Bristol, Barcelona, Peniche, the Isle of Wight… and now North Wales too. Possible locations for Wavegarden’s wave pool technology just keep coming and the race to be the first open is now officially on. This press release from adventure leisure specialists Conwy makes it sound like their Surf Snowdonia project in North Wales is actually in the lead right now, set to open as soon as next summer.

The UK’s first inland surf lake has been granted planning consent – confirming North Wales’ position as the heart of adventure, and creating what will be the UK’s hottest surfing destination.

Surf Snowdonia, a project by Conwy Adventure Leisure (CAL), will create the UK’s (and possibly the world’s) first Wavegarden©.

Projects are being developed across the globe from locations as diverse as Barcelona; Berlin; Australia and Hawaii but after a record-breaking planning process, CAL is confident the facility will be open to the public summer 2014.

Steve Davies MBE, Managing Director of CAL said: ‘It is excellent news to have received planning permission for Surf Snowdonia and it means we are well on track with our plans to bring surfing to North Wales. We think we will attract up to 75,000 visitors a year, not just surfers but families too.”

The Wavegarden concept has been developed over the last seven years by a group of hydrological, civil and mechanical engineers – who also happen to be passionate surfers. R&D investment totalling €7m has been spent, leading to the construction of a full-sized prototype being built late last year in Northern Spain. The facility has been tested by some of the Pro-Tour’s greatest surfers, to rapturous approval. Wavegarden have recently released their latest video showing the facility and surfer’s testimonials at www.wavegarden.com.

The Surf Snowdonia project could create 135 jobs during construction with about 60 jobs after that, according to a report to Conwy councillors, and will be located on the 40 acre site in the heart of the Conwy Valley, North Wales.

Work is scheduled to begin in early autumn this year. CAL aims to have the facility open for surfing in late summer 2014.