The world’s noisiest wave pool slab. Photo: PSSC
Ever since it opened in 2024, the Palm Springs Surf Club has made noise. At first, that was figurative noise: hyped proclamations of the “heaviest pool slab ever” and punchy edits from YouTube favorites. However, more recently it’s been making much more literal noise, resulting in a bunch of complaints from neighbors.
From late 2023 to now, the surf club generated 66 noise complaints from 16 different nearby residences. As the Palm Springs Post reported, those complaints mostly came from a neighborhood about 900 feet away, called Tahquitz Creek. PSSC was cited six times, with four of them resulting in fines that have been paid in full.
To address the issue, PSSC underwent a city commission review during a City Hall meeting on July 22, during which the Palm Springs Planning commission heard testimony from the public, city officials, and PSSC staff.
During the review, one resident described the sounds emanating from the club as a“constant, draining, groaning noise,” that was audible in the mornings, as the Post reports. Another resident stated, “It’s as if we have a fleet of semi-trucks idling nearby constantly and revving every few minutes.”
A presentation from the city’s code enforcement staff showed the sound topping the 70 decibel limit imposed on the city from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. However, the officer also noted that noise complaints resulting from the wave machines themselves have been reduced since a recent overhaul, and most of the complaints have arisen from special events.
“At the end of the day, it’s a corporation that’s earning profits off a negative impact to those in the neighborhood,” summed up nearby resident Tom Jennings. “It can be remedied, and that’s all we’re simply asking. We don’t want the park to go away. We don’t want those who enjoy the park to not be there. We’d like to enjoy the park, but not at the expense of the quality of life for our neighborhood,”
“We collectively want everybody to understand that we actually take this serious,” responded Palm Springs Surf Club general manager Mara Smith. She added that managing the facility has been a challenge, but that the PSSC management “want to be part of this community, and we want to be great neighbors.”
To that end, Smith stated the club is actively working on a solution to the noise issue: a “living wall,” comprised of trees along the southern perimeter of their property. According to the club, this measure would theoretically reduce sound levels by seven to 11 decibels. The Planning Commission directed Smith to install said wall, which Smith said could be completed by October, pending city approval.
The Planning Commission will return to the issue in three to six months, after the proposed wall has been implemented.
