URBNSURF is ready for waves
"Four days. That’s all it took to fill our slice of paradise in Tullamarine," said Andrew Ross in a recent press release from URBNSURF, who surely deserves praise for including 'paradise' and 'Tullamarine' in the same sentence.
I didn't read much more but scrolled down looking for the big reveal - what are the waves like?
Saw a photo of a bloke filling the pool,
...plus beautifully composed shots of the two halves of the pool,
...and then onto some more info from Andrew about local conditions and the like, but nothing about the waves until this:
"Over the next few weeks, we’ll be working closely with Wavegarden to ramp up from ripples, to runners, to reeling tubes. It’s a highly technical, considered process, and it’s not something we’ll rush."
"Once we’ve achieved full-height waves, Wavegarden’s founder and inventor, Josema, will begin loading our wave menu - we’re starting with sixteen wave types, ranging from heart-in-your-mouth barrels to peeling pointbreak-style walls - and fine-tuning the generator to produce perfect waves, minutes from Melbourne Airport."
So, no big reveal just yet, but they're close, and the pool is clearly way bigger than the prototype model we've all seen videos of.
Bigger pool = bigger and longer wave? Is this a reasonable equation?
Lastly, if you want to be among the first to surf it you can sign up and cross your fingers.
(Photos URBNSURF/Ed Sloane)
Comments
Must admit the water looks nice in that middle pic.
Kind of like the Maldives.
Only different
Mmm, i think they call it photoshop.
Wow, looking forward to the types of waves on offer as I ride every type of board!!!
Yeah but when?
So does the fountain in town on a hot day.
Not for me
Driving straight past this, on my way to paradise, flying from Tullamarine airport.
Wasn’t that hard....
Melbourne let (twin) Bristol edge ahead to open on November 4th 2019.
Apparently Bristol is running better than good to hand out heaps extra pre bookings.
Melbourne have steadied up and will now open in December.
Difference being Melbourne has flexi base affording wider use eg: (Sups! Nippers)
Hopefully Bodysurfing will be permitted in the take off zone (New Wave Pools ban it!)
Sadly like many, Bristol bans Body surfing, Skim, Sups / Oar.
Bristol has a Public Deluxe Walkway up the guts for added Viewing/Coaching/Patrols.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/gallery/first-look-wave-park-opening-...
https://www.thewave.com/about/
Crew can now see why WSL + Kelly are sweating on Dinosaur Tar pit use by date.
Next big thing looks as if it might have something that other wave pools lack?
'Waves'... & lots of them...Too many to count even! We'll soon see!
Post Note to Feralkook below...did some checking
...breaking news on boogerz (lidz)
URBNSURF...[f] 7th Oct 2019
Q:(James Bro)-Asks about Opening date + Bodyboarder trial Runs
URBNSURF reply: 'Summer' + Bodyboarders will be welcome
*Bodyboarders are fine if they keep to their intermediate waves.
Vid-Booger Family unravel Waco...Femlin grom gets money's worth.
https://www.ebodyboarding.com/blogs/bodyboarding-travel/bodyboarding-at-...
I hear you TBB, given the rhetoric about how inclusive of all the "Surfing community" these pools are claimed to be they discriminate against a good portion of that community, body bashers, lid riders etc, who if willing to pay should be afforded the opportunity to play when the surf is crap.
tbb salutes Feralkook's up front honest call!
6th Sept 2019
URBNSURF Lagoon Logistics (written by URBNSURF)
"Our intermediate waves are located in the middle of the lagoon. They'll offer waist high, green-faced waves, breaking both right and left, that will allow intermediate surfers to progress and practice turns, cutbacks and other manoeuvres. They'll also be the spots to muck around and have fun on a softboard, bodyboard or finless!"
tbb admits leashed bladed finned nerd womperz may have an outside chance to qualify for cyborg upgrade to URBNSURF 'Advanced' reserve rank cadets [L] Party Wave during the next severe lightning storm.
Lidz/basherz pay advanced price for crowded intermediate slush.
Lidz & basherz are unfairly subsidizing A List Skegz exclusivity.
tbb nods Feralkook on 1950's segregation & discrimination.
{Boycott inhumane Surf Parks & Porpoise Pools}
Boogers have to ride intermediate waves? Wow..
It’s 2019 for fucks sake, that slabbing setup looks ultra functional for lids/bodysurfers. If you rip and show proper surf etiquette, then who cares what you ride! No way I’d pay 70 something an hour for anything less than perfection.
This is the one you hear least about, but im betting it will be the first to open to the public.
Water looks a fair bit more appealing than Snowdonia.
Have you asked for a comment on expected water temp?
I had heard possibility of sub 12 degrees.
It would have to be mid winter. Not sure if they have solar heating or not. Mid summer out there might get to 23 max.
That should keep the amoebas at bay.
tbb are you on the same drugs that killed river phoenix?
That was the most lucid TBB post I've seen in a while. Reread, take time to digest / decipher and check his links. It's worth the effort.
agreed.
This Is Serious Mum.
whoa - nice tism reference ptai
I was extremely fortunate to have a guided tour of the pool prior to the fill. It truly is mind blowing what Urbnsurf have achieved. Clearly it is not producing waves just yet but the possibilities take me back to school days when you dreamt about waves. The biggest thing that blew me away is the photos don’t really do justice to the size and exceptional detail in the design. Get excited!!!!
Yeah I think for this sort of thing they may get it as right as it can be and as someone said they have kept a relatively low profile. They seem to have put a lot of thought into the whole concept and not just the wave so it can succeed with the average punter - which is has too if it is to make any money. I have entered the ballot as have the whole Essendon Football team probably (they are next door).
Rather standard tbb post...nothing suss (Surely!)
indo ...those dates are solid
Melbourne-Comp to surf with Mick- Jan > Easter >> Spring >>> Summer (This Year)
Bristol started dig much after & will open earlier as owner has been at it forever.
