Surfing all year round in Belgium, soon to be a reality

Surfing all year round in Belgium, soon to be a reality

Did you know that in Knokke-Heist an artificial lake will be built, where it will be possible to generate tailor-made waves? The facility is an R&D test site to showcase the technology for potential surf park developers and to continue R&D activities.

Companies from all over the world have designed installations that mimic waves. Bristol and Snowdonia are the only locations in Europe where surfers can enjoy such installations, until now. The Ostend-based company AllWaves is currently developing a whole new generation of wave makers as part of the WaveLake project. The plan is to bring it to the market as soon as the testing process is completed.

Construction works on the artificial lake will start this summer. For this, the municipality of Knokke-Heist provides land on which a wave pool measuring 100 by 100 meters can be excavated. Starting this fall, professional surfers will be invited to test the waves under the supervision of Ghent University researchers. This phase will most likely take several years.

The current plan is to look for a suitable location to open a surf pool, accessible to the general public. This would make Knokke-Heist home to one of the first surf parks in Europe.

Stakeholders

Several parties are involved in the WaveLake project and the realization of the surf pool, namely:

  • Ghent University and the Coastal & Ocean Basin;
  • The companies AllWaves, Surfers Paradise, Lakeside Paradise, Vapo Hydraulics and SIOEN;
  • The West Flanders Development Agency (POM West Flanders);
  • The municipality of Knokke Heist.

The WaveLake project is supported by VLAIO and is facilitated by Blue Cluster.

For the most recent information, visit www.allwaves.surf.