The Okahina Wave is a low-energy-consumption floating atoll that produces a long barreling wave every 15 seconds.
The artificial wave concept is developed by Waveriding Solution, a company with headquarters in Bordeaux, France, and led by Laurent Hequily.
Hequily and his multidisciplinary team conceived a light and flexible structure that can be installed in lakes, ports, rivers, and urban water bodies.
The Okahina Wave can be installed in a couple of weeks and doesn’t require the construction of a pool or lagoon.
“It all started when I started thinking it was ridiculous to build a wave pool made of concrete,” explains Laurent Hequily.
An Eco-Friendly Artificial Wave Spot
The artificial wave system can be used for surfing, bodyboarding, bodysurfing and wakesurfing, but doesn’t need a water treatment and filtration system.
“I wanted to think about something that would be green by reducing the impact on the environment and improving the biodiversity in the water.”
In other words, Hequily wants to help oxygenate the water in which the waves break and fight the cyanobacteria, the blue seaweed that can be harmful to humans and animals.
The floating atoll will also act as a fish nursery and was designed to be naturally integrated with the surrounding environment.
“I have decided to create an eco-friendly surfing wave because I believe in the alarming messages we’ve been getting from everyone,” concludes the founder of the Okahina Wave.
Open by 2020
The technology was patented in 2015 and has been kept secret until now.
The Okahina Wave will be available as a prototype testing facility in Futuroscope’s Téléport Lake, in Poitiers, France.
The 3.2 million euro investment will open to the general public in 2020.
The man-made wave park will have a capacity for 50 surfers at any given time. Each one of them will have to pay between 25 and 30 euros per hour to enjoy this new inland surfing facility.
The developers underline that their floating atoll may be open 24 hours and has a high return on investment (ROI).
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