Cover shot of Alaia Bay from Wavegarden.
The in-land surfing revolution is here. Imagine, the next John John Florence might not be born next to the best wave in the world, but in the inner-city, and having surfable tech right on their doorstep. That’s trippy.
With myriad wave tubs popping up all over Europe, we thought it time to catalogue what’s going up and when or where. We’ll keep on updating this lil’ list as time goes on and more wave pool emerge, but do call out if we’ve missed anything.
Lost Shore, Edinburgh
Scotland’s first wave pool is also Europe’s largest and has gained widespread international acclaim since the gates opened. Lost Shore is an impressive facility and generally, in the wave pool race, having a bigger pool means more space, bigger waves — all lasting about a third longer than other iterations. It’s also a 10-minute drive from Edinburgh Airport, which means this could just be the most accessible wave pool on the planet. Also, here’s a secret; the food is as good as the waves. Go order a giant pizza after a day out there and try and tell us any different. We dare you.
Madrid, Spain
Once construction is complete, Spain will rob Scotland of its largest European Wavegarden crown. The Madrid site will utilise 56 of the modules used to create waves, versus Bristol’s 40, Alaia Bay’s 46 and Lost Shore’s 52. The facility is called Gemswell Surf Madrid and is on track to be finished by, roughly, summer 2026. It’s located right next to the Metropolitano stadium, aka the home of Atletico Madrid.
Alaia Bay, Switzerland
The last of Wavegarden’s Cove technology on this list, but the first ever built on Continental Europe. Alaia Bay might just be the prettiest location on this list. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Swiss Alps this wave pool feels like it’s in a bonafide fairy tale setting. Alaia Bay was the second pool opened in Europe, post COVID, in 2021. The pool’s not heated, but don’t let that stop you, it’s a balmy 21 degrees C in June and July, dropping to 7 C in November on average.
SurfTown, Germany
While Wavegarden tech works via a series of paddles that generate waves, SurfTown’s set up differently. There’s a pneumatic, wave-generating chamber system here that fills with air and pumps it out into the pool, creating a variety of different waves. The technology has been created by Endless Surf, who can scale their tech up or down dependent on wave pool size. The more chambers available, the longer the pool, up to 60 chambers. The Munich pool has 34 of these chambers, meaning it’s not even the biggest or longest pool the tech can create.
The Wave, London (planned)
Well into the planning phase is London’s first wave pool. This is being run and set up by the same team as the Bristol Wavegarden, but with a twist. This pool won’t use the same technology as the Bristol joint. Instead, it’ll be powered by the same pneumatic technology as SurfTown Munich, as part of a £50 million project in 100 acres of land, in Lee Valley Regional Park, north London. Why the switch? Official word is that this development has different requirements than the Bristol site. Is Endless Surf tech superior to Wavegarden? Jury’s out, but in the UK at least, you’ll be able to sample both.
Artwave, Helsinki, Finland
Given the fanfare over Wavegardens and Endless Surf technology, it’s easy to overlook other options in the wave pool arms race. Artwave was created by a bunch of surfers frustrated at not being able to surf all the time. Artwave’s tech allows for waves in open water. And the Helsinki location’s set in the middle of a forest. The site’s only open a couple of days per week, usually on a Thursday and Friday, but you’re able to book a session for whenever you like. It’s not as critical or ocean-adjacent as the other options, but it’s still surfing, inland. Worth seeking out if you’re in the Nordic realms.
Urban Surf, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Known as RiF010, this is Europe’s first wave pool in the middle of the city. This facility was spear-headed by Edwin van Viegen in 2013 – a passionate surfer who became fed up of waiting for North Sea swells. Rotterdam’s only a 40 minute drive to Netherlands surfing hub, Scheveningen. The wave’s powered by eight wave chambers, and valves are used to crank up the different wave styles. This technology can create waves up to five feet tall. Waves pump out every seven seconds, reminiscent of the North Sea.
The Wave, Bristol
The world’s first commercial wave pool was launched in Bristol, 2019 and the technology behind it has been refined and ramped up since then. The Bristol pool paved the way for other public pools after it, with Melbourne and Sydney following suit. There’s a whole community around The Wave in Bristol, with the city itself having a thriving surf culture. So much so, we’ve partnered with a couple of those legends to deliver Bristol Film Screenings. We’ll keep you posted with upcoming dates.
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