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4/08/03 What type of investment structure do you have and what are the levels? 4/09/03 Have you thought about how late you are going to keep the park open? Are you planning on having stadium style lighting?4/08/03 What type of investment structure do you have and what are the levels? 3/24/03 If you are under water when the cannons fire, could it hurt your ears? 3/19/03 How much land are you looking at to put the park on? 3/07/03 How much will admission be? How much for a private membership? 2/27/03 Is the pool going to be salt water or fresh water fed? 2/25/03 Wouldn't something like this do better inland...like Houston or somewhere in between? 1/12/03
So far, what kind of reception have you received concerning the
success of this project? 1/07/03 Will typical pool construction be used in this project? 12/27/02 Where will the surf pool be located? 12/21/02 When will Surf City Texas open? 12/20/02 Will the wave be a right, a left, a peak, or what? 12/15/02 How big are the waves going to be? 12/06/02 How often will a wave be created? 11/27/02 What size is the pool going to be?
Night surfing
will be at the top of the priority list for specific reasons and
specific people. They are: Membership Rewards-Private Groups-Special
Events. The ability to surf at night in a lit surrounding is one
of the most exciting attractions of this concept. Proper overhead
lighting and underwater lighting will be incorporated into the design
to acheive a thrilling and unique event.
ARTICLE III CLASSES OF MEMBERS;
MEMBERSHIP; DISPOSITIONS OF INTERESTS
The site plans
are designed to have the surf-pool situated in such a way that southerly
flow (our predominate wind direction, and usually on-shore) would
be an off-shore wind. There are elements, like temperature, uncommon
winds, weather and many many more that are beyond our control, and
we are not trying to have a perfect fantasy park with all the
things we already have to deal with, as surfers, taken out of the
equation (except sharks, jellyfish, street run-off and wave hogs).
We plan to have
numerous lifeguards on site, all capable of administering first
aid, first aid supplies, and ALL newcomers to the park will be required
to view a 5-10 minute film about the park facilities, wave zones
and safety issues that they need to be aware of, just like you would
at a theme park with any ride that could include any potentially
dangerous elements. Then everyone must sign 50 pages of release
forms, leave a blood and stool sample and turn over their first
born as collateral...kidding :)
Absolutely.
We have designed a lagoon on both sides of the pool to facilitate
water return flow, and to allow any excess wave energy to trip across
a shallow sandbar to accommodate kids, bodyboarders and family members
who want to enjoy a little wave action and be in a safe environment
away from the board surfers. Click here
There
are 4 take-off spots designed in the pool and there will be no more
than one person at each spot at any time. When it's busy, you wait
in one of two lines on the side, and every 30 seconds, or so, another
4 people go. Also, two acres is a lot of area when it comes to length
of ride. Try and catch a 60-90 yard ride at your local surf spot
on any given day. One can only hope that a new and innovative idea
like this, never designed or accomplished, can all of the sudden
have an overcrowding problem as a potential issue! One can only
hope that I will have that dilemma to solve.......
Say
what? Yes, it's probably a good idea to wear a leash, but it would
be your own mistakes and/ or the leash itself that would cause the
board to come back and hit you in the face. The cannons create an
underwater force that propels you, the wave and your board in a
forward direction, and away from the cannons.
No. We will
have to address having plenty of back-up tanks though to supply
enough air to continuously fire the sequences every 30 seconds or
so, without having to wait for the primary tank to re-fill, and
since the cannon diameters and lengths are 12 times the size of
our model, it's not so much the PSI as it is the CFM. The valves
are easily obtainable and the compressors will be supplied by the
Porsche of the compressor industry, KAESER, and they have a distributor
in Houston, making it convenient for both installation and maintenance
issues.
Our cannon configuration
that we are proposing, in full scale, will be: 4-4ft. OD (outside
diameter) cannons that are 56ft. long, as the center cannons, and
2 sets of 4-3ft. OD cannons that are 48 ft. long, each set being
on both sides of the center cannons. A brief description of how
the wave cannons work is: A group of "liquid projectile cannons"
fired under water, in a slight upward angle, in a particular sequence,
using compressed air (PSI) and valves that open for a particular
moment in time (CFM). A key ingredient in determining the wave height
is the CFM, or volume of water that creates the moment of inertia,
as well as the PSI of each group of cannons. The entrances of the
cannons will be approximately two ft. below the water's surface,
but the surfer will be, at least, 100ft. away from the cannon openings.
No, but we are
addressing that question further in our studies. We will measure,
among other things, pressure gradients around the cannon openings
at the time of firing as well as noise levels under water.The closest
a surfer will be to any cannons is at least 100-150 ft. away, and
that's at the point of take-off. Since the PSI remains at about
80, the cannons are surprisingly quiet above water level, and even
though the water volume inside the cannon acts as an absorption
layer since it is in front of the firing itself, below water level
noise and pressure will be studied further (we'll throw a bag of
goldfish in front of the largest cannons just before firing and
then see if their eyes pop out). he-he just kidding. Thanks for
an important question!
