Perfect Wave in Central Valley, California

Scientists work to create the perfect wave for surfing, but not out in the ocean. The chosen place is a pond situated at 100 miles away from the Pacific.

The artificial wave was already tested by surfers, and they say that it’s mind-blowing.

The perfect wave is created by a machine inside a pool from Lemoore, California. Moreover, it’s a private wave and it’s owned by Kelly Slater Wave Corporation. The company plans to sell its wave technology all around the globe.

The company used the expertise of a surfing world champion. At the end of last year, the surfer released a video of him riding a high wave that lasted more than 40 seconds.

The experts think that the artificial wave will completely change the surfing business and the sport. They hope that the new technology will make surfing more affordable and accessible for people living far from the ocean.

Another idea is the fact that surfing contests could be organized in stadiums, where people could watch live the performance without having to deal with weather caprices or the difficulties related to watching the show from out at sea.

The artificial waves are present from the 60s, usually appearing in resort pools and surf parks. However, the public was not very impressed with them. The pool waves lacked the power and the size of the natural phenomenon. Moreover, the barrel was inexistent, and the surfers were not able to ride inside the curl.

The new wave created by Kelly Slater Wave Co. is different, as it behaves just like a natural wave.

The method is to pull a device through the pool, and its shape and speed would create a wave. The procedure can take several minutes. However, the details were kept secret.

The engineers from Wave Loch are also trying to create a perfect wave. They use a system based on air force, and at this moment they manage to create small but outstanding waves every 10 seconds.

They managed to create a double wave for a sheik in Abu Dhabi. Even so, the engineers admit that it did not have the force of a natural wave.

The scientists use computer models to control how a wave would behave, and the pool would need to contain a system to dissipate the energy displaced by the water movements.

While the competition is still trying to figure out how to create a functional system, the World Surf League offered two tickets to try out Slater’s perfect wave.

Image Source: Vimeo