Aquatic Development Group (ADG), a leading water park and recreational design, construction, and manufacturing firm, has announced that its deep water stationary surf wave, EpicSurf, was presented with a Surf Park Award at the recent Surf Park Summit in San Diego, California, for “Democratising Access to Waves for More People.”
The firm was an exhibitor and a sponsor at Surf Park Summit 2022. The event is hosted every year by Surf Park Central and is an opportunity for leading surf park developers, wave tech companies, investors, athletes and academics to come together and explore topics related to this growing industry.
Increasing access to surfing
The award for EpicSurf was given in appreciation of its work to increase access to waves and share the positive effects of surfing on one’s body, mind, and emotions with those who do not live near the beach or who want a more controlled surfing environment.
Surfing is a unifying activity that can foster goodwill and bring people together, and this was a key factor for ADG COO, Bruce Quay, in the company’s goal to commercialise EpicSurf: “From design to commercialization, our vision was to create an authentic surfing experience to be enjoyed by ALL abilities.”
In order to accomplish this, ADG put together a network of disability advocates to assess EpicSurf’s inclusivity, accessibility, and possible therapeutic advantages for users of varying abilities.
Positive feedback
“As an adaptive surfing instructor, I found that EpicSurf creates a consistent medium that lends itself to surfing therapy. Not having to deal with tides, winds, and swells make managing a surfing therapy session easier,” says Justin Speegle, veteran and AMPSurf Board Member.
“The proximity of coaches and spectators to the riders makes verbal communication while riding possible. This lends itself well to group therapy and team building as everyone is cheering on the rider. The surfer bond is one of the things that makes ocean therapy successful but even when a group goes surfing together, the ride experience is not easily shared. This setup completely changes that.”
“EpicSurf is great for individuals that do not live near water,” says Michele Ferrauilo, VA, director of Adaptive Sports, “Especially, for individuals who fear the ocean, giving them an opportunity to surf in a controlled setting with support.
“I see a lot of potential for this to be used not only as a recreational tool,” says Randi Woodrow, physical therapist, “but also as an adjunct to a variety of rehabilitation therapies.”
“The EpicSurf wave is a real game-changer for the surf industry,” adds Phil Jackson, founder of the Surf Dreams Foundation. “The kids just couldn’t get enough.”
Waves for all
Since its debut, EpicSurf has moulded waves for a wide range of surfers, including newbies, intermediates, pros, kids, veterans, champions and surfers in their 70s and older, as well as those who require adaptive surf.
ADG offers EpicSurf purchasers (both private and public) actionable practices and programming innovations, discovered during the commercialisation process as part of its ongoing efforts to increase access to more individuals and remove barriers.
With adjustable settings for all skill levels, a retractable training bar, and a small footprint, anyone can participate in surfing, anywhere.
This is not the only awards win that ADG is celebrating this month. The firm was also recognised at the recent WWA Symposium and Trade Show 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, with two Leading Edge Awards for its work on WildWater in Cullman, Alabama and Wild Rivers in Irvine, California.
