Thermal Beach Club

Description

The Thermal Beach Club is a giant private residential community planned around what could be the largest wave pool ever built. The centerpiece of the community will be a 20-acre wave pool powered by American Wave Machines PerfectSwell® technology.

Wave Shape and Size

Few details about the wave pool have been released, but a Thermal Beach Club Project Overview document intended for investors said the wave pool will create waves for beginner, intermediate and advanced surfers. Advanced surfers will get to ride waves up to 8′ high on the face of the wave.

It’s safe to assume that the flexibility of PerfectSwell technology will shine at Thermal Beach Club, like it does at BSR Surf Resort. It’s very likely that the wave pool will be able to create left and right-hand waves in a variety of shapes and sizes that appeal to almost anyone who is interested in surfing. Advanced surfers will be able to ride waves with barrel, air and critical turn sections. Intermediate surfers will get to practice turns on a variety of open faces and beginners will ride small Waikiki-style rollers that are perfect for learning.

Advanced Waves on PerfectSwell Wave Pool — BSR Surf Resort, Photo: Surfline

BSR Surf Resort Air — BSR Surf Resort, Photo: Surfline

The Wave Pool

The sheer size of the wave pool (20 acres) is noteworthy and challenges us to speculate on the capacity and ride length. The Thermal Beach Club wave pool is more than 10 times the size of the BSR Surf Resort pool, so some we could be looking at some long rides and/or lots of them. We’ll provide more details as they become available.

The wave pool will use Crystal Lagoon’s patented water filtration technology. Their approach to water treatment uses 100 times less chemicals and only 2% of the energy needed by conventional pool filtration systems, according to the Project Overview. It also complies with the most stringent international physicochemical and microbiological water
quality standards. Water conservation is a concern for any development in the Coachella Valley, and the Chrystal Lagoon enables low water consumption, using up to 30 times less water than a golf course and 50% less water than a park of the same size.

Water infrastructure necessary to fill the wave pool has already been built to create a lake at Kohl Ranch (the property on which Thermal Beach Club will sit). The wave pool would be filled by treated water from the lake.

Around the Pool

According to Thermal Beach Club, the wave pool will be surrounded by 6 acres of white sand beaches. It will be interesting to see how they position the wall of wave-generating chambers which, as seen at BSR Surf Resort, doesn’t lend itself toward a sand beach on that side of the pool.

The Project Overview said the Crystal Lagoon with PerfectSwell technology will cost between $11 and $20 million to build.

Surrounding the surfing lagoon, the Thermal Beach Club will feature 326 units on 210 residential lots comprised of bungalows, villas and estates. Before and after surf sessions, residents and visitors will be able to relax at a 16,000-square foot recreational center with a spa and exercise room. Dining will be available on site from a 4,500-square foot clubhouse restaurant with bar, retail shop and kitchen.

Thermal Beach Club Wave Pool Plan — Image: Thermal Bech Club

In September 2019, the county planning commission unanimously recommended several zoning and planning amendments to the Board of Supervisors. Next, the board of supervisors will have to sign off on the zoning and planning amendments. Once those signatures are in place, development can begin. Unfortunately, in November 2019, the Board of Supervisors delayed their vote after “dozens of east valley activists railed against the development at a heated Riverside County Board of Supervisors meeting”. The current plan calls for another Board of Supervisors meeting on February 11, 2020.

Sources: Thermal Beach Club, Desert Sun