Surf Snowdonia set for Saturday launch

The £12m inland lagoon which features wave-generating technology for surfers will open its doors to the public on Saturday 1 August.

The man-made surfing lake has been developed on a derelict former industrial site at the village of Dolgarrog, in the Conwy Valley, North Wales. Its launch follows a 13-month construction schedule which started in June 2014.

Surf Snowdonia also features a 130-seater café bar, coffee shops, soft play area, retail space, camping village and 50-metre viewing gallery with free parking and admission. It is set to be a major destination for North Wales with in excess of 75,000 visitors anticipated every year.

The scheme was developed by Conwy Adventure Leisure, which was established in 2012 by Martin Ainscough, who sold his family crane hire business in 2007 for £255m.

The facility is capable of simultaneously generating waves for beginner, intermediate and advanced surfers.

The Wavegarden technology, developed by a Spanish company of the same name, delivers an advanced wave which moves at a speed of 6-7 metres per second and will peel for 150 metres – the equivalent of a 20-second ride.

The consistent waves will be 2m, 1.2m and 70cm high in different zones of the lagoon. They will be generated at a rate of one every minute. Up to 36 surfers will be able to use the 300m-long lagoon simultaneously.

Steve Davies, managing director of Surf Snowdonia, said: “From Saturday 1 August we will be generating the longest man-made surfable waves on the planet in what is a spectacular 300-metre lagoon. And our surf-side dining, bar retail and camping facilities mean you can come and be a part of the action without even getting wet.

“This is a world-first engineering project which has required the close collaboration of multi agencies and contractors and we’ve worked particularly closely with Natural Resources Wales to make it happen. The project is testament to the skill and dedication of all our partners and consultants that we’ve managed to deliver such a brilliant outcome.”

The project team includes surveyor WCP Associates, landscape architect Planit-IE, and NJL Consulting on planning. D Morgan was the main contractor for the lagoon, while HH Smith built the buildings, and CGL of Birkenhead supplied the concrete.

 

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