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Image: DSRT Surf
Image: DSRT Surf
DSRT Surf
Endless Waves in the DesertAverage Reviews
Description
DSRT Surf is planning a 5-acre wave pool at the center of a 18-acre master plan that includes golf, hotels, restaurants and villas.
Wave Size and Shape
When the DSRT Surf wave pool opens in 2022, it will use Wavegarden Cove technology to produce waves. According to Desert Wave Ventures, LLC, the developers behind DSRT Surf, the wave pool will be similar to URBNSURF Melbourne, but better. The wave pool will produce a variety of waves for beginners, intermediate and advanced surfers across six different areas of the pool. Wave shapes will range from barrels to whitewater rollers for beginners. Wave sizes will likely vary from 2-6 foot faces, and ride length will run up to 15 seconds… maybe longer given the size of the pool.
Productivity and Capacity
Wavegarden claims their Cove technology can create 1000 waves per hour. DSRT Surf says they will put up to 75 people in the water for each 1-hour session. Basic math says, if the numbers above hold, surfers will get about 12 waves in each one-hour session.
As we learn more about the true capacity of full-size Wavegarden Cove installations, the productivity numbers may adjust downward due to settling or operational breaks between sets. However, as you can see in the image on the right below, DSRT Surf appears to be planning multiple surf zones based on wave reformation. If that proves to be true it will allow each wave to be ridden by more than one customer, which will increase the waves ridden per surfer per hour.
Image: DSRT Surf Image: DSRT Surf
A one hour session at the DSRT Surf wave pool will run up to $135 an hour according to Desert Wave Ventures.
The wave pool will be open to the public 330 days of the year. The pool will operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and stay open until midnight on weekends and holidays.
Other Facilities and Amenities
The 18-acre development is part of the Desert Willow community, which includes world-famous golf courses.
The “Surf Center” at DSRT Surf will offer retail shops, bars and restaurants with locally sourced food. It will also host other activities like volleyball, pickleball, yoga, and a surf academy. The Surf Center will be open to the public from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Customers who want to use the activities, like bocce ball, will be required to buy a day pass.
Surround the Surf Center will be two hotels with up to 350 rooms and 62 villas.
DSRT Surf plans to minimize the environmental impact with water conservation practices, native and drought-tolerant landscaping, and solar power throughout the resort.
The wave pool will holds roughly 7M gallons of water. Evaporation, filtration and other processes will lead to the consumption of ~24M gallons each year. According to DSRT Surf, that is the same amount consumed by 1.3 holes of golf in the Coachella valley.
To offset their water usage, DSRT Surf is implementing a “Turf for Surf” program in which they intend to remove grass turf areas surrounding Desert Willow’s golf courses. This will reduce the amount of water required for the golf course by an amount equal to or greater than the water consumed by the surf pool. So, when DSRT Surf is complete, Desert Willow (including DSRT Surf) will use the same amount of water it does today.
Furthermore, approximately 1/3 of the water used in the surf pool will be reused to irrigate the Desert Willow Golf Courses.
The anticipated cost of the project is $200M. The DSRT Surf Resort team will break construction into two phases. Phase 1 (shown in blue below) will focus on the wave pool and surfing facilities. Phase 2 will include the hotel and the remaining parts of the project.
History
A few years ago, John Luff (founder of Surf Park Central) crossed paths with Doug Sheres, a former Solana Beach mayor and investment manager. They formed a partnership and discussed all kinds of wave pool plans. Doug’s experience in politics, real estate and access to capital make him a perfect partner for an endeavor such as this.
Together, John and Doug co-founded Desert Wave Ventures, LLC, which is the company behind DSRT Surf.
John and Doug found another good partner in Don Randy, a long time surfer. Other investors also jumped on board, as well as some well-know ambassadors from the surf industry including the Hobgood brothers, Shane Beschen, and Josh Kerr.
In July 2019, the DSRT Surf team made their intentions well known. At the same time, the environmental impact report (EIR) from DSRT Surf was going through its final stages. The EIR has been released and the City Council has provided their approval.
The DSRT Surf team hopes to break ground in 2020 and open to the public in 2022.
Sources: Wall Street Journal, DSRT Surf, City of Palm Desert, The Orange County Register, Wavepoolmag, Surfline, The Inertia, SurferToday
