Just 15 minutes from the Pacific Ocean and Newport Beach’s coastline dotted with epic surf breaks, a man-made wave pool has the green light to build.
The Snug Harbor Surf Park won the Newport Beach City Council’s approval, 6-0, Tuesday night, Oct. 28, over objections from players at the Newport Beach Golf Course, where it will replace three of the holes, a driving range, restaurant and bar and a pro shop. Councilmember Noah Blom recused himself.
The golf course has been around for decades and is one of the more affordable places to play, the golf community argued, calling it a Newport Beach staple where generations of golfers have taken their first swings. Its 55-year land lease is up and the owner has been exploring other options for the property.
The Snug Harbor project is anticipated to take 18 months, putting its completion ahead of the LA28 Olympics, with hopes that some of the athletes will stay and use the controllable wave for training.
The wave pool would be the first of its kind in Orange County, however several are in the works in the region. Palm Springs Surf Club is already making waves, while DSRT Surf in Palm Desert is under construction, as is another wave pool in Oceanside.
Critics wondered if wave pools are financially viable, especially in places where people can paddle out for free in the ocean.
The backers of the project are banking on interest in the consistent waves, expecting 700 daily visitors, with 140 more for a “surf academy” and 280 more visiting the restaurant on site, according to a staff report to the councilmembers on the proposal. There would also be shops and a fitness and yoga area the developers hope will draw in more people.
The wave pool is expected to use the latest Wave Garden technology, said to produce 1,000 waves an hour, with waves on demand that can be ordered by the flip of a switch.
The project would build a three-story, 50-foot-tall building for a surf academy, shop and restaurant, with a second floor for fitness and yoga, with locker rooms and a lounge, and a third floor dedicated to office space and a VIP music recording studio.
The basement would have golf cart and surfboard storage. Another 40-foot, 2-story building would have short-term accommodations for athletes with 20 rooms.
Parking would offer 351 spots, 95 for golfers of the remaining 15-hole course.
The surfing lagoon that is proposed would have two 5.1 million-gallon basins, which would be drained twice a year, officials said, with water captured into the county recycling and reuse program.
The wave pool would be expected to use 28 million gallons of water annually, 15 million to be returned to the Orange County Water District supply via groundwater replenishment system.
Solar panels are expected to generate nearly half the energy required for wave making and circulation, officials said.
By comparison, an 18-hole golf course uses 150 million to 200 million gallons — eliminating three holes would reduce consumption by about 30 million, officials said.
Community benefits, developers have said, include kids’ camps, a place for high school surf teams to use, as well as a place for first responders to do training in a controlled environment.
The wave pool could hold an estimated 72 surfers, with an average of about 42 expected. There would be eight lifeguards stationed around the pool, as well as a control tower.
While wave pools were once frowned upon by most surfers who argued machines couldn’t replace Mother Nature, many have come around as technology has improved.
Waco Surf, in Texas, is one of the most popular go-to destinations, surging in popularity when the pandemic shut downs limited people’s ability to travel internationally to seek waves.
Surf Ranch near Fresno has the holy grail of wave technology, offering 45-second rides and a barrel section – but a trip there is costly, catering to private groups that can pay tens of thousands of dollars.
Another wave pool, Atlantic Park Surf, just opened a few months ago in Virginia Beach with the backing of music mogul Pharrell Williams.
The Snug Harbor project is the brainchild of surfer Adam Cleary, a third-generation Newport Beach local who became intrigued by wave pools after Kelly Slater unveiled the Surf Ranch a decade ago.
Surfing in the ocean can be challenging for novice and even experienced wave riders, he notes. It’s crowded and can be intimidating with aggressive locals, and the ocean is unpredictable. A wave pool gives surfers something they can’t get, he says: Consistency where they can do reps to improve their skills.
The wave pool will give options when there’s a three-week flat spell, or for parents who don’t want their kids learning among the unpredictable crowds, he said.
Cleary, who grew up doing the local junior lifeguard program, said he has also been in discussions with nearby lifeguard agencies about training opportunities, such as high surf or swift water rescues, in a controlled environment.
There will be nods to the Newport Beach community throughout the project, Cleary has said. The name Snug Harbor is an ode to a bar that used to be in the cannery area in the ’50s.
There would also be an “Echo Beach” bar, named after the surf area in West Newport that gained popularity in the ’80s.
The staff report for this week’s meeting unveiled several more aspects of the project, such as a vision for hosting 12 surf events or competitions each year, ticketed events similar to other local sporting events.
The project would also generate an estimated $760,400 in annual revenue for the city, with estimated annual service costs of $504,690, resulting in a net positive fiscal impact of approximately $256,000 per year, according to the staff report.
The existing section of the golf course run by the city costs about $14,000 annually.
The county-owned land north of Irvine Avenue, where holes 10-18 sit, would remain unchanged by the project. A third parcel with holes 3-8, south of Mesa Drive would also remain, with a golf cart path planned to connect the back nine with the front six.