A new wave of wellness has arrived.
What’s happening: Atlantic Park Surf, a 2.67-acre wave lagoon and lifestyle club, opened in Virginia Beach, anchoring an entertainment district created by musician Pharrell Williams.
Tubular. The first US park powered by Wavegarden Cove technology, the lagoon generates 1K waves per hour and 25 wave types for beginners and pros alike.
Operating year-round, visitors get a 55-minute surf sesh and access to lessons, post-ride performance analytics from Flowstate, and a beach club.
Coast to coast. The 12th Wavegarden park, Atlantic Park Surf operator Beach Street Development will open California’s DSRT Surf in 2026 and Houston’s HTX Surf in 2027.
Surf’s up. Recreation refined, surfing could be the next entertainment boom, following the likes of Topgolf, soccer social venue TOCA, and upscale racquet clubs like Padel Haus and Ballers.
With 35 sites open worldwide and 75+ in development, the surf park industry will grow 11.5% annually, hitting $3.8B by ’28 — and the US is heating up.
Deal flow. Developer Aventuur has parks underway in Aus and NZ, plus exclusive Wavegarden licenses for 12 US markets, including Denver, Phoenix, and Atlanta. Operating its own tech at pools in Cali and Dubai, Kelly Slater Wave Co. broke ground in Austin this year.
Applying the wellness social club model, Crest is raising $45M to open a $20K/year luxury surf complex on Long Island, complete with gym, spa, and co-working.
Punchline: A third space to hang 10, surf parks represent a new gathering place for people to satisfy social and physical well-being.