Both Parks started out with Snowdonia / NLand Designs & both switched to new.
Wave Park's Water Sources...(swellnet exclusive)
Spain- River > UV filter > Pool
Snowdonia - Dam > Hydro Plant > UV filter > Pool
The Ranch - State Bore Water > UV filter > Pool
NLand - Hand dug Lake > UV filter > Pool (re: Court Lagoon/Pool Ruling)
Waco - Springwater > Pool (Bug?) > Filtered > Lined Pool
These below pools as with Spain (above) all add Chlorine
Ross reckons he could gulp Spain's water & Melbourne is similar just more chlorine.
Surf Lakes- Bulk Town Water (Half Price) > Pool (Each test needed refills-expensive)
Note: All above pools have been drained & refilled at least twice...Chlorine cont...
Bristol - Bulk Town Water (Deal ?) > Pool ( Soon own stormwater > filter > pool)
Melbourne - A'port Storm Gardens > Multi filter(1) + own > Multi UV filter(2) > Pool
Surf Parks / Lakes are too large & costly to heat > Free hot tubs.
Bristol incorporate byo, boards, wetties , gear into the same entry price no matter.
Wavegarden head company & both owners decide together who opens first..No race!
Whats Webber reckon ?
Will be a million times better.
Will show us all when built.
Will never be built.
If you're worried about the water temp in Tullamarine then maybe spare a thought for the good people of Bristol.
webber your dreaming
Build it they will come. Well that only works when something there of a surprise actually exists. Funny how they only showed the pool with nothing happening and the poor guy who came back 4 days later to turn off the tap. Think of all that lost revenue Hmmmm. Can we all do a little dance like Slater did when his first wave came thru. Hmm WSL will be considering other locations to think about if and when this location measures up I am sure ??
I'm planning on heading to tulla surf park for a surf in the middle of August when its howling SW wind top of 9 degrees, hail and sleet with no one around, if its open. I recon it could be better than inside Sossa in the same conditions. Then catch a flight to somewhere warm the next day.
I'm excited.
Better than the 8th wonder of the natural world. Ya kiddin
Ha new you would bite
Good old sossa need to get down there with some shovels and move some sand.
Is the contrast between Tullamarine and Coolum any more glaring judging by these comments?
No they are both very similar: Coolum warm, sub tropical, lamentable and extremely crappy suburban settlement. Tulla: scorching hot in summer, dry as a chip, wind swept and cold in winter, mixed era industrial development. What could be more alike?
"Coolum warm, sub tropical, lamentable and extremely crappy suburban settlement".
EH! Great little town until all the fuggin Westies from Sydney and Melbourne lobbed into the place through the 90's and onwards.
Sure was.
agree zenagain! one is next to an airport and one is surrounded by the glasshouse mountains :)
No one likes it when someone pisses on your back and tells you it's raining.
They must know what they are doing but the location must be one of the windiest and therefore coldest parts of Melbourne in winter. I’m therefore interested to hear about their operational hours especially in winter and what the water temperature is going to be. If they are going to heat the water that will be a massive cost.
Given Tullamarine isn’t the geographic or demographic centre of Melbourne (that’s in the SE suburbs at the moment but Melbourne’s population is expected to grow by 40% in under 20 years ... enter Blowin) I wonder whether crew will drive out there given the traffic on the freeway networks.
tullamarine will be open in winter. ive already booked for a session in bristol in the middle of UK winter.
Not wrong about winter weather - Just down the road from URBNSURF....
"The Essendon Recreation Reserve was soon nicknamed “Windy Hill” due to the fact that the ground stood on the crest of a hill with no construction behind it but the vast sweep of the Victorian plains. It was always windy and sometimes gale force. When the Victorian winters kicked into full swing the press boxes took the front of the winds and the frozen journalists soon dubbed the ground “Windy Hill”.
https://shawfactor.com/reference/history-of-windy-hill-essendon/
Icandig, thanks for that, my father grew up in Essendon within ear shot of the crowd’s roar of a home game at Windy Hill. Went to many games with my dad, granddad and Aunty, us kids used to sneak into the rooms at 1/2 time to hear the coach’s address. You could kick a footy on the ground back then during all the breaks! My favourite memory thou was listening to a game with my pop in his garage on the “wireless”. Too old to go to a game but never to old to have beer listening to his team.
I think it will firmly be in the novelty category for every surfer in the SE, crossing the city is a shitshow at the best of times. I'm on the MP and I'll just drive that little bit further to the surf coast if I want a decent wave and then I can spend the $100 saved on beer
The west is the one of the fastest growing areas in Melbourne. That whole area around Point Cook, Tarneit and Werribee didn't exist 10 years ago and is still going strong. The train line feeding it is the second busiest in Melbourne. There are shed loads of people living out there.
For perfect waves I’ll go - and I live on the peninsula! Also the east guys will come down for sure. But that said yeh its a weird location. Not easy to get that amount of vacant commercial land at a decent price as that sector is booming now - so it’s either there or in the West/north or south growth corridors where there’s still plenty of land I guess
It's going to be cold...the bay here gets down to 10.5 in winter, fairly reasonable to expect sub 10 degree water. Heating it should be out of the question, way too much energy required.
That being said, I think there's huge potential for the evening market during winter. Year round surfing, under lights, after work would be a massive drawcard. The worst thing they could do is close the pool early during winter.
Heating energy's only the start of the costs/environmental impacts. Water usage would be a massive one too. The evaporation rates would be off the charts if it was heated to any significant degree (unless they enclosed and airconditioned the whole pool complex!)
Cold is good -
Keep away crowds!! Evening surfing would be awesome - particularly as lighter traffic to get home
Crew are right onto that...Reason for no hurry?
Well worth the wait for Summer fun reviews...any time sooner cops a cold shoulder!
URBNSURF Parking + racks !
