Wave pool
Encyclopedia
A wave pool is a swimming pool
in which there are artificially generated, reasonably large wave
s, similar to the ocean
's. Wave pools are often a major feature of water park
s. Disney's Typhoon Lagoon
Water Park at the Walt Disney World Resort
in Florida is home to the world's largest outdoor wave pool.
, including Big Surf
in Tempe, Arizona
, in 1969 http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/bestof/award.php?oid=oid:34871§ion=oid:36467&year=2005, and Point Mallard Park
's Aquatic Center, in the city of Decatur
, Alabama
.
Wave pools go as far back as the 19th Century, as famous fantasy castle builder Ludwig II of Bavaria
electrified a lake to create breaking waves.
But the first wave pool was designed and built in 1927 in Budapest
, Hungary
in the known Gellért Baths
, and appeared in a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
documental (James A. Fitzpatrick's Traveltalks) about the city in 1938, as one of the main tourist attractions. On the other hand, in Palisades Amusement Park, a famed center atop the New Jersey Palisades across the Hudson River from New York City, had a salt-water wave pool during the 1940s. This was a huge pool whose waves were generated by a waterfall at one end. The pool in Point Mallard Park was developed in the early 1970s after Mayor Gilmer Blackburn saw enclosed "wave-making" swimming pools in Germany
and thought one could be a tourist attraction in the United States
. J. Austin Smith, an Ohio
wave pool manufacturer, worked with the city of Decatur to design and install the wave pool in 1970. The first indoor wave pool in the U.S. was opened at Bolingbrook, Illinois, at the Bolingbrook Aquatic Center in 1982.
In the early 1980s, real estate attorney Tom Lochtefeld was a partner in the development of Raging Waters water parks in San Dimas, San Jose and Salt Lake City. Lochtefeld had a vision of creating water park attractions that were as exciting as riding waves in the ocean, and in 1988 he patented "A wave-forming generator for generating inclined surfaces on a contained body of water.”
To date, Tom Lochtefeld's WaveLoch company has sold hundreds of FlowRider® wave machines around the world - from water parks to Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
The untechnical term is "sheet wave." Rather than pulse a rapidly deteriorating wave of energy through big pools of water, Lochtefeld’s “new wave” flowed water over a stationary surface.The first Wave Loch FlowRider® opened at the Schlitterbahn, in Texas in 1991. In 1993, Lochtefeld built a larger, curling FlowBarrel® sheet wave at the Summerland resort in Bo, Norway.
The first barreling wave pool ever open to the public was developed by Lochtefeld’s Wave House® restaurant and music lifestyle centers. The first Wave House opened in Durban, South Africa in 2001, and followed by San Diego, CA (2005), Santiago, Chile (2008), and Singapore (2009).
Wave pools replicate the movement of the ocean one of two ways, depending on the size of the pool and the size of wave desired. In small wave pools, pressurized air is blown onto the surface of the water, or a paddle
creates force in the water, creating small ripple
-like waves. Other techniques utilize an "accordion mechanism" which opens and closes in order to suck water into its belly (opening) and push it out (closing) to cause waves. However, in high-volume wave pools, a large amount of water is quickly allowed into the far end of the pool, forcing the water to even out, generating a sizeable wave. In these large wave pools, the excess water is removed by being channeled through a return canal where it can be used again to generate another wave.
's now-defunct Action Park
cost two lives, and kept the lifeguards busy rescuing patrons who overestimated their swimming ability. The moving water, sun glare, and other factors make them difficult for lifeguards. Computer automated drowning detection systems do not work in wave pools.
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
in which there are artificially generated, reasonably large wave
Wave
In physics, a wave is a disturbance that travels through space and time, accompanied by the transfer of energy.Waves travel and the wave motion transfers energy from one point to another, often with no permanent displacement of the particles of the medium—that is, with little or no associated mass...
s, similar to the ocean
Ocean
An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
's. Wave pools are often a major feature of water park
Water park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
s. Disney's Typhoon Lagoon
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon
Typhoon Lagoon is a water park located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States.The park, which opened on June 1, 1989, is home to the world's largest outdoor wave pool. The theme of the park is the "Disney legend" of a typhoon that wreaked havoc upon a formerly...
Water Park at the Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
in Florida is home to the world's largest outdoor wave pool.
History
Several locations claim to have developed the first wave pool in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including Big Surf
Big Surf
Big Surf is a waterpark located in Tempe, Arizona. Opened in 1969 and financed by the Clairol Company, it boasted the first wave pool in the United States. The wave pool was designed by Phil Dexter.- History :...
in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
, in 1969 http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/bestof/award.php?oid=oid:34871§ion=oid:36467&year=2005, and Point Mallard Park
Point Mallard Park
Point Mallard Park is a park in Decatur, Alabama. It sits on of the Flint Creek shoreline. The park also borders the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and is operated by the Decatur Parks and Recreation Board. The park is open 365 days a year, and is owned and operated by the City of...
