Surf's up in Palm Springs! New wave pool brings beach life to the desert

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KABC) -- Want to catch some waves in the desert? The new Palm Springs Surf Club is set to open its doors on Jan. 1 to anyone who wants to ride the waves.

"We can curate the perfect wave every time about every seven seconds," said Tim O'Byrne President, CEO of the Palm Springs Surf Club (PSSC).

The surf club is a redevelopment of the former Wet N' Wild waterpark. The state-of-the-art wave pool mimics ocean waves allowing all skill sets a chance to catch and ride the waves.

"We are about to completely curate everything about the wave, the height, the speed, everything about it from about 2-feet to where you can catch a wave to 7-and-a-half-feet, which are big gain professional kind level surfer waves," said O'Byrne.

You don't have to be a pro surfer to ride these waves, newcomers are welcome.

At the club's rental shop, surfboards and wet suits are provided. Lessons are also available.

But for longtime surfers, the wave pool offers an opportunity to hone skills without waiting for the perfect wave.

"Groundbreaking things are happening in the surf world, and it doesn't get much better than this. It's hard to beat perfect waves," said surfer Parker Browning.

Out of the wave pool, the resort style waterpark offers refreshments at its three bars, fine dining and casual fare at two onsite restaurants.

If surfing isn't your thing, the property also features a lazy river, splash pad, pools and cabanas which will provide the best view of the upcoming surf competitions when those 7-foot waves will be on display.

"We've been testing it - we just haven't been using it. We'll probably use that wave when it comes to competition for the GromSearch Surfer that is scheduled here with Rip Curl on January 4th," said O'Byrne.

Palm Springs Surf Club is booking reservations for its wave pool, as well as lessons. To find out more, visit www.palmspringssurfclub.com.