Private surf lake?

[bishop8950]

Makes our man made ski lakes look pretty simple. What will it cost to use this thing??

 

http://unofficialnetworks.com/2014/12/new-wave-pool-design-is-sick-set-to-open-in-australia-2015

 

[bko]

Expensive yes. But the sport of surfing is more popular and several forms of "inland surfing" will soon increase its popularity. On a site like this several surfers can ride the waves simultanuously, which makes it more cost efficient. Plus it might seem as a more ecological sport than skiing behind a fuel-engine (and probably is)...

[oldjeep]

Seems like it would be a lot cheaper than a 120k surf boat

[jimbrake]

#theoceanisfree,man

 

[OTF]

If it catches on and gets some of the Wally's off the lakes seems like a good deal to me

[Wayne]

According to national geographic, half the unprovoked shark attacks are on surfers. If this creates a safer environment for surfing, I'm all for it.

 

Based on the prices for Watersport specific boats climbing, this is another avenue to grow a sport for those where an ocean isn't easily accessible and/or a boat isn't practical.

[bishop8950]

I think this concept is awesome and if it were near me I would give it a try. Fortunately I am 30min from Santa Cruz for now. I have ridden the water pressure standing waves and thats fun. This is obviously much better.

 

But I cant see how this is more economical than waterskiing. It must cost at least an order of magnitude more to build than a private lake and a few ski boats. It also must take a lot more energy to push that much water around than it does to skim a boat down a lake with me behind it. Sure you can run it all day with 4 people at a time but I am willing to bet you will have to depreciate it over a lot of years before it makes financial sense. It seems like something that should be built right next to the desert snow ski hill in Abu Dhabi. We will just have to wait and see how much a ride costs.

 

I posted it because I think man made facilities like ski lakes and this are fun to envision, design and use. Of course real oceans and epic natural lakes are even more amazing. But the ability to design and control your perfect venue appeals to me as well.

[jimbrake]

@Wayne - yes, but it's also well known that slightly less than half of the 50% of the provoked shark attacks are on water skiers wakesurfing in the ocean. So....yeah.

 

I'm all for water park surf spots. The more, the better. The more of the "I wanna try surfing. Hey, I went surfing. Look, I surf. How cool am i?" people kept out of the ocean, the better.

[jimbrake]

@bishop8950‌ - the "perfect venue" for surfing for me would certainly not be a surf park. It'd be perfect, reeling, spitting, empty head and a half high tropical barrels on some South Pacific or Indonesian reef. I'd just drop right in, get spit right out. Waagghhh!!

[mwetskier]

i dont know about you but i was watching one of the little guys surfing in that video and after he dropped in he was really charging in the green room when all of a sudden the barrel locked and all i could see was tube spit. for sure he grubbed -its been 10 minutes and he still hasn't come up and now i'm starting to get a little worried.