The technology behind North America's first artificial surf pool is fine-tuned to deliver three different waves at three distinct breaks named Reef, Inside, and Bay.
As a result, NLand will pump waves ranging between 1.5 and 6.3 feet (0.5 and 1.9 meters).
Josema Odriozola, the founder of Wavegarden, says that they are able to produce steep barreling waves in the 10-foot range, but they wouldn't be cost-effective.
The engineers at Wavegarden already knew that the quality of the first waves could not be replicated in the subsequent waves because of the backwash and currents created in the wave-generating moment.
The good news is that this issue can now be mitigated.
Here's what you should know about America's first surf park:
1. The Reef pumps 6.2-foot waves that can be ridden by advanced surfers for 30 seconds;
2. The Reef wave can barrel;
3. The Inside is a long-peeling point break wave for average surfers who want to improve their rail-to-rail game, cutbacks, and foam climbs;
4. The Bays offers a slow, Waikiki-style whitewater for newcomers to surfing;
5. NLand's lagoon has an area equivalent to nine football fields;
6. The Bay provides whitewater waves for beginner surfers and very young riders;
7. The NLand Surf Park has a maximum capacity of 120 surfers in the three different breaks;
8. The surf lagoon is filled with 11 million gallons of rainwater;
9. NLand is located 10 minutes east of Austin Bergstrom Airport and 200 miles away from the Gulf of Mexico;
10. The technology behind Wavegarden is based on the movement of a blade called wave foil;
11. The man-made waves at NLand are influenced by the wind - when it's blowing offshore, waves are hollow and clean; with the prevailing onshore wind, the rollers are perfect for high-performance surfing;
12. The Texan surf pool delivers good quality rollers with a 2-to-2.5-minute interval and perfect waves with a 2.5-to-3-minute wave period;
13. Wavegarden developed and patented a dissipative shore system that eliminates currents and backwash;
14. Bodyboarders and kneeboarders are welcome, but they must wear fins and use a leash;
15. Bodysurfers and stand-up paddleboarders are not allowed to ride waves at NLand;
16 A one-hour Surf Pass for the Reef wave costs $90; the access to the Bay and Inside break costs $60;
17. Surfers must arrive at NLand one hour before their session begins;
18. The NLand Surf Park is located in Del Valle, a suburb of Austin, Texas;
19. The inland surfing complex also features a surf shop, restrooms, a restaurant, a juice bar, locker rooms, and a training center;
20. In December 2018, the World Surf League bought NLand Surf Park;