Texas Surf Parks Promise Waves of Excitement Despite State Water Challenges

 KEY POINTS

• Surf parks are now central features in major real estate developments, particularly in Texas.  
  
  

• Wave-making technology allows surf parks to generate consistent, customizable waves, enabling surfing in locations far from natural coastlines and independent of tides or weather.

• Water supply and sustainability present significant challenges for these parks in Texas, where high evaporation and water scarcity require innovative solutions.

The spectacular sport of wave surfing is going mainstream.

Its growing popularity is partly due to its inclusion in the Olympic Games and the resultant appeal to a young and active demographic. Surfing has become a global industry projected to reach revenues of $3.8 billion by 2028.  

Surf Parks: Breaking Free from the Coast

No longer is surfing subject to tides, changeable weather, and geography. This is because of recent advances in wave-making technology. Today, purpose-built surf parks can be found almost anywhere, often far away from coastlines.

These facilities are not the wave pools and water parks of the past. Hydraulic, pneumatic, or mechanical systems can now consistently produce long rideable waves custom-designed for performance, not just play.

The result is a built environment that is visually, socially, and physically engaging. It’s a growing phenomenon, with 200 surf parks reportedly under development around the world.

Surf Parks as Real Estate Anchors and Destinations

Real estate developers in the U.S. have caught the wave of energy and excitement. Surf parks are becoming the anchor attraction to a number of large residential developments around the country. In fact, they have become destinations in their own right, generating profits through visitor fees, rentals, food and beverage, and club memberships.

Even central Texas, miles from any coast, is witnessing a rapid increase in surf parks, many integrated into larger overall developments. If all current proposals come to fruition, Texas could soon have seven major inland surf parks from Houston to Dallas-Fort Worth.

HTX Surf, shown in a rendering, is planned for Generation Park northwest of Houston and promises perfect waves the length of two football fields. Image: HTX

One of the largest surf park facilities would be a 600-foot-long surf lagoon and focal point of a 117-acre commercial, resort and residential development called Sapphire Bay near Dallas-Fort Worth.

“Nothing will beat watching the sun set as the waves roll in, crashing along the shores of a 600-foot-long surf lagoon at Sapphire Bay’s Surf Village,” the development’s website proclaims.

The lagoon’s fully programmable technology would produce a new wave every 10 seconds, allowing multiple riders at one time on waves ranging from smaller lines for beginners to seven-foot “barrels” for advanced surfers.

Further south is the proposed Pura Vida development in the small city of Mustang Ridge, a 15-minute car ride from Austin. As reported in 2023 by the Daily Commercial News, Surf Lakes Holdings Ltd. originally announced an investment of $1.3 billion in what was to be a 400-acre “high adventure community” with a 12-acre surf park as its hub.

At the time, the company expected Pura Vida to be the largest integrated wave pool development in the world. Pura Vida is reportedly still moving forward, although now on 211 acres owned by Mustang Ridge LLC, a smaller scale than originally announced.

Water Sustainability: A Challenge for Texas Surf Parks

One of the challenges surrounding Pura Vida is the supply of its water, an issue that challenges any major water feature in Texas.

While the state’s climate makes it an appealing surf park location, large portions of Texas suffer regular shortages of water. Furthermore, high temperatures and sun can result in significant levels of daily water evaporation, making water replacement an issue.

For example, the exclusive Austin Surf Club now under construction and which boasts high profile members such as Matthew McConaughey, Drew Brees and Tony Hawk, is projecting an average daily gross evaporation rate of about 100,000 gallons per day.

With sustainability a major factor for any surf park, developers must plan their water use efficiently. Several options are available, such as closed-loop water systems that recirculate and filter the same body of water, perhaps in combination with treated non-potable sources, such as brackish water or captured rainwater.

In the case of Pura Vida, local media reports Mustang Ridge had first hoped to obtain well water from Creedmoor-Maha Water Supply Corp. However, approval has not been given, and the matter is reportedly still being negotiated.

Mustang Ridge has since proposed amending its permit for the Mustang Ridge Water Reclamation Facility by relocating the current discharge point and a treatment plant and tripling the discharge of treated wastewater to a volume not exceeding an annual average flow of 3.3 million gallons per day.

Surfing in Texas Rolling In

Such are the complexities of water use approvals in Texas, as the state struggles to address a need for $154 billion for water infrastructure needs by 2050.

Nevertheless, surf enthusiasts remain optimistic that most of the proposed Texas surf park projects will be completed over the next two years and have mapped out a seven-day, 460-mile north-to-south road trip that would offer a new surf destination each day.

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