My intentions
are to offer families as well as companies/corporations a discount,
when buying more than one membership at a time. It's all in the
family.
We
currently have two site plans that we are working on. One is for
13 acres and the other is 22 acres.
The key phrase
in this project is "natural environment". We certainly
will take all materials into consideration, but are not considering
lining the reef with "Astrodeck" or something of the like.
There is no medium that solves all the potentials for accidents
other than water depth. Now when you are talking about safety, when
it relates to the reef, the softest medium is sand, but could almost
be considered as dangerous, or more so, due to the false sense of
security one might get knowing you won't land on rocks or live reef.
The bottom line is this: the depth over the reef is the critical
element to consider (and never diving head first into the water).
Unfortunately, there are numerous examples of surfers breaking their
necks on shallow sand bottoms, so regardless of what material will
be incorporated into the reef, we are trying to keep the depth at
an acceptable level, without losing the wave (a difficult challenge,
since as the wave height diminishes, the water depth must also diminish,
or the wave will stop breaking).
Of
course, anything submerged in either salt or fresh water is susceptible
to corrosion. The cannons will always be filled with water (interior
dimension) and will either be buried in sand or surrounded by water
(exterior dimension). The pipe manufacturer will pre-coat the steel
pipes with a twenty year coating to protect them. There is no other
equipment or hardware (wave-cannon wise) that will be submerged
in the pool. It is all housed in a storage building directly behind
the pool area. The sand we are using in the model, and hopefully
in the park, is imported. Even still, with the liner application
and the filtering processes, as time goes by, the sand used inside
the liner area, will constantly be cleaned of mud, clay, etc...and
will eventually be cleaner than when it was put in. A circular pool
has recently been designed by visionary and inventor, Tom Morey,
using a wave cannon application. It has not been tested in model
form yet, but looks fascinating, and seems to have potential! Wave
cannon technology has so many potential applications...the possibilities
are only limited to the imagination.
We
are still in the preliminary stages of the research and development
of a working pool model...in other words we are still defining the
size, shape and depth of a rather large area. As soon as the pool
design and perimeters are established, we can calculate a more accurate
cost of pool construction and the cost of the necessary wave generating
hardware for that size area. I can say that the structuring of surfing
passes for the public has been addressed and we are intending to
offer passes for a certain number of rides and not for a particular
number of hours, for example. When the park is open to the public
and very busy, a rider should not be charged while waiting in line,
but rather for the number of rides he/she attempts. It will also
encourage people to relax and enjoy the other park ammenities, and
not be hurried by being on a pre-determined timeline. As far a the
cost of a private membership, all I can say is that it will be structured
like most other private clubs. A one time membership fee will be
required to initiate your club membership and monthly dues will
be required to maintain member status. We will do everything humanly
possible to accomodate CLUB MEMBERS! Members will have certain exclusive
ammenities available to them (equipment storage, etc...), more flexible
and exclusive access to the surf pool and will be allowed to use
their own equipment, just to mention a few rewards.
Whew...don't
you have a busy mind. Yes, you can use the board design of your
choice, however unless you are a club member, the general public
might be required to use a softboard . Your ability to surf
the main, most challenging peak wave will be determined by the lifeguards.
The "one man/one wave" format will make having kooks and
a##holes at the pool a non-issue. The surf pool is over two acres
and is designed to be an outdoor venue, and will probably not be
heated during the winter months. The pool is designed to have 3-4
take-off spots and surfers are allowed in the pool only when it
is their turn.
Well,
normally my initial response would be to want to bi#ch slap you.
O.K. so the name "surf city" has been around awhile, over-used
and dubbed hoaky. Santa Cruz and Huntington Beach have been fighting
for the"claim to the name" since it was first coined.
Wouldn't it be humorous though if one of the world's worst surf
spots, Galveston, Texas could finally and with validation,
claim the name by having solid, and even more ridable and consistent
surf than either one of them (every day)? HA! I think it would be
funny as hell and a sick twist of fate, but maybe it's just my sick
humor. But seriously, the concept calls for a central attraction
(a world class surfpark), surrounded by a common theme of retail,
attractions,restaurants and concessions that all work together to
form a.....surf city. Oh yeah, we are all proud of our Texas surfing
heritage and it should be reflected in the name of such a noble
endeavor... SURF CITY TEXAS !! Now, for the
reality check answer...naming rights to a sports arena, theme park
or the like is a rather substantial marketing and sellable commodity.
Eventually, especially once it has been proven to be a working,
viable, duplicable, franchaisable venture...no telling what it could
be named....Quiksilver Surfpark, Fertittas Point, Budweiser Bowl...starting
to get the picture? I personally like my name better. How about
you?
That will depend
on the location. If the pool is to be located in close proximity
to the gulf or it's bays or bayous, and saltwater access is an option,
naturally it would be the preferred choice. It's one of the reasons
that I am so adamant about it being on Galveston Island. Anybody
that has a back-yard swimming pool knows about the evaporation rate,
treatments needed and filtering processes required for fresh water
pools, especially during the summer months. A pool of this size...well,
water evaporation/consumption/treatment is a major cost issue.