152 guest [P] + 107 overflow (No rates as yet?) + 18 bike racks
Melrose [P] across rd + "free Air Shuttle" = $25/day (no hourly away from terminal)
https://www.melrosep.com/rates
Transit
Note Ciloms across the Rd 'Bistro' also runs a "free Air Shuttle"
tbb highlights [P]+ 'Alt Air Shuttles' as Ross only lists Buses! (No Air -Pool Shuttle!)
Trams + Buses (Strictly No Boards) + [Rail < > Bus voids the Pool for Airport].
https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/more/travelling-on-the-network/luggage-allowa...
Flights + Skybus (Boards are OK!) go to > (Terminal 4) for URBNSURF
https://www.skybus.com.au/melbourne-city-express/luggage/
T4-[478/9 Watson Dr] > URBNSURF Wave Park (One Stop =$5 No Boards- Sorry!)
ALL interstate Plane/Train/Skybus must Hire car, Taxi or Shuttle to Wave Park.
*tbb requests only logical way for interstate BYO Comp Teams or Weekend Warriors!
PTV can easily adjunct Surf Coast board pardon for Buses in 'Elite Air-Surf Precinct'.
URBNSURF-Airport-PTV [478] have enough time to fit board racks before opening.
Visitors won't forgive rude hello & goodbye, at least treat your workers with respect.
swellnet crew leads from the front -Our free pool toy for Eco Wave Park.(All say Aye!)
I really like the look of their test facility wave so very keen to see how full size version will go. Plus they seem to be the only mob that have decent water clarity. Anyone know what the cost will be?
All (AUD)
URBNSURF build cost $18.5m of $28.3m raised(Secured)
Entry fees...
The Wave Bristol (Short hour)= $75 Adults / Gromz = $55
All inclusive (entry fee+Board,Wettie,Leggie,Hot Tub etc)
All one price avoids BYO transit constraints (above)
URBNSURF Melbourne Wave Park
Buy a leggie/Win Surf with Mick at Jan '19 open.
Double Pass Gold Ticket value =$140
(Ticket Price valid from 20/12/18- 6/5/19)
Come mid year dudes on ACA 'Where's my Pro!'
Champ won't put out!...Mick 'WTF is this shit?'
Note Mick honoured the Prize in the Surf! Nice!
Pool Boy Mick can't open much for a year.
Is the pic of water clarity legit ?
will it look like that after an hour of breaking waves ?
This could’ve been a short bike ride from my place in the west but council said ‘No’. WA .. Wait awhile.
WA.Melville Council said Hell Yeah, tell the residents nothing.
Note URBNSURF were denying site was Toxic Dump.
Branding locals as liars.
In turn the residents took own Council to Court & won...
State Govt enforced ruling as hands were tied. 'No Deal.'
No! You won't read about underhanded deals in News.
Only innocent party-WA Govt copped the blame!
https://www.squirepattonboggs.com/en/news/2018/07/court-finds-city-of-me...
URBNSURF recently said they lost $500,000 in WA
(re: Blame local Council's greedy corruption)
https://www.theage.com.au/business/small-business/u-a-church-to-surfing-...
I was frothing as it was near Mum's. Oh well.
Much of Australia is in severe drought, possibly unprecedented. I live on the coast, in the sub-tropics with supposedly some of the most reliable rainfall in Australia. Ringed by bushfires and have been since the start of spring due to a severe rainfall deficit. The mighty Clarence river is barely a trickle up on the ranges.
And we fill huge pools with precious freshwater so people can go surfing.
Fucking nuts.
Or is there some hidden logic to this that I'm not seeing?
Just like the Kelly slater one up here. Major bushfires and evacuations just up the road recently from the proposed site.....absolutely ludicrous
No drought in Melbourne we have had plenty up until now. I tend to see it as a new era public pool. You have to remember that Melbourne is huge and is set to be the biggest city in OZ and the west haven't got a lot (starting to get a few trees) so I think one of these in this area is doable. If you look at the irrigation on all the footy and cricket ovals in the west, they would be use way more water on a yearly basis than this setup.
Maybe, not sure what the water usage in a public pool compared to the wave pool is.
But the public utility is another matter. 2 or 3 bucks to get in and swim for as long as you want. Maybe empty it in winter. Swimming pools are a genuine asset for everyone to use.
Wavepools, not so much.
Watering grass not sure about the numbers there. You're probably right.
Doesn't alter the point though. Fresh Water is becoming increasingly scarce and precious- globally, but especially in Australia.
To use it in wave pools makes a deadset mockery of any kind of environmental stewards claim surfers might make.
Wait 'til the mainstream media grabs a hold of that one and runs with it next time we want to protest against drilling the bight or some other environmental concern.
I take your point and agree with it but you should see the public pools in Melbourne, they are mega and have splash pools, water play, gyms, hydro therapy, 25m, 50m lap pools (outdoor and heated to 26º), cafés and they are a lot more than a few bucks to get in. This to me is on the same level and is in a city of nearly 5 million people which is highly urbanised and more Euro and so very different to Sydney with its access to surf beaches and Briso. As far as surfers and environmental concern go, this is a furphy. On a local level one on the MP they will stomp on the dunes and make a short cut to the beach creating erosion and do not care. They bring their dogs down off leash to chomp the shore birds and don't give a stuff. A lot of surfers are just bogans who like surfing and pay lip service to environmental concerns. There are those such as you who are not however I feel you are a minority.
I agree, but I'm mostly talking about the perception of surfers as being "close to nature" and the reputation, however ill-informed and unjustified that we have as coastal stewards.
I think that will be gone within a generation.
Yes I agree totally if it hasn't happened already we will be seen as just another pastime/sport that happens to take place in the ocean.
Just out of interest Memla, I've been walking on one of the local beaches after work in the arvos, mostly closes out - it is the areas where people have trashed the dunes and paths and sand blows out, that have the only thing resembling an offshore bank. We actually need to trash them more, and create more blowout in the dune systems. Hiding all the sand in vertical, tall marram grass dunes is not the way to go and nowhere near natural for Australian coastal dunal systems.
