kind of a business superman, with experience at British Airways, Avis Car Rental, Kimberly-Clark, Topgolf, and other familiar names. This business boullabaise of experience at successful, unrelated to surfing companies around the world, is a good thing as the wave pool industry finds its feet. Drawing from other business wins is what will ensure longevity and success in the space. Join us for some lessons with Troy as he steers the company into the future.

Blake is such a wellspring of information on all things surf parks that it was difficult to stop with the questions. That said, this hour-long talk answers such potential development hazards as, well, I mean, what do you do when your wave machine sits idle on a boat for several weeks due to a local port strike? And how do you handle the domino effect of delays?

Equal parts promise and postponement, SoCal’s first wave pool benefited from stellar branding and relentless Insta reels from some of the best surfers on earth. And all of this during lockdown. Then, beginning in January 2024, came the endless tease of openings and closings. We learned quite a bit during this podcast with Chance Gaul and James Dunlop, details that can only emerge through conversation. Teasers: We found out that the tech’s been upgraded, the wave menu has more than 200 settings and that their core clientele wants slabs. 

What happens when the dream of opening a wave pool becomes a 9-to-5 reality? In his fourth appearance on the WavePoolMag podcast, Andy Hadden of Lost Shore Surf Resort gives us an unfiltered look at what it really takes to launch and run a surf park. From the bright-eyed optimism of 2019 to the operational fatigue of 2024, we’ve seen every version of Andy. This episode pulls back the curtain on the business side of Lost Shore and the hustle behind artificial wave success.

Do you really need Mick Fanning on board to make your wave pool project successful? You need Mick for the zest and allure that attracts aspiring punters to take the plunge at your facility. And you would be hard-pressed to find a more professional, well-spoken athlete representative who just so happens to also be an investor. In this episode of the WavePoolMag Podcast, we speak with Luke Altschwager, Managing Director of Palm Valley Surf Park, who has partnered up with Mick to build the Gold Coast’s first wave pool. Our discussion covers the project’s current status, including funding milestones, some revised master planning, and wave technology selection (spoiler alert: It’s Endless Surf). Luke also shares unique insights learned from visits to other global surf parks and how mixed-use developments might be the solution for several up-and-coming projects.