Obviously having to purchase all of your fresh water from the city
(and chlorinating and treating it) wouldn't be the preferred way
to go. Having access to seawater solves many issues at once. Firstly
and obviously, it's natural, and for surfers, the decreased buoyancy
of fresh water to saltwater is one of the major gripes that we have
about the so-called wave pools out there now, so saltwater would
keep it real. Second, we could filter the water for sand, seaweed,
fecal matter, etc. coming in and going out, which would improve
the clarity and constantly be replenishing our water supply. In
fact, we would be putting back cleaner water than when it came in
(hopefully, better looking too). The efficiency of using what's
already there versus the burden of costs associated with relying
on the city's fresh water supply is a way better option. Also, saltwater
is readily available, naturally safer and easier to manage. Of course,
if saltwater is not naturally available, and/or the pool is located
inland, then all the necessary requirements must and will be met
in order to maintain a safe and ample water supply. Even then, I
would consider and suggest a saltwater mix. Then, throw a shark
in there for realism! (just kidding)
When
researching for a project such as this, it is pretty impossible
to get historical data about optimum locations and other criteria
necessary for business success. There is nothing out there like
it. The closest businesses with a similar theme would be waterpark
resorts, like Waterworld, Schlitterbaun, Splashtown or the like.
Well, we are not suggesting anything even closely related, but intend
on meeting the same criteria. We are proposing a surf city (hence
the name), with restaurants, concessions, retail and attractions
(a world class wavepool being the premiere one)... all with a surfing
theme for people who surf, want to surf or interested in the sport
and it's colorful and exciting history. The criteria are: either
being within a 50-60 mile radius of your customer and/or potential
customer base (surfers, beach goers, etc..), or being located at
a destination location. Galveston is both, and with a solid
infrastructure of food and lodging options (and an unlimited amount
of saltwater). I feel that, with at least the first surfpark, it
needs to be somewhere that already caters to the surfers and other
folks who are interested and enjoy the beach lifestyle. We need
all the help we can get to successfully launch this exciting, new
concept. What better place than Galveston, just a short jaunt from
a population of how many??
The
names in black are surfers that I have personally included and am
inviting to participate, but either don't know about the project
yet or haven't responded yet. The names in red are individuals who
have already responded and are interested in, at least, a surf membership.
When
it comes to this being a stand alone entity,it seems that there
are 2 distinct schools of thought. The first is the core surf response
that sees the demand and ultimate success in a surf park with the
entire theme being surf and surfing's spin-offs, i.e. skateboarding,
bodyboarding, skimboarding, etc... Of course, having attractions
geared towards family and kids are mandatory. I feel that a wave
park with all attractions having a common (surf/skate) theme, even
the restaurants and concessions, is a strong enough theme to attract
both surfers and non surfers alike. The second school of thought
(devil's advocate) is that there is no way that this can be successful
without it being just another attraction in a conventional water-park
environment, and that surfing and it's spin-offs are not enough
of an attraction, on their own, to achieve financial success. I
think they are dead wrong. The new technology and construction applications
we are going to be using makes this a much more affordable design
and is less expensive to operate, by a long shot, than Typhoon Lagoon,
Mandalay Bay, or the original wave pool attempts in Tempe, Arizona
and Allentown, Pennsylvania.
No.
Our goal is to utilize alternative technology and more cost effective
methods to reproduce as natural of an environment as possible. The
pool will primarily incorporate a pre-excavated bottom contour that
is capped with a reinforced, colored liner. Gunite will only be
used for interior containment walls. Real sand beaches will surround
the pool. We are currently consulting with local engineers and the
well established and successful liner company Lange Containment
to produce something similar to an "environmental pond."
Constructing a pool of this size and scale using typical gunite
construction would be far too costly as well as unnatural.
We are currently
considering four locations. Two are on the I-45 corridor, southbound,
between Clear Lake and Bayou Vista, and the other two being on Galveston
Island.
Our immediate
timeline is to have the one twelfth scale model of the wave cannons
and the surf pool completed by April 1, 2003. The timeline
will then depend on the reception we receive from both the surfing
community and local investors.
The pool is
being designed to have a left point on one side (beginners), a right
point on the other side (intermediate) and a peak going right and
left in the middle, on the inside (advanced). The layout is something
similar to a ski resort, with green runs, blue runs and a black
diamond run. This enables park operators to isolate surfers depending
on their skill level.
The
size of the wave is dictated by numerous factors, the depth of the
water, size of the wave cannons, and compression being the most
important ones. We are designing a wave beginning with an eight
foot face, ending with a three foot, with the length of ride being
about 90 yards.
The
cannons will be programmed to fire between every 45- 60 seconds.
Since the pool is designed with 4 different take off zones, 4 ridable
waves will be created every minute, or so.
Maximum
pool depth is 9' and the minimum depth is 2'. The total pool size
is roughly 110,000 sq. ft., or a little more than 2 acres. Basically,the
surfing areas encompass an area about the size of 2 football fields
side by side.
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