New Kelly Slater Wave Pool Planned for Coachella Valley

Note: this post was updated 2/7/2020 to reflect recent comments made by Noah Hahn about the wave pool size.

Kelly Slater Wave Co. is providing the wave pool technology to a new $200M resort called Coral Mountain in Coachella Valley. 

Noah Hahn, parter at developer Merriweather Companies, says the wave pool will produce surf similar to that found at Lemoore. The ride time (about 50 seconds) is similar to Lemoore.  The primary difference will be extended pools at the ends of the basin for secondary—and easier-to-ride—waves to form.

By dragging a giant sled through the water, the wave pool will produce waves suitable for professional surfers, beginners and everyone in between. About 25 surfers would share waves during a session. Around 5 surfers would share the main wave and 10 surfers would share smaller waves at either end of the wave pool. That’s higher capacity than the Surf Ranch in Lemoore, but nowhere near the capacity of a Wavegarden Cove like URBNSURF. However, Coral Mountain access is restricted to property owners, guests and members so crowds may be thinner than those at public wave pools.

Kelly Slater told The Guardian “We’re excited to make another KSWaveCo design and I’m personally excited to create a new wave that will be a stand alone design that nowhere else in the world has. 

“This can become the blueprint for new developments around waves and surf parks going forward and is in line with some of my original ideas from when we started this project.”

Meriwether Cos. and Big Sky Wave Developments are leading development of the 400-acre property.  Big Sky Wave Developments was founded by Michael B. Schwab, son of brokerage pioneer Charles Schwab.

The 18-million-gallon wave pool will surrounded by a 150-room hotel and up to 600 homes priced between $1 million and $5 million. Plans include a private club and multiple dining venues.

In addition to the wave pool, water sport enthusiasts will appreciate the plans for a network of ponds for stand-up paddle boarding or electric hydrofoil boards.

Outside the water, the plans include snaking skateboarding runs, bike pump tracks and trails for mountain bikes and perhaps electric motorcycles.

The private community will limit access to homeowners, hotel guests, club members and their guests. 

Water conservation is a concern for any development in the Palm Springs area, just ask DSRT SURF, Palm Springs Surf Club or the Thermal Beach Club, but wave pools generally use less water than golf courses. The various pools at Coral Mountain would use about 18 million gallons in a year while a golf course would use as much as 1 million gallons a day to stay green, according to developer Garrett Simon of Meriwether Cos. 

Simon is working to finalizing city approval so development can start on Coral Mountain by early next year and open for business in mid-2022.