Abu Dhabi has many of the things that surfers hunt for in their quest for perfect waves: warm weather, year-round sun and clear water. The only thing it did not have was waves.
That changed in October 2024, when Surf Abu Dhabi opened. Offering the longest artificial wave in the world, the company hopes to turn Abu Dhabi into a global surfing destination.
The wave pool is 755 yards (690 meters) long and and you can ride a wave for up to a minute. All other wave pools are freshwater, but Surf Abu Dhabi is filled with 80 million liters of sea water pumped in from the Arabian Gulf. The water is saltier than in most other parts of the world, so Surf Abu Dhabi desalinates it slightly.
The wave is produced by an underwater wing dragged down the pool by pulleys. The wing moves the water, and the carefully shaped floor of the pool, known as the bathymetry, makes the wave break. The bathymetry of the Abu Dhabi pool, “where all the magic comes in,” is patented, says Ryan Watkins, general manager at Surf Abu Dhabi.
The technology was the brainchild of Kelly Slater, the most successful professional surfer in history. Whilst most professional surfers have a signature line of boardshorts, Slater has a line of waves. He worked with Adam Fincham, a fluid mechanics specialist at the University of Southern California, to make the perfect wave. The project was “mathematically horrendous,” one Professor at USC said in an interview with Science.
