In most surf parks, surfers ride artificially-generated waves down the length of an oblong pool. Unfortunately, such an arrangement limits the number of people who can rides the waves at once … which is where the 5 Waves system comes in.
Designed by Australian engineering firm Engenuity Solutions, the setup consists of a large sort-of-pentagonal pool with a piston-like wave-generating mechanism in the middle. The latter is powered by a compressed air system, rising up as air is pumped into it, then plunging down into the water as that air is suddenly released.
Because the mechanism is round, the resulting waves spread out from it in all directions. This means that more surfers can be accommodated, as they’re not all crammed across the width of a standard pool.
The bottom of the 5 Waves pool is sculpted differently in different areas, creating artificial reef breaks that produce five separate types of waves – hence the system’s name. Depending on what sort of surfing users are into, they’ll choose the appropriate zone of the pool. Additionally, the size of the waves can be changed by adjusting how high the wave generator goes before dropping.
