Surf Parks, llc.

During the 20th century, surfing grew from a dying Hawaiian cultural artifact with relatively few devotees to a worldwide phenomenon with millions of enthusiastic participants. Boards have evolved from unwieldy 10-foot hardwood goliaths to high tech fiberglass potato chips. Leashes were invented, and wetsuits, and fins. Surfing’s had a busy century. The one constant in this incessantly evolving sport has been the playing field itself -- the ocean.
The ocean hasn’t changed. Well, maybe it’s become a bit more polluted and temperamental, but for the most part it is exactly the same as when the ancient Hawaiians dragged their 12-foot olo boards down the sand to ride the surf. Soon, however, the ocean may have competition. You’ve heard the whispers. You’ve read the articles. Wave pools are coming, wave pools unlike any other wave pools seen before.
Over the past decade or so a team of engineers, surfers, scientists and businessmen have been working at developing wave pools that will redefine what wave pools can be. They have come together to form Surfparks, working alongside ASR Ltd. and the Aquatic Development Group.
Their goal, to create wave pools, or surfparks as they will be called, that generate two to eight foot waves in sets with eight to twelve second wave intervals, and breaking over an unlimited variety of bottom contours for up to 100 yards, in a saltwater pool. Ambitious.
The Surfpark wave pool is unique due to three technological innovations: the Groundswell wave generation system, the Wedge Pool design, and the Veraseef pool floor.
First, and most importantly, is the Groundswell wave generation system. In the past, hydraulic, pneumatic, or vacuum systems were used to create waves. Each had its problems. Hydrolic and vacuum systems took too long, and the waves created by pneumatic systems were far too close together for surfing. The Groundswell wave system combines aspects of both vacuum and pneumatic systems in order to create waves up to eight feet at eight to twelve second intervals.
Secondly, the Wedge Pool design cuts down on the diminishment of wave size by becoming narrower as waves travel down the pool. Contemporary wave pools do exactly the opposite. They are narrower where the wave is created, and then expand as the wave travels into the pool. This causes the wave to lose power as it travels. The Wedge Pool design focuses wave power by containing the wave in a smaller area.  
The final aspect of Surfparks’ technology is the adjustable Veraseef floor system. The Veraseef floor is essentially a padded reef floating in the pool. Underneath, the floor is supported by water filled bladders. The levels of the floor can be adjusted via computer-controlled cables attached to the bottom of the floor. This allows the pool floor to mimic just about any reef in the world with the push of a button.
Surfparks has a park in the works in Orlando, Florida, and plans to build parks in Southern California and New York. However, it could be awhile before G-land comes to the world’s largest tourist trap. “Right now we’re still developing aspects of the technology,” Surfparks co-founder Doug Kirk said. “I don’t think we’ll be up and running (Orlando park) until 2009.”