Located in the Basque Country, the original Wavegarden Cove prototype has recently been transformed and extended to provide an increased variety of waves and new design features to ensure thorough testing of the upgraded technology before commercial use. The full-sized prototype had been pivotal in modelling the leading wave generation technology that makes waves successfully at eight commercial facilities worldwide. However, its small footprint had placed limits on research and development. Until now.
“We have been redesigning and rebuilding the demo center by extending the existing wave generator to produce longer ride times of up to 14 seconds and larger waves up to 2.2 meters [7.2 feet] high. We have improved the take-off and end sections, created a 7-second barrel, and new air sections,” said Josema Odriozola, Founder and CEO of Wavegarden. “We adjusted the bathymetry, updated the areas along the shoreline, added glass panels behind the take-off area, and removed some unnecessary walls to provide a more natural environment and improve the aesthetics.”
With investment in a surf park currently running between 15 million and 30 million euros (between $15.8 million and 31.7 million), there is little room for error when it comes to the construction and provision of technology at new facilities. With the Wavegarden Lab – a private, full-size test center for the R&D of artificial wave generation – it means every possible component of the civil works are tested. With a continuous cycle of waves that can run 24/7, the engineers can test the mechanical parts, water treatment, filtration, coating and cleaning systems and changes in bathymetry.
Extensive computer modeling and scale model R&D over several years has dramatically increased the flexibility. The left and right sides of the Wavegarden lagoon can now work independently, without increasing the energy consumption per wave. This means that Wavegarden’s technology can now be delivered with single or double sides and can be adapted to any shape and size of lagoon.
A significant advancement in the technology is the ability to program solitary waves every 15–30 seconds throughout the entire duration of a session, instead of grouping them in sets with 7-8 second intervals.
The Wavegarden Lab has also introduced a new Reef that has improved the Turn, Barrel and Air waves. For the turn mode, this means adding a close-out section, where a surfer can choose between finishing with a foam, a lip or a small barrel section. The steepness of the take-off can now be adjusted. A less vertical face makes it easier for beginners to pop up and enjoy the wave. The barrels are easy to read as there is an ideal balance between width, or throatiness of the tube, and power. There is now a constant speed grower mode, a heavier bowl with a turn set up and a slab-style wave, where surfers can backdoor the peak. Finally, the air sections have been boosted with different launch pads for specific maneuvers like alley-oop and double aerials.
