It’s only a matter of time before the ocean’s best and biggest waves are replicated in a wave pool – and then some. Looking at where the modern wave pool explosion started, to where it’s at today, the possibilities will be endless in a handful of years. Trampoline-style air sections? Check. Lengthy, pointbreak-esque tubes? Yep. Beginner waves? Oh yeah. XXL Teahupo’o death pits? Maybe one day.
Until the wave pool market taps into the big wave realm, for now, they’re focused on high-performance. And they’re getting damn good at perfecting it, too. The latest being the brand-new Wavegarden facility from Brazil – Beyond the Club: São Paulo. It’s their best pool yet; see below.
The new pool is being touted as “unprecedented” and “the best waves to date.” In the video, pool investor Gabriel Medina samples the new additions, as he comes back from a CT-sidelining injury.
So, what makes this pool better than all the rest?
“The key lies in the new bathymetry design and the 62-module Wavegarden Cove wave generator, the largest and most powerful of its kind ever built,” reads a press release. “This synergy results in a reef that generates the highest-quality waves to date: more powerful, longer rides (up to 30 seconds), bigger (up to 2 meters), new wave types, and greater versatility.”
Related: Gabriel Medina Surfs “World’s Largest” Wave Pool After Injury (Video)
By the sound of it, they’ve renovated nearly all aspects of their operation. The barrel section can last up to 11 seconds, and remain hollow even in onshore conditions; the aerial section has been upgraded with the opportunity for combos (turns + air, barrel + air, etc.); and the ability to produce 200 to 250 high-quality waves per hour with “virtually no chop or currents.”
“It just doesn’t get better than this,” said Medina after wrapping up his session. “I’m so proud to be part of this project and to be working with these people. Together, we can achieve so much.”
Welcome to the future.
Related: World’s Largest Wavegarden Surf Park Comes to Life (Video)