Freeride, swim in Vic $8.80 locally. 2 or 3 bucks I wish!
i've often wondered if you got 10 blokes with shovels at low tide on a close-out beachie stretch, and just gouge out a few trenches from the sand perpendicular to the water line, about 15m long, 2-3m wide and as deep as is realistic, and then let the tides and waves do their work for a few days, whether that would actually be enough of a perturbance in the system to create a surfable bank
VJ the is a looooooong bow to draw. There is a bit of Marram Grass close to shore but the majority of it is native coastal dune scrub and creating major blow outs is called erosion in anyones language. Most of the stuff the crew are stomping all over is all native plants and often on rock ledges. It is vandalism particularly when there is a perfectly good walkway/stairway down to the beach not being used because it takes a little longer to get there. Wether the dunes are short or tall they were/are covered in veg and it was not the Sahara of moving sand.
Off topic Memla but Parks Vic banning dogs on the back beaches was an absolute shithouse decision. All because a few dogs were running into the Hooded Plover areas.
What’s wrong with being able to walk your dog on a lead on the waters edge? Nothing!
I’m not a Parks Vic basher like some people down here but that was one decision that was completely over the top and heavy handed.
Agree goofy but surfers just leaving their dogs to run amok on the beach didn't help matters. The biggest killer of the plovers is dogs however on a leash inside the park I reckon it was too big a stick to ban it as well. I have been booked a few times and even ended up in court at Dromana as I had a run in with a plain clothes undercover Parks cop which went pear shaped. Too much zeal on both sides.
Who remembers when the Poowong magpies, during a long drought with severe water restrictions had a lush green oval while every other country footy oval was dry as a bone?
They'd been stealing water through an illegal unmetered pipe from the town water supply.
The band Root! with Damian Cowell from Tism had a song about it too.
Hey mate it’s not in the news much but yeh our reservoirs are low and so we’re buying billions of dollars of water from desal plant. I was shocked when a local water educator told me that
tbb above: Urbnsurf recycles/Filters Airport Runway water.
tbb gets into trouble for saying (Runway Firefighting foam)
Airport stormwater supplies Fields+Pool+All grey water.
Bristol holds 25ML(Same)Melbourne 'predict' 25ML/year loss
Ranch holds 2 x 68 ML loses 1.1ML/day)
WSL pro comp per day = 10,000 Stanthorpe folk per day
(Stage 1 Water remediation by Melbourne Airport)
https://www.spiire.com.au/projects/melb-airport/
https://www.aquatecenviro.com.au/projects/melbourne-airport-stormwater-h...
(Stage 2 is the 'approved 5 step' filtering by URBNSURF)
Urbnsurf patent+(Fed Airport precinct glosses EPA reports)
Process can be accessed by URBNSURF files re:W.A+Syd
(Reverse Osmosis)
re: Non plumbed water vending machines.
Filters their flu flask slops for your next refill.
See Train Station & Malls. (Reverse Osmosis)
Check it out! No Tap feed just a power point!
None look behind so it hardly matters. Drink up!
No! Yer right, not tbb's cup of tea either!
I believe It's being filled with treated run off from the airport (runways / roof)..
Profits above all else isn’t it..
Mad mad world
The water in the pool is literally a drop in the ocean so stop complaining about people trying to get on with their lives. As I've said before, if you're that worried about CC, sell your car, surfboards, wetsuits and house and go live in a cave somewhere - otherwise you're just another hypocrite like the protesters clogging city streets at present (do they really have any idea what they're protesting about???)
Sort of.
You got to laugh at the comments sections of newspapers atm about the ER movement. Finally an issue attracting more venom than stories on the rights of cyclists from the usual suspects.
Water: could be a good news story if they used recycled water or water harvested from nearby industrial roofing and the DFO ... but that’s likely to cost too much.
Thanks for the idiot comment d-Rex. Yes, they all know what they’re protesting about. Telling other people to go live in caves or else they’re hypocrites is a pretty classic response to nothing at all.
Trying to move towards a sustainable world we can all live in is hardly a revolutionary idea. Trashing the world entirely because you couldn’t give a toss, or don’t know enough, or think you’re gods gift to the planet shows your own hypocrisy, cognitive dissonance, lack of understanding and sheer bloody mindedness.
Get with the game d-Rex, or at least get out of the way. Take a look at yourself and wonder why anyone under 70 became such a grumpy old man way before their time.
Staggering levels of ignorance.
Anybody know the literage of the tub? It says 22,000m2 area but not the volume of water. I know that 4 ovals worth of irrigation for 1 year is 52.8 megalitres so this sounds well under that and the top up wouldn't be huge over a year once filled.
If you're trying to estimate the annual water loss, you can calculate that based off the surface area, "splashing factor" (basically, a way of accounting for additional surface area due to water being sprayed) and temperature difference between the surface of the pool and the surrounding air. The numbers can be a lot larger than you'd think if the water is much warmer than the air.
Thanks however it will be the other way around down here (the water certainly won't be much warmer than the air). I just wondered what the tub holds in total litres or megalitres then move on to total loss year round so as to work out water usage.
Lemoore is said to evaporate 1,000,000 litres on a hot day.
Which is only (he says) 1 megalitre so this thing is half the size so mid summer super hot day and packed to the gills it loses .5 of a megalitre. Multiply by maybe 30 = 15 mL over summer which is significant. I am working on project at the moment with some water gurus so I will try to find out who is working on it and see if I can get more detail.
Yep; unless they decide to heat the pool (as some others above have floated). If you've got ~10 degree air and 20+ degree water, that's going to drive a lot of evaporation. If the water's roughly the same as the air, evaporation would be fairly low.
You're a wealth of information on water pops.
This not the first time you have educated myself on the many theories of water.
