A peasant’s guide to the Palm Springs Surf Club

Getting real.

The Palm Springs Surf Club wave pool has officially opened its doors. January public session reservations sold out in a matter of hours. You’ve likely seen the promotional videos showcasing tiny professional surfers riding small barrels and executing aerial maneuvers off the ends of the waves. For those looking for a more exclusive experience, private sessions can be booked for between $3,500 and $5,000 per hour, based on demand. The Palm Springs Surf Club delivers an unmatched surfing experience.

What can average surfers expect from a public session at the Palm Springs Surf Club? Is it truly worth $150 – $200 per hour? Are there answers about the nature of existence? These are questions I pondered while booking three hours at the Palm Springs Surf Club last month. Having just returned, I now have definitive answers. Below, I outline the day’s key moments, both good and bad.

Why Choose the Palm Springs Surf Club?

The Palm Springs Surf Club is perfect for surfers of all abilities. Featuring cutting-edge facilities and an energetic surf community, it fosters an environment where surfers can enhance their skills. Whether you’re aiming to perfect your technique or just want to have fun, the Palm Springs Surf Club caters to everyone’s needs.

6:15 a.m. I start my day with coffee and 800 mg of ibuprofen. Today, I’ve scheduled three one-hour sessions at the Palm Springs Surf Club—one hour for intermediate waves and two hours for advanced waves. While these may not be real barrels, expectations can be deceptive in the world of surfing.

8:45 a.m. I arrive after a 1.5-hour drive and check in early at the Palm Springs Surf Club. Unfortunately, I learn that the wave machine is experiencing issues and can only produce the intermediate A-frame wave. No barrels for me today, but that’s the risk I take by having expectations.

Given a nagging injury I’ve had recently, perhaps a day of intermediate waves isn’t so bad. I wonder if I can get a refund for the $100 I spent on the two barrel sessions (so far, no luck).

The Palm Springs Surf Club’s complex is much larger than it appears in videos. It includes ample lounging space, various heated pools, hot tubs, a lazy river, and a few restaurants. It’s the kind of place where you could bring non-surfers to enjoy the atmosphere and watch your surfing, if only it weren’t winter. During Coachella season, the Palm Springs Surf Club will be bustling, with surfing becoming secondary for many patrons.

9:00 a.m. The first session begins shortly after my arrival at the Palm Springs Surf Club. It’s a private session with a group of middle-aged men who seem to know each other. They’re surfing the intermediate wave, but their performance varies, as many struggle to catch waves effectively.

From my viewpoint, the wave looks barely two feet high (Surfline claims two feet, not Hawaiian). I regret not bringing my groveller, although I do have two pointy thrusters and a quirky asymmetrical board. Nevertheless, the private session surfers are enjoying themselves, cheering each other on after every few waves. To kill time, I watch the Da Hui Pipe contest on my phone and accept that these will be the only barrels I will witness all day.

10:40 a.m. I suit up, following instructions to be ready 10 minutes before the 11:00 a.m. public session. Just as I’m about to head out, an announcement comes that all Palm Springs Surf Club sessions are delayed by an hour since the private session didn’t complete its full two hours. I’m not changing out of my wetsuit, so I decide to get a beer instead.

11:40 a.m. I make my way to the other side of the pool and chat with fellow surfers joining me for the public session. There’s a slightly more diverse representation now, including a few female longboarders. From this angle, the wave looks entertaining for a couple of turns. We have a quick safety briefing.

11:45 a.m. I jump in and am shocked by how cold the 55-degree water is, even with my 4/3 wetsuit and booties. The pumps roar to life, sounding like a jet engine, and the surfer in front misses his first wave. My first wave is a right, and surprisingly, it’s about stomach height on the first turn! I manage a weak wrap but fall on my second turn as the wave closes out. Regardless, the intermediate setting gives me enough push to get moving at a decent speed down the line. Thankfully, I catch my first wave and don’t fall on the takeoff, unlike many others today.

I soon realize that taking the high line from the takeoff won’t work for these small waves. You need to drive straight off the takeoff and project back up like you’re riding a larger wave, or you risk getting stuck in the lip due to the narrow pocket. Unfortunately, I forget this repeatedly throughout the day, often struggling on the takeoff. Nevertheless, catching 12 waves in an hour feels like a decent amount of surfing, even if there’s only space for a couple of turns.

It strikes me that, aside from the company of familiar faces, there’s no real difference between public and private sessions at the Palm Springs Surf Club if the intermediate setting is the only option available. I feel like I’ve outsmarted the system!

1:15 p.m. I seamlessly transition into another hour-long session at the Palm Springs Surf Club, which was meant to be one of the slab sessions, but whatever. I’m still enjoying the right waves after switching to a shorter board. However, when I switch to the lefts a half hour later, I’m cramping on every takeoff, and my nagging injury flares up. Waves are missed, takeoffs are blown, and my rails are bogging down. This isn’t pretty.

2:10 p.m. The feeling of warmth returns to my fingers. Beers and a hot tub feel incredibly satisfying after the exertion.

2:45 p.m. I spot a guy on a soft top surfing without a wetsuit in 55-degree water, even with a bit of wind to make it feel colder. I haven’t seen him successfully stand up yet, but he must be tougher than I am—or maybe he has sea lion ancestry.

3:15 p.m. Groms and dads are now in the water at the Palm Springs Surf Club, and an offshore wind is helping to shape the wave faces. A young grom is pushed in by his dad and catches a bit of foam on the inside. Everyone watching cheers from the poolside. This is the closest thing to a real barrel I’ve seen today.

3:55 p.m. I return to the pool for my third and final hour at the Palm Springs Surf Club. The sun has set, and the water feels even colder now. I spend the next hour mostly missing waves or going straight, but I finally figure out how to ride the left by the end of the session, despite its peculiar flat section caused by one side’s pumps being down.

4:50 p.m. The horizon at the Palm Springs Surf Club offers a view reminiscent of an impressionist painting as the sunset, highlighted by wispy clouds, transitions into darkness as the pool lights turn on. I wonder if someday, people will pay to witness an artificial sunset when the real one is just as accessible, much like how I have paid to surf an artificial wave instead of going out in the ocean. Ultimately, I wanted to dislike this place, yet here I am riding waves in the desert at the Palm Springs Surf Club.

It would be much easier to enjoy this in warm water and trunks during the summer. However, I appreciate the relatively uncrowded venue, filled only with surfers, their families, and two European guys in speedos lounging in one of the hot tubs, who seem to be there for reasons other than surfing at the Palm Springs Surf Club. In reality, I’ve enjoyed surfing with the strangers I met today, who were far more pleasant than the irritating crowd at my local spot.

7:00 p.m. I sit at The Heyday, holding a burger in one hand and a dry vodka martini in the other. Reflecting on the last ten hours, I contemplate how to respond to the questions I had while booking these reservations. What is the experience of a public session at the Palm Springs Surf Club like for an average surfer? Quite enjoyable, as long as you recognize that this isn’t traditional surfing—it’s just riding waves in a pool.

Is it truly worth $150 – $200 per hour? I would prefer my $100 back for reserving slab waves that never materialized, and I’m uncertain about the other wave settings. However, $150 for approximately 12 intermediate waves in an hour seems reasonable given the $80 million investment in this facility.

Are there answers to the questions of god and an afterlife, or is there just an empty void awaiting us after death? I’ve come to realize that once humans master the art of playing god and possess the financial means, it may not matter. You might just find yourself living forever in an artificial world of your creation—complete with artificial waves, sunsets, and dry martinis to enjoy.

Exploring the Palm Springs Surf Club