● Live nowKelly Slater Surf Ranch
Lemoore, CA, USA
Kelly Slater Wave Co.6.2ft / 1.9mWave
15Waves/hr
60mSession
4.9Rating
WSL Surf Ranch Pro · Sep 12
Private buyouts from $12,000
GuideThe independent wave pool almanac · 2026
EVERY WAVE
POOL, ONE MAP.
The independent, hand-maintained guide to the world's artificial surf parks. Sessions, settings, festivals, and the taco truck across the parking lot.
27Pools mapped
11Wave techs
14Countries
The Directory
Featured wave pools
27 pools across five continents. Every guide includes real wave settings, session prices, festival dates and honest reviews.
● Live now
● Live nowWaco Surf (BSR)
Waco, TX, USA
PerfectSwell4.9ft / 1.5mWave
90Waves/hr
60mSession
4.6Rating
Stab High · Aug 2
from $129
Guide
● Live nowPalm Springs Surf Club
Palm Springs, CA, USA
Surf Loch7.9ft / 2.4mWave
70Waves/hr
90mSession
4.7Rating
from $100
Guide
● Live nowThe Wave Bristol
Bristol, UK
Wavegarden Cove6.6ft / 2mWave
1,000Waves/hr
60mSession
4.8Rating
Groms Weekend · Aug 24
from $55
Guide
● Live nowAlaïa Bay
Sion, Switzerland
Wavegarden Cove6.6ft / 2mWave
1,000Waves/hr
60mSession
4.7Rating
from $120
Guide
● Live nowO2 SURFTOWN MUC
Munich, Germany
Endless Surf7.2ft / 2.2mWave
120Waves/hr
60mSession
4.6Rating
Endless Open · Oct 4
from $85
Guide
● Live nowURBNSURF Melbourne
Melbourne, Australia
Wavegarden Cove6.6ft / 2mWave
1,000Waves/hr
60mSession
4.8Rating
from $79
Guide
Opening soonURBNSURF Sydney
Sydney, Australia
Wavegarden Cove6.6ft / 2mWave
1,000Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
from $85
Guide
● Live nowPraia da Grama
Itupeva, São Paulo, Brazil
Wavegarden Cove7.2ft / 2.2mWave
1,000Waves/hr
60mSession
4.9Rating
Medina Invitational · Nov 15
from $250
Guide
● Live nowSurf Abu Dhabi
Hudayriyat Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Kelly Slater Wave Co.11.2ft / 3.4mWave
12Waves/hr
60mSession
4.9Rating
WSL CT Abu Dhabi · Feb 14
from $490
Guide
● Live now
Opening soonThe Wave Fuerteventura
Fuerteventura, Spain
Wavegarden Cove7.2ft / 2.2mWave
1,000Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
from $70
Guide
Opening soonOpens 2026The Point Surf Park
Fellsmere, FL, USA
Endless Surf6.6ft / 2mWave
120Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Pricing TBD
Guide
Opening soonOpens Summer 2026DSRT Surf
Palm Desert, CA, USA
Wavegarden Cove6.6ft / 2mWave
1,000Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Pricing TBD
Guide
Opening soonOpens 2026Surfers Cove
Obidos, Portugal
Wavegarden Cove6.6ft / 2mWave
1,000Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
from $50
Guide
Opening soonOpens Summer 2026Gemswell Surf Madrid
Madrid, Spain
Wavegarden Cove7.2ft / 2.2mWave
1,000Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Pricing TBD
Guide
Opening soonOpens 2026Bahrain Surf Park
Bilaj Al Jazayer, Bahrain
Wavegarden Cove6.6ft / 2mWave
1,000Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Pricing TBD
Guide
Opening soonOpens July 2026Brasil Surfe Clube
Buzios area, Brazil
Endless Surf7.9ft / 2.4mWave
120Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Pricing TBD
Guide
Opening soonOpens 2026El Nido
Punta del Este, Uruguay
Wavegarden Cove6.6ft / 2mWave
1,000Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Pricing TBD
Guide
Opening soonOpens 2026Surftopia at Aquarabia
Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia
Endless Surf9.8ft / 3mWave
120Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Pricing TBD
Guide
Opening soonOpens In developmentCabo Real Surf Club
Los Cabos, Mexico
Endless Surf7.9ft / 2.4mWave
120Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Members only