Thank you.
No worries LD! Glad I'm not the only one interested in that kind of stuff.
I went and had a look at it about a month ago and thought it was quite impressive from an engineering point of view.
The one thing that did strike me as odd was the pools orientation being the wave traveling from south west so offshore in a north easterly. Lots of ocean options with that wind. The pool may actually take some pressure off the east coast..... not much but some.
That's an odd decision to make, i.e., off-shore in a NE; surely would have been better to make it off-shore in a NW given that's the more likely wind direction for most of the summer period, at least...?
NE & straight East are not so common down here, from my experience...
E - NE-N very common in summer, NW more so in winter but S and SW are the dog winds which is when it is hard to find anywhere being offshore.
Easterlies are not common at all at Tulla, perhaps you're thinking about coastal conditions? - see http://www.bom.gov.au/clim_data/cdio/tables/pdf/windrose/IDCJCM0021.0862...
which is stats from 1970 to 2019, showing barely any E at all, and not much more NE to be honest. Same for 9am stats: http://www.bom.gov.au/clim_data/cdio/tables/pdf/windrose/IDCJCM0021.0862...
Perhaps below comment is more correct, i.e., build to stop the SW more so, but even then the predominant wind is direct South. That's why the airport is basically N-S aligned (slightly NW/SE actually) - pilots don't like cross-winds...
End of the day, just plant a stack of pine trees or similar wind-break trees on the south side, that will help a lot...in about 15 years! ;-)
Yeah very different from the coast good research. Never plant pine trees they are an ecological weed and wind breaks which work aren't as simple as you might think.
Yeah northerly is the most frequent direction over the year, I suppose facing it north east factors in the s/w wind direction being blocked by the walls at the take off end.
I still reckon those hot windy N/E days in summer will see Melbourne crew toss up whether to hunt the coast when it’s 2-4 foot or go to the pool for an hour.
I am not leaving peninsula for pool on a north easterly !!!! They are game time and not common enough!
Assuming an average depth of one meter multiply 22000m2 x 1m equals 22,000m3.
1m3 equals 1000 litres. Multiply 22000m3 x1000 litres equals 22,000,000 litres.
oceans11 is right as tbb said above it's...25ML.
(22ML) 22,000,000 likely for mid summer.
Surf Lakes is 80ML (Plunger needs deeper pool centre!)
Surf Lakes Cost = $221,600 to fill pool (Town water)
After Mayor's call on discounts = $104,000
Discount is in the middle of Drought & start of Bushfires.
Snowdonia=23ML + NLand =50ML + (Ranch re: Above)
Thanks which is what I thought, less than half the amount to water 4 ovals per year.
I saw on stab they are saying the waves will be bigger than the test facility with 2m faces or 3ft in surfing terms. That’s not bad, I don’t think slaters is quite that big? Maybe close.
It’s funny the negative comments on here
‘Too cold’ - that’s what wetsuits are for
‘Waste of water in drought’ - its bloody Melbourne!
Yeah but 10.5 if friggin cold. Coldest ocean temp in Bass Strait in winter is around 12-13-14. If you have swum in the bay mid winter it feels a lot colder than the ocean.
Wondering just how much you'd need to put your head underwater in a wavepool? Maybe if you fell off, but there'd be no other time you'd need to. No duckdiving, so no wetsuit flushing.
True but you would need booties and gloves and the air temp could be 8º with wind chill making it feel around zero so head covered as well.
Booties and gloves?!
You need to get on the Wim Hof program, Memla. Cold showers, breathe deeply, not a problem.
Wore a 2mm steamer right the way through this last winter including days where the wind chill went under zero, and I reckon I might try next winter in a springsuit.
Booties and gloves....
Yes Bah Humbug indeed, only a minor difference Stu.......Sydney ocean temp in winter gets as cold as maybe 17º.
15° where I live, but the air temps plummet.
Anyway, it's all academic, if Wim Hof can climb Everest in nought but footy shorts I reckon we can pass on the booties and gloves, and maybe, just maybe, even a steamer while surfing.
True I don't go the booties or gloves but head yes which stops brain freeze, keeps the heat in, and keeps the surfers ear at bay (big problem down here). You would be surprised how much a degree or two changes the temp. 15º feels fine even with cold wind but 13º is chilly and 10.5º F&*%$ icy. Wim Hof I bow to you.
Come do a couple of winters in southern tas mate, you’ll be as warm as toast in that Tulla wave pool!!
Yeah stu. Found out about wim hof about 5 years ago. Didn’t do any of the breathing exercises, just opened my mind to how much cold is affected by your mental state.
Had a mid winter surf with a mate, freezing Sou west gales coming off a big dump of snow, late arvo. The worst of it by far was the walk up the sand. Sand has that capacity to drain all heat out of your limbs.
Anything is manageable if your mind is right, and you continue to breathe.
Yeh exactly who cares about the cold - thats par for the course as vic surfers
for kicks Stu, or other reasons?
The 2mm wetty?
If so, yeah it started for kicks. I was buying a wetty and the fella said his range can be worn one mm thinner than the usual, so I sort of took that as a dare and dropped down to a 2mm steamer. I wasn't overly worried as I had a 3/2 that was just hanging in and figured if I got too cold I'd wear that through the back half of winter.
As it happened, I only wore the 3/2 a couple of times and only when my 2mm wetty was wet and I didn't want to put it on.
I was thinking to myself that thinner wetsuits are the new frontier, where all the improvements would occur, kinda like the way we had a huge leap in wetsuit quality around 2005 when the first wave of Flashbombs hit the market, and then I recently saw Quiksilver have released a 1mm full steamer so I guess they're thinking the same thing.
Might elaborate and write a review on it next autumn.
C5 C6 Stuey....keep em warm !
I wore a 3/2 in winter in vicco winters for years but I found I needed to keep paddling to stay warm. It can be done and the thinner suit is nice. Also wore booties but only because of the reefs I generally surf.
