“Picture this. A perfect lozenge-shaped fresh-water lagoon, roughly the size of six football pitches, set in the lush, green Conwy Valley in the lee of the Snowdonia mountains. Breathe it in. It’s clean, it’s fresh, it’s wild and it’s beautiful.
Now add something entirely unexpected. A two-metre-high barrelling wave that starts at the centre of the lagoon, peels perfectly for more than 150 metres, and dissipates softly as it hits the shore.”
This is the description of what will soon be the world’s first public wavegarden – Snowdonia – set to open in less than three months (although a firm date has yet to be released we know it's July).
Essentially it’s the same as the Wavegarden in the Basque Country, only it’s not invite-only. Anyone who wants to pay can get in the water for a one or two hour session, on either a beginner wave (70 centimetres), an intermediate wave (1.2 metres) or an advanced wave (two metres). Prices vary during peak and off peak seasons, and range from as low as 35 pounds (a one-hour off peak beginner bay session) to 260 pounds (a two hour family of four beginner bay lesson). You can check out all the prices here.
The complex will also contain a “Crash and Splash” lagoon (see image below), a “Soft Play Shack” for kids (think McDonald’s playground surrounded by water), a café, a bar and on-site accommodation.
It’s less than a four-hour drive from the centre of London, and you can already reserve your session for their opening, so if you’re planning a holiday or you’re living nearby, we suggest you check it out. Our bet is that if you’ve been in London for long enough, you’ll be so wave starved you’d be willing to drive double the distance.
It’ll be interesting to see the success of Snowdonia as the first public wave park. Who knows… this could be the beginning of a huge influx of wave gardens around the world. And if it doesn’t work, will it have an impact on Greg Webber’s plans for the Sunshine Coast?