's Aquatic Center, in the city of Decatur
Decatur, Alabama
Decatur is a city in Limestone and Morgan Counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, affectionately known as "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
Wave pools go as far back as the 19th Century, as famous fantasy castle builder Ludwig II of Bavaria
Ludwig II of Bavaria
Ludwig II was King of Bavaria from 1864 until shortly before his death. He is sometimes called the Swan King and der Märchenkönig, the Fairy tale King...
electrified a lake to create breaking waves.
But the first wave pool was designed and built in 1927 in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in the known Gellért Baths
Gellért Baths
Gellért Thermal Baths and Swimming Pool, also called Gellért fürdő or Gellért Baths, are a bath complex in Budapest, Hungary, built between 1912 and 1918 in the Art Nouveau style. They were damaged during World War II, but then rebuilt. References to healing waters in this location are found from...
, and appeared in a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
documental (James A. Fitzpatrick's Traveltalks) about the city in 1938, as one of the main tourist attractions. On the other hand, in Palisades Amusement Park, a famed center atop the New Jersey Palisades across the Hudson River from New York City, had a salt-water wave pool during the 1940s. This was a huge pool whose waves were generated by a waterfall at one end. The pool in Point Mallard Park was developed in the early 1970s after Mayor Gilmer Blackburn saw enclosed "wave-making" swimming pools in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and thought one could be a tourist attraction in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. J. Austin Smith, an Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
wave pool manufacturer, worked with the city of Decatur to design and install the wave pool in 1970. The first indoor wave pool in the U.S. was opened at Bolingbrook, Illinois, at the Bolingbrook Aquatic Center in 1982.
In the early 1980s, real estate attorney Tom Lochtefeld was a partner in the development of Raging Waters water parks in San Dimas, San Jose and Salt Lake City. Lochtefeld had a vision of creating water park attractions that were as exciting as riding waves in the ocean, and in 1988 he patented "A wave-forming generator for generating inclined surfaces on a contained body of water.”
To date, Tom Lochtefeld's WaveLoch company has sold hundreds of FlowRider® wave machines around the world - from water parks to Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
The untechnical term is "sheet wave." Rather than pulse a rapidly deteriorating wave of energy through big pools of water, Lochtefeld’s “new wave” flowed water over a stationary surface.The first Wave Loch FlowRider® opened at the Schlitterbahn, in Texas in 1991. In 1993, Lochtefeld built a larger, curling FlowBarrel® sheet wave at the Summerland resort in Bo, Norway.
The first barreling wave pool ever open to the public was developed by Lochtefeld’s Wave House® restaurant and music lifestyle centers. The first Wave House opened in Durban, South Africa in 2001, and followed by San Diego, CA (2005), Santiago, Chile (2008), and Singapore (2009).
Operation
Paddle
A paddle is a tool used for pushing against liquids, either as a form of propulsion in a boat or as an implement for mixing.-Materials and designs:...
creates force in the water, creating small ripple
Ripple
Ripple is the more common name for a capillary wave in fluid dynamics.Ripple can also refer to:* Ripple , a non-profit click-to-donate internet site and search engine* Ripple effect, the socio-educational phenomenon...
-like waves. Other techniques utilize an "accordion mechanism" which opens and closes in order to suck water into its belly (opening) and push it out (closing) to cause waves. However, in high-volume wave pools, a large amount of water is quickly allowed into the far end of the pool, forcing the water to even out, generating a sizeable wave. In these large wave pools, the excess water is removed by being channeled through a return canal where it can be used again to generate another wave.
Types and locations
Generally, wave pools are designed to use fresh water at inland locations, but some of the largest ones, near other seashore developments, use salt water. Wave pools are typically larger than other recreational swimming pools and for that reason are often in parks or other large, open areas.Safety
Wave pools are more difficult to lifeguard than still pools, and there have been drownings in a few. For example, the pool at New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
's now-defunct Action Park
Action Park
Action Park was an amusement park, open from 1978 to 1996 in Vernon Township, New Jersey at the former Vernon Valley / Great Gorge ski area, now known as Mountain Creek....
cost two lives, and kept the lifeguards busy rescuing patrons who overestimated their swimming ability. The moving water, sun glare, and other factors make them difficult for lifeguards. Computer automated drowning detection systems do not work in wave pools.
Appearances
- Kings IslandKings IslandKings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
in Mason, OH as "Great Barrier Reef" 36000 square feet (3,344.5 m²) ft2 and "Unnamed 2012" 42000 square feet (3,901.9 m²). - Noah's Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells, WI as "Big Kahuna" and "The Wave".
- Mount Olympus Water & Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells, WI as "Poseidon's Rage".