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PerfectSwell® from American Wave Machines
PerfectSwell wave pool technology from American Wave Machines sets a high bar for variable wave shape and size.
PerfectSwell Technology
PerfectSwell® wave pool technology from American Wave Machines “fires" air pressure from a series of of chambers to create a swell that propagates toward the shallow side of the pool where it crests and breaks. The firing sequence is reversible, so PerfectSwell wave pools can create left and right-hand waves. Sophisticated software called the “Phased Array Control System" controls the timing and power pushed into the swell by each chamber, giving operators the flexibility in wave size and shape that makes PerfectSwell unique.
For a sense of scale, the PerfectSwell installation at BSR Surf Resort uses 24 chambers, each about 10′ wide, to produce waves up to 6′ high on the face that can be ridden for about 10 seconds.
Wave Size and Shape
While other wave pool technologies like Wavegarden Cove and Surf Lakes have multiple breaks or reform waves that vary in size and shape, PerfectSwell technology does not put any value (or surfers) on a reformed wave after it passes the main break. Therefore there is only one surfing area in their standard pool where they create left and right-hand waves that vary in size and shape through the course of a 1-hour session.
American Wave Machines claims that the waves can be “engineered to any size and shape specification", but there are practical limits to the size. Their installation at BSR Surf Resort produces waves that vary in size from 2 to 6-foot faces suitable for beginner, intermediate and advance surfers.
PerfectSwell technology really shines in the wave shape category. Thanks to the flexible timing and power of the air chambers, and the software that controls them, PerfectSwell wave pools can create a near infinite variety of waves that offer barrel, air, turn sections and more.
The length of ride depends primarily on the size of the pool and number of chambers. For comparison, the BSR Surf Resort pool is 2 acres and it produces waves that can be ridden for about 10 seconds.
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Capacity and Productivity
American Wave Machines claims their PerfectSwell technology can “easily generate 10 large waves per minute", but they go on to say that quantity “isn’t recommended". That’s most likely due to every wave pool tech companies’ and operators’ nemesis: settling time.
At BSR Surf Resort, for their advanced sessions, they’ve settled on 108 waves per hour. Waves are produced in three-wave sets with about 30 seconds of settling time between each set.
How that translates into the number of waves per surfer per hour, which is a critical factor for customers, is based on the operator. BSR Surf Resort puts 9 people max in each advanced session, so each surfer gets 12-15 waves per on-hour session.
Unlike many of their competitors, American Wave Machines does not mention the use of reformed waves to produce additional rides-per-hour.
The Wave Pool
Like many other wave pools, the shape of PerfectSwell wave pools can be customized to a customer’s needs. American Wave Machines references an “Infinity Ocean" technology but only provides a brief description saying that it allows “wave pools [to] be constructed without walls or boundaries and have a natural organic shape and beach area."
The BSR Surf Resort pool and the PerfectSwell pools in planning stages all use similar one-sided pool shapes which dedicated one side of the pool to the array of wave-making chambers. However, other past pool proposals, like the Endless Summer Surf Resort, indicated that PerfectSwell technology could be placed on a central island with waves running up and down both sides.
The size of a PerfectSwell installation is extremely flexible. Their installation at the American Dream development in New Jersey is 1.5 acres and the BSR Surf Resort pool is 2 acres. Thanks to their modular chamber approach to wave generation, they can support wave pools a big as their customers require.
The length of ride is directly correlated to the size of the pool and the number of chambers. For comparison, BSR Surf Resort produces rides that last roughly 10 seconds.
Controlling PerfectSwell Pools
Thanks to BSR Surf Resort, PerfectSwell wave pools have a reputation for variety. Thats primarily due to the control software they put in the hands of the operator. The iOS application provides real time ad-hoc wave programming that allows the operator to control the shape, size and frequency of each wave. The software also allows operators to create and save playlists, which are a series of pre-defined waves mixed up for variety in beginner, intermediate and advanced sessions.
Energy Consumption
According to Bruce McFarland, the owner of American Wave Machines, a 2.5 acre PerfectSwell installation would use 1,860 kilowatts in an hour.
Wave Pools Powered by PerfectSwell Technology
Highlights and Lowlights
| No moving parts in the water. | |
| Unprecedented wave shape and size control for operators. | |
| Wave particle motion that feels like ocean waves. |
| Productivity and Capacity |