Guide
Opening soonOpens Late 2026 to 2027Austin Surf Club
Austin, TX, USA
Kelly Slater Wave Co.7.9ft / 2.4mWave
15Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Memberships reportedly above $1M
Guide
Opening soonOpens 2026 (phased)Zion Shores
Southern Utah, USA
UNIT Surf Pool6.6ft / 2mWave
90Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Residential community, session pricing TBD
Guide
Opening soonOpens Spring 2026Crest Surf Clubs
Shirley, NY, USA
Premier Surf Systems6.6ft / 2mWave
120Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Private membership
Guide
Opening soonOpens 2026Heroes Paradise
Brandon, FL, USA
EpicSurf4.9ft / 1.5mWave
ContinuousWaves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Pricing TBD
Guide
Opening soonOpens Spring 2026East Point Reef Club
Bridal Falls, BC, Canada
Ka'ana Wave Co.5.9ft / 1.8mWave
ContinuousWaves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Pricing TBD
Guide
Opening soonOpens By 2028Ocean Kamp
Oceanside, CA, USA
Endless Surf7.9ft / 2.4mWave
120Waves/hr
60mSession
SoonStatus
Pricing TBD
GuideThe Machinery
Eleven ways to build a wave
Every wave pool we track runs on one of eleven core technologies. Here's the plain-language breakdown of each.
Wavegarden Cove
The high-volume, high-variety benchmark. If you've surfed a Cove, you've surfed the closest thing to an ocean.
Kelly Slater Wave Co. (KSWC)The wave that changed everything. Fewer sets per hour — every one a 50-second point break.
PerfectSwell (American Wave Machines)Pneumatic peaks and air ramps. The wave pool that made airborne surfing a stadium sport.
Endless SurfThe deepest programmable menu of any pool. Built by WhiteWater West.
The Big Picture
The wave-pool world
Every operating pool, every one about to open, every festival week — pinned in one place.
LiveFestivalSoon
Work in the industry
Wave pool jobs
Coaching, lifeguarding, wave operations, engineering, and management roles at surf parks worldwide. 6 live roles on the board.
Straight answers
Wave-pool questions, answered
+What is a wave pool?
A wave pool — also called an artificial surf park or surf lagoon — is a purpose-built body of water that generates ridable, ocean-style waves on demand. We track 11 wave-making technologies in commercial use, including Wavegarden Cove, Kelly Slater Wave Co., PerfectSwell, Endless Surf, Surf Loch, Surf Lakes, and Swell MFG. Each system produces a different mix of wave shape, size, and volume.
+How many wave pools are open in the world in 2026?
Wave Pool Party tracks 27 commercial wave pools across five continents. Ten of them are open and surfing today; the other 17 are under construction, in permitting, or announced with a public opening target.
+How much does it cost to surf a wave pool?
Prices range from about $55 for a beginner session at The Wave Bristol to $490 for a slot at Surf Abu Dhabi, while Kelly Slater Surf Ranch is private-only from $12,000 for a half-day and $50,000–$70,000 for a full-day buyout. Most performance sessions at public parks sit in the $100–$200 range.
+Which wave pool is best for beginners?
For learning: The Wave Bristol (UK), URBNSURF Melbourne (Australia) and Palm Springs Surf Club (California). All three run dedicated beginner settings, include boards and wetsuits, and staff coached learn-to-surf slots.
+Which wave pool has the biggest barrels?
Surf Abu Dhabi produces the longest barrel on earth — a Kelly Slater Wave Co. wave running roughly 700 m along Hudayriyat Island. Kelly Slater's original Surf Ranch in Lemoore holds second place with its iconic 50-second right and left.