Wavegarden sets the record straight on shutdowns and reliability, energy consumption, water use, concrete, and the new air section.
It is no surprise that the Wavegarden crew get frustrated when they hear and read a diverse variety of misinformation being circulated in the market – stories that cause confusion and uncertainty amongst potential surf park developers and visitors to our facilities.
“Wavegarden’s data is extracted from full-scale operating facilities, not theoretical design plans and is compiled by engineers, not salesmen,” said Josema Odriozola, Founder and CEO of Wavegarden. “We aim to develop trust and fair competition in the surf park sector by publishing only precise data.” That goal however has been compromised by rumours regarding the Wavegarden technology. “We wanted to take this misinformation head-on in the interest of cold hard facts and clarity. After all, we invent technologies, not stories,” Odriozola concluded.
Below is a quick summary of the most common pieces of fake news that have been spread, and our response to each one covering important topics. To help more people enjoy surfing, the industry needs transparency, not misinformation. Hopefully, this table will help in that process.
NOT TRUE! There is no annual requirement to empty the lagoon for maintenance of the wave making equipment and, furthermore, there is no requirement to close the facility to the public at any time for maintenance of the wave making equipment. The annual on-site check-up provided by the Wavegarden team does not impact operational hours. Having said that, we recommend to all our development partners that they should consider scheduling a lagoon emptying every 2 to 3 years to check the conditions of water proofing coatings, structural elements and any other elements of the lagoon civil works. This lagoon check-up is recommended good practice irrespective of what wave making technology is being used.
TRUE and NOT TRUE! Yes, Wavegarden machines have steel panels that are partly in the water, but the main serviceable parts of the machine (mechanical & electrical components) are above the water in the machine building and can be fully serviced while the machine is operating. Also, every wave-making technology must have some components in the water to transmit the energy needed to make the wave. Pneumatic systems have chambers that are in the water, and these are more complex structures than the Wavegarden panels.
NOT TRUE! Alaïa has had issues with water-proofing paint peeling off from the concrete floor of the lagoon as a result of poor conditions during application by the contractor.
NOT TRUE! To date, a Wavegarden Cove facility has never had to shut down due to issues with the Wavegarden technology. Our wave making technology has made more than 30 million waves to date, and has been operating as many as 16 hours per day at some of our facilities with over 99.5% availability.
NOT TRUE! We have the data required to prove our claim. Our energy consumption data for different types and lengths of waves is published our Wave Menu on our website with videos so people can see it themselves and make a direct comparison. We have heard claims that pneumatic system lagoons will produce fewer waves per year than a Wavegarden Cove. Their argument that this means energy costs will not be 10 times higher however is fundamentally flawed.
In our experience, a good surfing lagoon needs to provide at least 10 to 11 waves, each with a length of ride of over 15 seconds to deliver a quality experience for each surfer. If you have 30 to 40 main surfers in the lagoon, you need to push out 350 to 450 waves in those sessions. “On a like-for-like basis, it will require 10 times more energy to create these waves with pneumatic technology than with Wavegarden technology,” said Odriozola, who has made sustainability a key plank of Wavegarden’s offering. “Any technology will consume less energy if it produces fewer waves. That won’t change the consumption per wave but will lead to a worse user experience.”
NOT TRUE! All of our aerial waves are created by our wave machine with the push of a button and do not require any modification to the bottom of our lagoons.
NOT TRUE! The opposite is the case. The volume of water needed in a surfing lagoon depends on the number, size and length of waves that you want to deliver. Wavegarden Cove lagoons are the most efficient in the world in terms of the volume of water used versus the number, size and length of waves provided. This is one of the key reasons why Wavegarden Cove is far more commercially attractive than other surfing lagoons. Our data is based on actual full-scale operating facilities, not theoretical design plans.
NOT TRUE! The opposite is the case. The dense concrete chambers needed for pneumatic technology require significant amounts of additional concrete compared to a Wavegarden Cove. Our standard and recommended solution is to execute all bathymetry using liner rather than concrete. This liner solution only requires 14.69% of the concrete surface compared to a fully concrete lagoon bottom solution. It has proven to not only be the best solution but the most sustainable and economical compared to concrete or a steel liner.
At Wavegarden, we are pleased to discuss the above information or the data published on our site. Our system has made history as it allows everyone to enjoy the benefits of a surf beach, especially those who live far from the ocean.
