A former Navy site in Alameda’s West End could be transformed into a 5-acre surf park in a few years.
The Neptune Beach Surf Club, proposed near West Hornet Avenue and Skyhawk Street, would feature a 2-acre pool with artificial waves for up to 50 surfers. The $50 million project is being developed by Pro Swell and Urban Mix Development. Project leader William Duncanson of BAR Architects & Interiors hopes to break ground in the next 24 to 30 months and open the park in 2029. The plans were first reported by Surfer magazine.
Formal plans haven’t been filed with the city, according to the planning department. Alameda is an ideal place for an artificial wave pool, Duncanson says, because it’s central in the Bay Area, offering East Bay residents a place to surf without driving an hour to Ocean Beach or Pacifica.
“We’ve looked at doing this elsewhere, but Alameda’s the best spot,” he said.
In addition to the wave pool, the 5.5-acre facility would have a bar and restaurant open to the public, a beach with cabanas, a canoe club, and a pump track for skateboarders. A dilapidated Navy building would be converted into a surf center with gear rentals, a community room, and public bathrooms.
The pool would have waves for up to 50 surfers of all skill levels, with the tallest around head height, according to Duncanson. Expert waves would be positioned at the back of the pool, and beginner-friendly waves would be closer to the man-made beach.
To make ideal waves, blasts of air pressure are fed into the pool, which is shaped to control currents and allow riders up to 19 seconds of wave time, according to Andrew Thatcher, VP of business development at Endless Surf, a Canadian company whose technology would power the pool.
“Barreling, curling, air sections, and everything in between,” he said.
Duncanson shared some early predictions on prices: Beginner-friendly waves will cost $85 an hour; A-frame waves suitable for intermediate surfers would cost $145; and Point Break waves, which offer longer ride times, would cost about $200. Admission would include gear rental and a 30-minute dry-land lesson for beginners to practice surfing techniques. Group and private instruction for all skill levels would also be offered, according to Duncanson.
The site’s name is an homage to the Neptune Beach amusement park, which operated from 1917 to 1939. Once nicknamed “the Coney Island of the West,” it had a roller-coaster, a swimming pool, a carousel, and a beach for sunbathing.
The Alameda Community Sailing Center, Hornet Field, and nearby soccer pitch would be unaffected by the development, Duncanson said.
A look at other surfing wave pools offers a glimpse into how Neptune Beach Surf Club may operate. Massey Pitts, a spokesperson for the Palm Springs Surf Club, said the majority of its clientele are surfers, but cabanas are rented for private events, like bachelor parties. The Palm Springs venue typically hosts between three and seven hours of private surfing daily, at around $3,000 an hour.
Eddie Donnellan, head of the youth surfing nonprofit MeWater Foundation, said that while “purists” might turn up their noses at artificial waves, their consistent size and shape are good for beginners. Conditions in the pool are not as volatile as in the open ocean, Donnellan explained, and swimming in deep, churning water can be stressful.
“For a place like Alameda, which is technically inland, you’re getting kids out in the water,” he said. “That’s great.”
Unlike the open ocean, however, wave pools consume significant water and electricity. Pneumatic pools, like those by Endless Surf, use more power than some competing technologies.
Thatcher acknowledged that other companies might make waves using less power but claims his company’s technology makes sustainability gains by producing waves only on demand and adjusting for how many surfers are in the water.
While the wave pool may consume substantial power, Alameda’s energy portfolio is clean, according to Alameda Municipal Power. Duncanson didn’t provide an estimate of how much water the pool would consume but said it would likely be in the neighborhood of “watering one hole of a golf course.”