Ground Breaking News: Literally!
Another surf park just broke ground. Here are the wave pools to expect next.
Many surf park projects are talked about around the world, but the ones worth the chatter are those that reach key milestones that turn a dream into reality.
Breaking ground is a strong signal that the surf park will actually launch. That is why 2026 is such an exciting year for the surf park industry—in 2025 a record-breaking 7 developments started digging. This means momentum is building and more wave pools are right around the corner.
Broke Ground This Month
An Epic Surf standing wave is being installed at an existing recreation space called Heroes Paradise by Tampa, Florida. It will be the “largest standing wave on the East Coast […] spanning 46 ft” writes Julie Kline, Director of Sales and Marketing at Aquatic Development Group, in a LinkedIn post last week.
Broke Ground In 2025
Bahrain Surf Park in Bilaj Al Jazayer, Bahrain - opening Q1 2026
The Point Surfpark in Fellsmere, Florida - opening Q2 2026
El Nido in Punta del Este, Uruguay - opening Q2 2026
SURFERS COVE in Óbidos, Portugal - opening 2026
Cannon Beach Texas in McKinney, Texas - opening Q2 2027
Zion Shores in Washington, Utah - no open date yet!
Surf Park de Luján in Buenos Aires, Argentina - no open date yet!
Under Construction
DSRT Surf in Palm Desert, California - broke ground in 2024
Auckland Dairy Flat Surf Park in Auckland, New Zealand - broke ground in 2024
Austin Surf Club in Austin, Texas - broke ground in 2024
The Reef Club at Bridal Falls, in British Columbia, Canada - broke ground in 2024
HTX Surf in Houston, Texas - broke ground in 2023
OceanKamp in Oceanside, San Diego - broke ground in 2019
Brasil Surf Clube Costa Verde in Brazil - no data yet!
Cabo Real Surf Club in Mexico - no data yet!
The sheer number of projects that are actively being constructed is a testament to the hard work and success of the existing wave pools. Their work paves the way for more parks as more developers become aware of the technology, its feasibility and value, and most importantly, communities, municipalities, lenders, and investors begin to have real data to point to that gives them confidence in new project proposals.
Today, the biggest milestone for a surf park is financing the project. Once the money is in the bank the developers must find the right land and when you look at the nuts and bolts of land the key question is: Will the town support this project to the end or will their enthusiasm waver and their skepticism balloon?
Ground can only break once there is alignment amongst the surf park developers and the community in which the waves will run. Matt Oliveira explains this in his first-hand account developing Boca Surf Park in Boca Raton, Florida, a project that was shut down by the community: “I will never underestimate how early alignment must be maintained, not simply established.”
Just a few days ago we saw another example of misalignment in Newport Beach, California. The surf park there (which was always a bit contentious) was reduced from 40,000 square feet to their originally proposed 20,000 square feet after community members wrote in letters to their town. This doesn’t mean the project is done for, but it certainly will throw a wrench in the team’s design and business model.
When the town is on board, approvals are in place, and shovels go in the ground, success becomes dependent on construction going well and staying within the budget. We only know of one project that failed to launch after building their pool (Surf Poel in the Netherlands). Naturally, not every project that has broken ground will make it to the finish line but as we continue to track their progress we will be able to calculate the probability that any given park you hear about will in fact launch based on which milestone they have reached.
If you want to learn more about these trends or explore opportunities in the surf park space, visit Surf Park DB for more insights and data-driven reports.