Urbnsurf, Aventuur, Monument Wave Parks among surf park operators circling Adelaide

Machine-made waves could soon be making a splash with surfers in Adelaide, with several surf park operators in talks to build a facility near the city.

Machine-made waves could soon be making a splash with surfers in Adelaide, with several surf park operators eyeing off a facility in the city.

A site near Adelaide Airport has been earmarked as the potential location for what would become Adelaide’s first surf park amid a wave of similar developments interstate.

Operators including Urbnsurf and Monument Wave Parks have been in talks with the state government’s investment attraction agency Invest SA about bringing their wave pool concepts to Adelaide.

Andrew Ross, who founded Urbnsurf but has since left the company and is now spearheading the development of new parks globally for US firm Aventuur, said he too was interested in opening a surf park in the city.

“I think there’s a degree of enthusiasm within government for something like a surf park,” he said.

Artist’s impression of Urbnsurf wave park due to open at Sydney’s Olympic Park next year.

“We’ve got ambitious to develop several new parks in Australia, and Adelaide’s on our radar as well. We’ve got the rights to the Wavegarden technology for the Adelaide market so we’d be very keen to get a park into Adelaide at some point in time in the right location.

“There’s a site that has been discussed amongst some industry participants as being something that might perhaps accommodate a surf park. We are under confidentiality in relation to that so I probably can’t say too much more.”

It’s understood land opposite the Harbour Town outlet shopping centre, behind the OTR petrol station on Tapleys Hill Rd, has been identified as a potential location for Adelaide’s first surf park.

Part of the site had previously been earmarked as a potential location for SA Police’s new horse barracks before the state government’s final decision to proceed with its preferred site at Gepps Cross.

A state government spokesman confirmed Invest SA had been “proactively engaging with surf park operators and investors to attract a precinct to the state”.

“An investment of this nature would provide positive tourism outcomes for the state, as well as recreation and wellness opportunities for the community,” he said.

Australia’s first surf park at Tullamarine airport. Picture: Ed Sloane

“Discussions have occurred with a number of proponents utilising different technologies and investment of different scales.

“Several sites across metropolitan South Australia have been explored throughout discussions with proponents.”

Urbnsurf opened Australia’s first surf park near Tullamarine airport in Melbourne in 2020, using Wavegarden technology which generates up to 1000 waves every hour from an 85m pier running down the centre of a lagoon.

Urbnsurf will open a second facility at Sydney Olympic Park next year, while Aventuur expects to begin construction of a $100m surf park in Perth early next year, after securing the exclusive rights to the Wavegarden technology in Australia.

“We’ve got the leading technology and that technology unlocks the business model,” Mr Ross said.

Teddy Robbertson, 8, at Melbourne’s UrbnSurf. Picture: Jason Edwards

“For a surf park to work you need to have high frequency, high capacity and low operating costs, and the Wavegarden tech that we have the rights for is the leading tech in the industry from that perspective.”

Surf parks have shaken up the surfing world in recent years, driven largely by Kelly Slater’s Californian facility that creates perfect right and left-handed waves.

In recent years wave pools have sprung up across the US, UK and Europe, while the world’s largest surf park, backed by the 11-time world champion, is expected to open in Abu Dhabi later this year.

Mr Ross said water shortages and high power prices had previously posed a challenge for surf park operators in Adelaide, but those challenges had largely been overcome.

Urbnsurf chief executive Damon Tudor did not return calls.

An Adelaide Airport spokesman confirmed it was considering a “recreational-themed development”, including a wave park, on the airport-owned land west of Tapleys Hill Rd at West Beach.

“While the project is subject to a range of conditions, including obtaining Commonwealth planning consent, Adelaide Airport is excited by the prospect of the development,” he said.

“Adelaide Airport will be engaging with interested stakeholders as part of any development process, which will include consultation with the community in accordance with relevant Commonwealth planning requirements.”

Originally published as Urbnsurf, Aventuur, Monument Wave Parks among surf park operators circling Adelaide