There’s a new wave pool in town, and it appears to hit all the marks. Called Beyond the Club, the pool is located in São Paulo, Brazil. It is yet another step forward in the exponential improvement of man-made waves and Wavegarden provided the tech behind it.
Way back in 2011, I spoke with the co-founder of Wavegarden, Josema Odriozola. The very first images of Wavegarden’s first pool in the Basque Country had just been released, and although the waves were about ankle high, it was proof of concept. That was at the end of a six-year development project, and they knew that they were just getting started.
When I asked him what the plans were for the future of Wavegarden, Odriozola had one goal: to keep making it better and better.
“To keep working,” Odriozola told me. “To keep improving the product.”
In the years since, Wavegarden has stuck to that goal. As of this writing, Wavegarden technology is in use at 11 facilities around the world. There are 10 more projects under construction and over 50 in the works.
Beyond the Club is the latest, and using a new bathymetry design alongside the 62-module Wavegarden Cove wave generator, it’s one of the best waves to date.
“Most notably, the new reef has proven beneficial for all types of waves,” a press release reads. “The new high-performance waves are powerful and characterized by a broad, natural face that offers a wide variety of lines. They maintain constant speed and shape until the end, finishing in a gentle bowl. The barrel section is about nine seconds, potentially 11 for experienced tube riders. The barrels are wide and easy to ride for their size. They stay open, even in onshore conditions and sessions with over 200 waves per hour.”
The new bathymetry has also allowed for waves suited for aerial surfing. “Aerial waves have also greatly benefited from the new reef with different ramps for boosting major airs with soft landings,” the release continues. “There are different difficulty levels to suit various surfing abilities. New features include the double-section wave and the alley-oop section. Not to mention the new combinations: turns and aerials, turns and barrel, or barrel and aerial.”
Gabriel Medina, fresh off an injury, recently gave the new waves a shot, and he was impressed, to say the least.
“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.”
