Since surfing was added to the Olympic programme, wave pools have become more and more popular. More people may be able to participate in the sport thanks to technology. Artificial waves are an excellent way for novices to learn, even if surfers claim they don't compare to those in the ocean. However, what technology is underlying these artificial waves?
Wavegarden, the most ambitious wave pool firm in the world, is heavily dependent on its newest technology, as it operates across six continents. Known as "The Cove," it generates a single, continuous wave with little energy loss using a pool with a diamond shape. They accomplish this by alternating the filling and emptying of several water chambers in a manner akin to that of a hydraulic system. To produce different kinds of waves, one can alter the timing, intensity, and arrangement of these air chambers.
To create a wave that resembles the ocean, The Kelly Slater Wave Company employs a somewhat different design known as "hydrofoil technology." Every ninety seconds, a single wave is produced by dragging a hydrofoil resembling a sledge along a centre track beneath a structure resembling a pier.
Other technologies are out there in cyberspace, just waiting to be developed into a real, physically surfable wave pool. Some, like the avant-garde Artwave design by Tom Lochtefeld, haven't reached the water yet. Some are still in the early phases of development, such as Webber Wave Pools, Swell MFG, and Cheyne Magnussen's innovative technology.
Surfers are the focus of the latest wave pool technology. For example, the new Okahina system promises a range of waves at the touch of a button, including powerful ramps and classic overhead barreling right-handers. According to the business, it consumes less energy than conventional wave pools and can produce 400–700 waves per hour, with each ride lasting eight to sixteen or more seconds.
These innovative systems use pressurised air to blow over the water's surface, creating waves, as opposed to hydraulically pumped vacuum wave pools, which move water across the surface. With this, the business intends to simplify the process of customising waves for all skill levels.
The boundaries of what is feasible are also being pushed by other wave pool firms. The surfing community has become more aware of the potential of man-made waves as a result of the oval-shaped pool designed by renowned shaper Greg Webber, which pushed swell out from the centre. His current project is to create a circular pool in order to advance the technology.
Numerous wave pools available now combine several different technologies. For instance, to create a wave that resembles a ground swell, the Murphys waves system, also known as URBNSURF Melbourne, employs Call modules that draw water in and push it out. The other major players are Kelly Slater's firm and Wavegarden, both of which make use of hydrofoil technology.
There is a little difference in how the hydraulic system and the Kelly Slater Pools system operate. It generates a continuous wave by towing a sizable foil submerged along the pool's floor. You can adjust the air release's timing, intensity, and order to produce a variety of wave forms.
Even with its many amazing features, the Kelly Slater Pools system can only generate a single wave every several minutes and isn't suitable for competitive surfing. But a new idea invented by a German business called UNIT Surf Pool has the potential to completely alter the game.