I used to go down to Torquay for a week in the middle of winter for work and would always surf in a 3/2 no booties and hood, first duck dive was a killer but after that it was fine... took a while to feel your feet again after a surf, cut my feet getting in at Winki one day on only felt it about 4-5 hours later!
Even used a 2/2 H-bomb demo suit one day (middle of the day) and only realised that the battery was flat when I paddled out though they had an extra wetsuit panel on the back so it was ok.
It will be interesting if the 1mm steamer catches on with the public or they will think its too thin.
I've been using a Quik wetty in winter that is airated.
The "fnlite" material.
I think the airation creates a thermal barrier that resists heat transfer.
Very happy with the product, purchased a back up recently.
That's the future of suits in my opinion.
2mm in winter. Not where I am !
By airation do you mean a layer of air bubbles trapped/sandwiched between two layers of neoprene? That's pretty similar to to a common way of insulating buildings (layer of air between a couple of layers of foil-faced insulation)... The air layer does give a noticeable benefit.
He's lost it Steve.
Was telling me he was in a 2mm on one of the coldest days of the years and I was in a 4/3 80km up the coast.
I'd rather be a little warm than on the cold side ;p
yeah, all's I remember about Stu's cold water fortitude is him surfing in boardies for the late at Dolphin Point, having one too many shandies at the Marlin that night and then sitting in the car with the "flu" while we surfed pumping Ulladulla bombie the next day.
remember that Craig?
Yep, that I do, haha. Was gonna bring it up.
Laugh it up, fuzzball. While I get loose and limber in my barely-there wetty.
PS: Good point Udo. Though no problems yet. Anyway, at this point it's more important I make my case against these goons then look after my health.
Nice Empire Strikes Back reference Stu. I use that one all the time. Goes over most people's heads.
@stunet
Looks like you may have set yourself up for a mid winter challenge at the wave pool in the 2 mm.
Whim hoff away !
I’ve actually been forced from the water a couple of times in Indo due to being too cold the last couple of days. And this is after caving in to Stu’s urging to practice The Hoff technique.
So I’ve been running in an affected slow mo parody up and down the beach in red boardies , sporting a life preserver as the wind ruffles my luxurious chest pelt. Hasn’t helped me endure the cold water but the Bavarian surfer girls love it !
Good on 'em I reckon. The set up looks way more appealing than the wave ranch.
I still think it is a positive to have part of the "surf industry" actually create a net increase in good waves on the planet waves as opposed to decades of increasing demand with static supply. And, as for the ever controversial crowd spill over into the ocean factor, people tend to give a leave pass to Cheyne, Kong and, who knows how many other ex pro surfers, who have dedicated their post contest lives to churning out new surfers at their learn to surf schools day in day out with nary a wave created between them.
I would worry if China built hundreds of them though. Better make sure surfing is seen as a subversive and democratising influence!
on that note. I worked in the much hated surf schools for a decade. If I had to put a figure on the once and done box tickers who just want to say they stood on a surfboard in Australia it'd be around 99%.
I reckon Cheyne's surfers paradise surf school would be similar.
Maybe the wave pools will be similar? Mostly learners who do it once or twice and then leave it alone?
Or not?
I think we'll need the next ten years to make a call.
and probably the next decade to see if in fact they do increase the supply of surfable waves, relative to the natural and any artificial increase in surfer numbers that are generated.
Relative to population increase, I think there are less "surfers",)
There may be more people surfing in certain areas, though I feel overall there are far fewer lifers.
Modern life has far to many distractions.
I think you might be right LD
freeride76..recall yer Brazo Broms attached to umbilical chords.
http://www.blogmodainfantil.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/bebe-surfi...
tbb is quite rightly revising your stats up to 110%
Sloshing the brine over the pregnant students on 1,2 & 3.
Better up that to 150% & Climbing.
Surfing+Burping+Farting+Crawling Home...Got it!
[bonus home vid for freeride76].
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6872217/Moment-S-o-Paulos-surfi...
Whats the Wavepool insurance do you have to sign a Disclaimer ?
Yeh I think that would be a given - have to sign a disclaimer to go to trampoline parks
And this has got to be more dangerous given some people
Who try will be poor swimmers -
The insurance will be super expensive!
Is a northerly wind offshore and a southerly onshore ?
Is the pool oriented that way and any structures that give shelter from an onshore?
Can't remember where I heard it (maybe on the lipped podcast with the founder) but they reckon the wind doesn't make much difference. No fetch to build the chop up. No way to really know until its running I guess
Wind will be a factor plus/minus at that site
Half price entry if it's howling onshore?
tbb was hosed down over Firies' PFAS bubble bath & now crew have turned cold.
Resembles a Gold Coast Postcard but now with pool boy Jack Frost skating the Park.
Note: Dawn/Dusk/Evening look calm but daytime has wind gusting over whole pool.
Reckon they tried for less windy midday snaps & said don't bother...sound about right?
The answer to the next asked question you all seek is Blowin' in the Wind.
Pause!
Back up to top now click on bottom line [sign up & cross your fingers] Yep! That one!
See that Face on the Wave Machine- You should make out the image of a Wind/Wave God.
'But who is this wind/wave God & what reason or direction of his/her presence said no one!'
Pause again!
Think long & Hard of iconic sea winds of this end of the World...You all know of which!
Wave machine front represents the Head of this iconic full force wave rising wind.
tbb won't spoil, as it's not his story to tell...kindly leave it to your Pool host to explain.
Ross: "Huey the Surf God's best mate Roary of Southern Ocean's Roaring 40's fame."
'Roary is the name of the full force steadfast wave powerhouse'.
Vicco Pool Party Rules: Huey said it's fine to Summon Roary for yer Pool Waves! OK!
Same Wavepool mag interviews Mr Ross about yer water 'n' wind...so just chill out!
http://wavepoolmag.com/melbourne-andrew-ross-tells-us-why-surfing-will-n...
