Pular para o conteúdo principal

PerfectSwell: the sequence-based, air pressure-powered wave pool system

PerfectSwell: the wave pool technology that can generate a barrel followed by a wedgy air section | Photo: Surf Stadium Shizunami

PerfectSwell is a wave pool technology developed by American Wave Machines (AWM). It is one of the first inland surf systems to open a facility to the public.

In the highly competitive wave pool industry, PerfectSwell was one of the pioneers in creating customized surf menus out of an enclosed water basin.

Its instant success in Texas is anchored on the experience accumulated by its mother company - AWM - since California surfer Bruce McFarland founded the company in 2000.

McFarland initiated his artificial wave adventure with SurfStream, one of the world's first rideable standing wave machines, only surpassed by the popularity of Wave Loch's Flowrider, created in 1991.

Interestingly, the research for SurfStream kicked off inspired by the striking footage of surfers taking on the stationary, human-made Waimea rivermouth waves.

The early prototype was a 1/12th scale model tested in Bruce's backyard.

By 2004, the developer invited New Jersey surfers to test the inaugural rideable version installed in shipping containers. Soon, the company had commercial structures installed worldwide.

Three years later, Long Beach's Aquarium of the Pacific commissioned AWM to produce a wave simulator to help identify the differences between tsunamis and ocean swells.

The work developed for the exhibit evolved into the technology that is now at the heart of PerfectSwell.

Incremental iterations led to the opening of the first wave pool powered by AWM's PerfectSwell tech: BSR Surf Resort, later renamed Waco Surf.

Surfstream: the standing wave machine created by Bruce McFarland in the early 2000s | Photo: Surfstream

Sequence-Based, Pneumatic Technology

The technology evolved by American Wave Machines for PerfectSwell is a patented, sequence-based, pneumatic system that imitates the ocean's endless wave trains.

Its proprietary reflecting wave generator produces particle motion-like waves using a phased array control system that manages air pressure firing patterns and sequences to create nearly unlimited wave types.

The wave pool's operators have a touchscreen interface that allows them to design virtually any wave shape. 

The system can recreate a realistic surfing experience outside the ocean by simply customizing wave frequency, wave variety, and specific hydrodynamics in real time.

PerfectSwell: the surf pool system by American Wave Machines can mimic nearly all kinds of ocean waves | Photo: AWM

Beach Break Waves and Wedges

The wave at PerfectSwell runs at an angle along a concrete wall.

This technology's uniqueness and fun factor relies on its quick adaption to new wave types, depending on the surfer's preferences or the scheduled session's level.

Consequently, the wave pool can generate a punchy beach break, a perfect point break, a challenging wedge, or a barrel into a peak closeout by the touch of a button and without long waiting times.

The design of the wave pool aims to emulate the ocean surfing experience.

Advanced surfers will position themselves for bigger and more complex waves further out the back, while beginners will be closer to the shore, practicing the initial surfing movements.

Meanwhile, spectators can watch the action from the beach or higher grounds near the concrete walls.

Thanks to its scalable characteristics, the system adapts to nearly any geographical bounds.

AWM developers guarantee that it can even be installed in an area resembling a beach, i.e., without boundaries or walls.

Wave Size, Duration, and Frequency

How big and how long are PerfectSwell-generated waves? According to AWM, waves can be fine-tuned to any size and shape specification.

So, it's up to the surf park owner to decide whether investing more in a wave pool with bigger waves is worth it.

Nevertheless, a PerfectSwell surf center can create waves of up to eight feet (2.4 meters).

Similarly, the length of the ride is only limited by the pool's size.

For instance, a 2.5-acre wave pool will probably host wave rides of 10-15 seconds; a larger pool could see rides go up to 50 seconds.

Scalability is, therefore, the concept to consider.

The same goes with the waves-per-hour variable - it all depends on the type of session, the number of surfers in the water, and the type of waves addressed for each session.

A normal 60-minute long session at a PerfecSwell facility can produce from 100 to 320 waves.

In other words, the system may fire waves every 36-11 seconds, even though it can technically generate a wave every six seconds.

Both left and right-hand wave rides are available, too.


Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com



por Surfing | News, Headlines and Top Stories https://ift.tt/dAv7Blt

Postagens mais visitadas deste blog

Duke Kahanamoku reflects on surfing, Olympics, and old Hawaii in 1966 interview

Duke Kahanamoku is the most influential surfer of all time and is often hailed as the father of modern surfing. There is nearly no one questioning these titles. Recently, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Hawaii unveiled a never-before-seen interview with the legendary surfer and Olympic swimmer. In the 1966 episode of Pau Hana Years, a seminal Hawaii television program that aired on KHET-TV (now PBS Hawaii) for 16 years, running from 1966 until 1982, Bob Barker chats with Duke Kahanamoku, then 76. The conversation drifts from royal ancestry to Olympic lanes, from Hollywood sets to a surfboard shaped by hand, tracing the outline of a life that helped define modern surfing and Hawaii's public image in the 20th century. And if you know little about the man who dreamed of getting surfing into the Olympic Games, this is a precious piece of history. A name with history, worn casually The interview starts with Kahanamoku explaining that "Duke" is not a title but his giv...
Leia mais

The hydrodynamics of surfboard fins

Have you ever wondered why a surfboard fin looks like that? It is a single or a set of fixed blades or keels located under a board, near the tail, often no bigger than a hand. Yet that small surface is where much of the surfboard's behavior takes place. Speed, hold, looseness, and the feeling of control all trace back to how water moves around fins. The physics of surfboard fins falls under hydrodynamics, the study of how fluids behave in motion. So, according to science, they feature a shape designed to turn flowing water into several forces. Let's take a look at what's at stake when fins and water interact. Lift and the feeling of control One of the key variables in hydrodynamic terms involving surfboard fins is lift. When a surfer leans into a turn, the board tilts and the fins meet the water at an angle. The angle is enough to create a pressure difference between the two sides of the fin. Water speeds up on one side and slows on the other. The result is a sidewa...
Leia mais

How paddleboarding transforms your body and mind

Adventure is on our doorstep. With so many different bodies of water available to paddleboarders, from city canals to coastal routes, we can find adventure in places much closer to home than people might initially expect. According to the Canal and River Trust, 50 percent of people in England and Wales live within just eight kilometers of a canal or river, and eight million people live less than one kilometer away. I had lived within just a few kilometers of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal for years and never really explored it before stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) came into my life . The challenge created both a new perspective and a deeper love for where I lived and the areas which I passed through. On my coast-to-coast journey, I slept in my own bed for two nights as the route passed through my then hometown of Skipton, yet I felt I was on a grand journey of discovery. We are braver, stronger, and more resilient than we think. SUP not only helps us feel more connected to our va...
Leia mais