07 May 2025

THE EVOLUTION OF SURF PARK DEVELOPMENT

As the evolution of surf park development matures, a bigger footprint is exactly what developers should seek for surf anchored developments

The surf park space is booming. In 2024, nine surf parks opened worldwide, almost doubling the number now in operation. While the pandemic delayed this industry’s trajectory by a few years, there is no doubt where it is headed over the coming decades.

Comparable Industries

Regarding comparable sports industry booms, two of the best comparisons are skiing and golf. Both took sports that had been reserved for a minority to the mainstream, creating lucrative new industries along the way. The influence of golf and skiing proliferated far beyond the sporting sphere for a few key reasons that we’ll delve into in this article:

They were lifestyle sports
They were aspirational sports that (once accessible) most people could participate in
They could be attached to developments for both community and real estate uplift

The advent of the chairlift in the 1930s meant people could access mountains they’d never dreamed of skiing. This transformation in accessibility led to a boom in participation. Suddenly, everyone wanted to go skiing! With more participation came more investment. Resorts opened, equipment improved, season passes were invented, ski holidays became the family dream, and real estate around these resorts soared. To this day, properties in mountain towns like Aspen, St Moritz, and Whistler boast some of the loftiest price tags in the game.

The Next Growth Industry

What else contends? Waterfront. Human beings gravitate to water. And, while it’s true they’re not building any more coastline, wave parks offer a unique opportunity to create ‘beachfront’ property with a tangible commodity attached: waves.

Surfing has grown significantly in the last few years^, and most surfers will tell you how crowded their favourite line-ups can be. These days, finding solitude comes at a price (either in time-consuming travel, forgoing quality, or braving colder temperatures). Even when these sacrifices are made, there’s no guarantee Mother Nature will play ball.

Enter surf parks. A water-based sports facility with real estate uplift, and guaranteed quality waves for customers to enjoy at the push of a button.

Surfing has always been an aspirational sport; floating around in the water, getting a tan and exercising at the same time? It’s almost too good to be true… and traditionally has been for those who don’t live near the ocean. The wave park is to surfing what the chairlift was to skiing. Now the accessibility barrier has been removed, people in landlocked and wave-starved regions can look forward to the prospect of perfect waves and a surfing lifestyle. Compared to skiing, a further benefit of surf parks is the removal of reliance on nature. While ski hills remain at the mercy of snowfall, wave parks can operate year-round in many climates, with some indoor and outdoor parks already doing so.

So there’s no doubt this space is taking off… but we’re only witnessing the very beginning! As more technology providers see projects greenlit and prove the viability of their facilities, a snowball effect is taking shape, with over 200 surf parks now in various stages of development around the globe.

With 6,000 ski resorts and 38,000 golf courses open worldwide, the surf park industry is eyeing significant growth potential in the coming decades. When comparing the historic data of the graphs below, it stands to reason that this initial uptick in surf park openings is just the beginning of a global phenomenon.

As Paul Stanton from PT bankers recently said, “this goes way beyond surfing. We’re looking at the next evolution in experiential real estate development.”

Surf Park Anchored Real Estate Development

Just like golf courses in years gone by, surf parks are fast becoming a proven anchor for developments and are one of the hottest tickets in town for those with their eye on alternative asset classes.

As a historic flag in the sand, golf courses have a proven track record of boosting nearby real estate values. Homes within golf resorts command significantly higher values on average, and adjacent developments also enjoy a healthy uplift. Additionally, golf cracked the code for recurring revenue streams, with memberships, lessons, rentals, restaurants, and merchandise all feeding into a profitable enterprise.

While early surf parks focused on providing waves, emerging developments are growing in both size and scope. Coaching, media, merchandise, restaurants, and accommodation are only the start, with a range of residential and commercial elements being added to forthcoming parks. This not only generates multiple revenue streams but builds a community hub both tourists and locals can enjoy. Envisage the golf clubhouse but with friends getting barrelled in front of beach cabanas, while their kids attend coaching sessions on the intermediate breaks or nearby skate ramps.

Then there’s the real estate uplift. In the image below, Surf Lakes demonstrates a mixed public/private concept that provides a private quadrant with 2 breaks for residents, while the other 3 quadrants (6 breaks) remain accessible to the public. This model opens a new world where Surf Lake’s size comes into its own, catering to all abilities and demographics, ensuring that ‘everyone gets a break’. The housing lots can be sold off the plan to more than pay for the cost of the Surf Lake, and the inclusion of residents ensures ongoing patronage and project feasibility. As we’ve seen from golf courses, property prices within resort developments generally command higher prices, and the surrounding area also benefits from uplift.

Surf Lakes Mixed Use Public / Private Concept

The Evolution of Surf Park Development

While we’re already seeing a transformation in surf park developments, Surf Lakes has always dared the industry to ‘dream bigger’. With more surfers will come more demand for waves, and as waves become a commodity, the providers with the highest quality and productivity will have the best chance of serving this bourgeoning crowd. For those who haven’t yet felt the pull of this pastime… surfing is absurdly addictive.

So, developers of surf parks have a criteria to consider if they wish to future-proof their projects:

What does population growth in their area look like?
Which demographics are going to participate?
How can they upsell visitation to ensure maximum time and money is spent at the facility, and friends and family are included in the experience?
How to ensure repeat visitation?

From the Surf Park Central data collected thus far, we can discern that wave quality is the most compelling factor for visitation (for surfers who already know how to surf). Accessibility and removal of stress points will be major factors for learner surfers. Convenience, progression, and wave count are the other driving elements that have polled the highest so far.

By engineering a facility where every ability level can surf at once, Surf Lakes has removed scheduling headaches so the whole family can surf in the same session. Having five ability levels that support the surfer’s journey ensures progression, while the highest productivity in the industry means everyone gets their wave count up.

Going Bigger with Surf Park Development

As the largest surf park technology in the game, of course, Surf Lakes is going to argue that ‘bigger is better’. But bigger has had its challenges along the way: Deeper excavation to create those ocean-like reef breaks, a larger footprint requiring more real estate, and a general hurdle for those hesitant to go ‘all in’ on an emerging industry. However, as the surf park market matures, a bigger footprint is exactly what developers should seek. Need room for a gym, yoga studio or playground? Half a mile of beachfront will do it. Want to retain visitors with food and beverage, retail and accommodation? There’s plenty of space around the lake to create your community.

While some technologies trumpet a smaller footprint, none come close to producing 2000+ rides per hour. You’d have to build more than 4 of these parks back-to-back to even have a chance. As such, Surf Lakes offers an economy of scale that has not yet been seen in the industry. Add all that beachfront (with patronage from 200 surfers an hour, along with their nearest and dearest) to the equation, and you have a development canvas ripe for revenue generation.

This is the future of surf parks. Perfect waves for all abilities, producing enough swell to ensure everyone is surfed out and stoked. This wave pumping machine becomes the nexus for all activity in the area, as once empty regions transform into humming communities where people visit, play, work, and even live… all thanks to the healthy pursuit of surf.

People who moved away from the beach for a career will be able to buy homes in surf-anchored developments. Kids who grow up in landlocked countries will know what it’s like to paddle into a wave and feel confident in the water. And, most remarkably, people who never even dreamed of surfing will have the option of joining this wholesome lifestyle as their region is graced with perfect waves and a thriving community they never knew they needed.