Maybe just me, but I'm a bit lost on this one... ;-)
TBB's inimitable style sprinkled with tongue in cheek humour, pathos?, light sarcasm and incredibly detailed research.
Translation for Gray and others: (Apologies to TBB for any misinterpretation). PFAS is / was a toxic chemical used for firefighting - extensively at airports. Tbb has previously alluded to airport runoff potentially contaminating pool. The article linked (if to be believed) possibly answers questions arising from this.
Second point is possibly about the sexy looking photos posted and clean vs ruffled water surface.
Next stuff is about Huey, the Roaring 40's and the naming of the machine. (Check article). Also alludes to fear of strong winds and Andrew Ross's answer to that.
Might have missed a bit here and there.
Hope I've done it justice.
Haha, thanks for the translation/conversion!
Yeah, pfas doesn't sound great... Either which way, don't swallow too much water when ya wipe out...I get it!
after a peak at google maps I can't help but notice the waves will break towards the north-east?
wouldn't that make the predominant wind cross/onshore?
Onshores will be like the first few minutes after a the wind swings in the ocean - no chop and a bit more crumble but still okay. It always surprises me how brief that phase is where the onshore is just a ruffle on the surface before chop builds up. Offshore or glassy will look heaps better though.
Just comparing water usage on wave pools compared to ovals etc etc.
Noticed at my local ovals and the local public dunny attached to it they are using recycled water. Presumably from the local water treatment/grey water.
Imagine they are using some recycled water in Melbourne too?
Does change the equation.
Even Gold Coast airport makes a big deal out of being water wise and using recycled water in it's dunnies.
freeride76 Airport runoff > URBNSURF treatment process > re: links (tbb:above).
Again! URBNSURF process is patented & only accessible online via WA / Syd EIS
As such tbb painstaking redrafted it verbatim on last swellnet Melbourne pool site...
(Copped flack!) 17/Sept/2019...[tbb swears it sticks to the script!]
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2019/02/07/melbournes-ne...
Wavepool Wind Whisperers (Clockwise around Oz)
Qld:
Coolum Ranch -prevailing South/east blows offshore on North > South wave run site.
(Note:) May have revealed twin blade L+R south run (No reverse cross-onshore left?)
NSW
Gosford (Past proposal) Prevailing wind direction will compliment the wave quality. With offshore breezes for easterly winds & cross-shore for North < >South winds.
Sydney
URBNSURF- Has been designed to suit prevailing conditions.
Victoria
Tullamarine URBNSURF- Wave suits Autumn/Winter winds from North/N East.
Summer the winds will shift more onshore.(New wave design hugs walls out of wind)
WA
Perth URBNSURF-(Past proposal) Orientated to suit prevailing S/W sea-breeze.
Optimizing potential for offshore conditions during most of the year.
It's been funny watching the wavepool "race" (Slater v Webber) and then the various reveals (Slater, Yeppoon) while these guys have quietly plucked away. It all might not mean anything in the end, success will come down to the strength of the respective business models, but they've at least set themselves apart.
Previously had a back yard pool in our home on the sunny coast and 5 or 6 years ago when the summer rains didn't fall, the evaporation rate was incredible.The 36000 litre pool would lose about 2500 litres approx. by evaporation every 2 weeks. This equates to 7% approx. I solved this problem by installing a pool cover when pool not in use and the evaporation reduced to almost zero.
With these figures applied to the Coolum wave pool this would equate to:- 7% of 22mil litres equals 1.54 mil litres lost through evaporation every 2 weeks.Over 6 hot summer months the loss could be as high as 10 mil litres!
As we are also in drought on the Sunnycoast this begs the question.
Where will this water come from and who pays?
I can believe those figures, evap of my pond (somewhat smaller litre-wise...) would show about the same %s I reckon.
Dunno about Coolum, but our Melb. desal plant will be running flat out to top-up this new wave pool come El Nino / drought years, that's for sure. And it's Vic tax payers (water users) paying for that, ultimately...
Can't fault back yard science, crew are seriously hitting the target range.
The Ranch alternates 2 Large 68ML lakes (136ML) losing 1.1ML per day
see: (Photo) Front Grey Tank holds 1.1ML or 300,000 gal Tank or (10,000 Qld users)
https://stabmag.com/assets/Screen-Shot-2018-04-30-at-9.38.56-AM.png
Well guys, just surfing around and saw this piece and had to throw in my 2 cents. Aside from the technicalI side, evaporation and other issues--I wonder how's it going to affect the physce of the tribe. Especially grommets, (older cats too), no more falling asleep at night kinda starry eyed wondering what the Ocean will freely give them tomorrow and just being at peace with it--the waves--the freedom, the sand under their feet, the salt water. Now falling to sleep with visions of wave tanks in their heads and wondering if they can get the cash to buy some waves. Will surfing ever really be the same for them. Innocence lost I think.
Don't think the kids will be able to afford to surf this often enough for it to make any difference.....
Noah's flock once counted their fluffy sheep to sleep.
Androids unnaturally dreamt of Electric Sheep
Wavepool addict has nightmares of Live Sheep export Trade.
Count 1,000 waves/hr & don't miss one ~~~/(C..[mine)~~~/(C..[mine)~~~/(C..[mine)
Doctor! "I think my brain bug has been washed enough by now!" Last wave i promise!
I went through all comments and replied to a few,
Wondering what's next , or what should I do?
Figured it was time to bring out the ryme .
About the wave pool that is tasteless hence no brine ,
Worries about water , no questions about waves,
Can I bring my surfboards on the tram?
What should I eat beforehand ? Toast and jam?
Poets corner .....lanky
'Lanky Dean's 'Merman's Sirens' disguised as Wave Pool Shanties have lured tbb in too deep'.
'Thought I was a goner...Thanks Huey!'
The Wave Bristol (Time Lapse of the similar Pool fill)
UK wider Central Boardwalk with Handrails as to Melbourne's narrow slip'n'slide.
There seems no obvious reason such a Boardwalk can't be added or removed?
Melbourne trials Flexi- Grip Pool Base but centre walk looks narrow, wet & slippery?
Life Guard's 'central pool access is priority' & should be 100% work place safe!
A long time until opening day so we'll trust presentations are a work in progress...
Note: 'Airport Precinct' approval is more streamlined to rigid Council pool by-laws.
solid use of water resources there.
Don't know if anyone has mentioned this but what is the likelihood of this being a standby wave if Bells is blown out or too small? Just a thought. Personally I hope not.
Yeah, nah.
WSL own the competing surf ranch wave pool tech. I wouldn't be surprised if WSL pro's were forbidden from surfing the Urbn surf pool during the comp.
On topic of URBNSURF being a back up for WSL comps & WSL Pro's allegiance. Crew are on the right trail. Vic CORA wave pool (Geelong Surf Coast) was costed at $22M by URBNSURF. CORA Elite Wave Pool Training facility was in part an Olympic & WSL Bell's 'training facility' sanctioned by Surfing Victoria + State Govt. Mostly to sure up existing Victorian Sport. Never did WSL get involved. For their part URBNSURF say their facility is fine for Olympic training & SA comp standard but not quite WSL Pro Comp standard.
National Olympic Teams all feature 'WSL contracted Surfers'.
Most National Teams signed with Spain Wavegarden + US Team signed to Waco + Oz signed to The Ranch. The only Olympic team signed to Kelly's Pool & only because it was linked to WSL. Seems Kelly's pool is not up to Olympic Standard.(Lack of Waves?)
Are URBNSURF running comps?
URBNSURF are building a total framework from school kids up. URBNSURF lifeguards+Surf Coach are to work with National bodies but also draft a Hybrid World Class Safe Surfing Course to roll out in schools of all countries.
Pool is purposely designed for 'Swim' & Oar...New different SUP Yoga each day.
Nippers Skis & Paddleboards/Bronze + Footy Therapy all Govt hand out programs that put surfing last.
URBNSURF team surfers will compete in National Surf Titles which can be held in wave pool.Local comps held during evenings. Olympic squads + Ironmen + Footy Boofs would rule the arvo pool hours as usual.
There is scope for a rebel league...
[ Pro Flow Surf League]
https://www.flowboarders.com/
[ Pro Rapid Surf League]
https://www.rapidsurfleague.com/
[ No Wavepool League ] + [ No Wavepool SLS Titles ]
http://wavepoolmag.com/melbourne-andrew-ross-tells-us-why-surfing-will-n...
Having read all these comments, a couple of things:
- The owner confirmed a while back that there would definitely be no heating of any kind. I can almost see this being colder than the ocean in mid winter.
- The orientation of the pool is interesting, but possibly the only option they had in terms of the shape of the site. From my point of view, offshore in a southerly would be much better, but that means the pool will be at it's best on the days with the worst weather. May not translate to profit. Hot summer northerlies might bring more people out.
They have indicated that the pool is reasonably sheltered from the winds. I wonder if they have the ability to put up more walling to shelter it further?
Newly open Vic' 1.5ML Wave Pool 'Volcano Beach' is heated.
http://www.funfields.com.au/latest-news/9-news-melbourne-at-new-wave-poo...
New Surf Lagoons URBNSURF 22ML are too expensive to heat.
UK Wavegarden includes wetties,boards,tubs(no BYO discounts)
tbb is not questioning local crews preferred Wave Park orientation in regard to wind. This comment highlights the nature of Wave Pool design in current wind setting. True that Airports have restricted building heights in regard to wind, ruling out onshore Hi-Rise bank. Trees would be an example of max CASA build Height.
As such there are neighbouring planted Airport Drive windbreaks of 250 trees screening whole Western boundary + Nearby wooded reserves directly North + South-East + #1 Windbreak is Roary (The Wave Machine) standing 4m tall by 80m long whom splits the pool heading N/W.
https://tul.imgix.net/content/article/urbnsurf-melbourne-opening-1.jpg?a...
https://www.bosshunting.com.au/.image/t_share/MTY3NDc1MjI4NTA5NzQyNzA0/u...
Ross:
"Every 1m of screen height = 10m of protection."
"Waves are protected near the walls!"
"There is much less wind where the wave pitches!"
http://wavepoolmag.com/melbourne-andrew-ross-tells-us-why-surfing-will-n...
tbb notes with the V design-either Left or Right is cross/off.
Also 4m tall Roary may split S/W onshore to deflect cross.
(Tip) Retrofit 2nd wind onshore deflectors to ramp up face.
Wavegarden (Alt L/R) V design seems less wind affected.
1. Tall wave housing shelters Left or Right cornered sweetspot
2) Only when wave fades into the open should wind play a role.
3) Perforated alt' roll screens could taper down on side walls
4) Said screens shouldn't block Rising/Setting Sun.
5) With colder water, even a whisper of wind will deter surfers.
6) Wind priority = Warmth of surfers! Waves come 2nd to that!
peabo is right to prioritise the Wind Chill Factor.
Could have best waves in the town with no takers?
Perhaps look at Boards/Wetties/Tubs in one fee?
Blue sky in Melbourne... must be photoshop.
1000 waves an hour makes kelly's pool a joke. Interviews at the freshwater pro had a common theme of frustration at not enough waves. Strider had one booked in a whole day! Imagine if you blew it.
Waves!!!
https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/active/article/coming-soon-urbnsu...
Looks better than the Bristol one already.
As a Melbournite, I would happily pay to surf these waves once in a while if the 1.5 drive to the coast isn't looking worthwhile. Looks like a fun little beachbreak peak.
jeezus, these lightweight propaganda puff pieces are nauseating. Enough already!
let the people fucking surf and shut the fuck up.