Site of future surf pool. Photo: CoStar
Site of future surf pool. Photo: CoStar

Billionaire owner of Palm Springs Surf Club buys land for new tub in El Segundo

Too much is never enough.

The long-hoped for wave pool revolution is in full swing, I suppose, with tanks being announced, and opened, every week. Pharrell Williams’ Atlantic Surf Park swung its gates wide last month, up Virginia Beach way, Cabo Real Surf, down in Mexico, has broken ground and Vinny Smith, owner of the Palm Springs Surf Club, has just dropped $54 million on a 9-acre parcel of land in gritty El Segundo, California, for a new surf park.

Tubs, in and of themselves, are not considered very chill these days. To be in the game, a pool must be surrounded by high-priced condos, a Whole Foods, Vuori and bespoke taco shop.

“Entertainment hubs.”

Chris Maling, a principal at Avison Young who was not involved in the deal but has tracked South Bay commercial real estate for decades, shared with CoStar News, “You have so much coastline and so much density of population and the popularity of the sport, and at the same time, [beaches] have issues with parking, too many people in the water and contamination levels from rain runoff and sewage breaks.”

Yucky.

The proposed pool, unnamed at time of writing, will be near a TopGolf and a Porsche Experience Center.

Have you done either of those? Would you recommend to friends and family?

El Segundo, of course, is currently home to the World Surf League headquarters and also near Los Angeles International Airport.

Very cool.

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Capt Sensible
Capt Sensible
11 months ago

Ill never ever visit one so I really do not give a hoot about them at all.

Occ Topus
Occ Topus
11 months ago
Reply to  Capt Sensible

Amen, brother.
Wavepools: never have; never will.

Hippy
Hippy
11 months ago

Hermosa’s sand banks would scallop after rains, add high tide and short period swell and it could light up

Hippy
Hippy
11 months ago

have any of these pools become profitable?

Com Turren
Com Turren
11 months ago
Reply to  Hippy

if any of them turn a profit and give their investors a decent ROI, it will likely be the ones licensing Wave Garden technology, which is sufficiently developed that it isn’t breaking all the time. Doing the Palm Springs Surf Club thing when you’re essentially building, R&Ding, and troubleshooting the airplane as you’re trying to fly it is a recipie for additional capital calls.

Hippy
Hippy
11 months ago

removal of the shit pipe pier did fuck up everything from Grand Ave into Hermosa

RIP

Happy Camper
Happy Camper
11 months ago
Reply to  Hippy

best surf spot in South Bay was the Horseshoe Pier.

Hippy
Hippy
11 months ago
Reply to  Happy Camper

Shit pier was best spot in LA

Replaced it with short jetty that doesn’t effect incoming swell enough

Camper, we just had a very steep south and a few gems unearthed

Gwen Walz’s Eyes
Gwen Walz’s Eyes
11 months ago
Reply to  Hippy

Hammerland stil good

Hippy
Hippy
11 months ago

No, you never been there

Picard Madeoff
Picard Madeoff
11 months ago
Reply to  Hippy

My mother remains pissed they tore down her childhood house to expand LAX

Picard Madeoff
Picard Madeoff
11 months ago
Reply to  mike m

Id rather hangout at Panchos

Barrelled
Barrelled
11 months ago

No chance this gets approval in drought stricken coastal southern California and no frickin way the Coastal Commission approves it at this location.

Kama'aina
Kama'aina
11 months ago
Reply to  Barrelled

For sure. But if you let the dream linger for just a minute and meditate on the wonder that could be tech bro’s and VAL’s of all kinds scheduling their shred sessions in a tub near you and how maybe just maybe your local will end up with a few swells that surfline can’t fill the line up with those kooks, let alone the wealthy non kook. Kinda sounds like paradise. Could it bring back the glory days of uncrowded surf in general, probably not. Wishes and hopes.

Com Turren
Com Turren
11 months ago
Reply to  Kama'aina

no it won’t. it’ll just encourage more tech bros and VALS to learn to surf in the first place on the easy, “San Onofre” wave setting. and then your local will be flooded with these barns way more than it already is once they decide to paddle out for a real surf.

Rocks local
Rocks local
11 months ago
Reply to  Com Turren

my theory is that pools don’t teach basic stuff like how to duck dive , so when it’s over 3-4 ft all the VALs are stuck inside anyway. At least that’s what I tell myself.

NEGATRON
NEGATRON
11 months ago
Reply to  Rocks local

Hence why they unfortunately flock to tropical reef passes, then just get in the way when they’re stuck in the inside.

Rocks local
Rocks local
11 months ago
Reply to  NEGATRON

It’s a plague

Happy Camper
Happy Camper
11 months ago
Reply to  Rocks local

BITD, one of the greatest things about surfing in Japan is how empty the lineups were when it got over *4 ft.
*10 Japanese legs calculation

Barrelled
Barrelled
11 months ago
Reply to  Com Turren

If they are anything like Ivanka, Fuckerberg, that DJ guy, and most of the other VAL’s who have visited Slater’s pools, they will never surf an actual ocean wave at an actual surf spot.

Happy Camper
Happy Camper
11 months ago
Reply to  Barrelled

the fuck you talking bout?
Legendary Student of the tub, “I’m The Greatest Ever” Lewie Hamilton was saved by Kelly Slater himself whilst surfing 20 ft. Pipe.

Hippy
Hippy
11 months ago
Reply to  Happy Camper

Shouldn’t been out there

Kama'aina
Kama'aina
11 months ago
Reply to  Com Turren

Sad. I hope not. There are a few rich kooky vals I’ve had run ins with that moved to Hawaii in the covid years that have recently moved to cheaper in-land locations with better schools and something “surf” able near by. River wave, surf tub, lake to SUP. But if you are correct then surfers need to boycott pools full stop. I’ll hope for the best.

Hippy
Hippy
11 months ago
Reply to  Kama'aina

Covid led migration is a curse

Com Turren
Com Turren
11 months ago
Reply to  Barrelled

I doubt he’d have bought it without greasing enough pockets to secure the entitlements

Barrelled
Barrelled
11 months ago
Reply to  Com Turren

Can’t grease the CCC but I guess a shady lawyer would know how.

Rocks local
Rocks local
11 months ago
Reply to  Barrelled

TV skews the stereotypes but 95% of the lawyers I know are terrified to get anywhere near pocket greasing , and the 5% who aren’t are generally too dumb to know where/how to spread the grease regardless.

Anecdotal data, of course.

Barrelled
Barrelled
11 months ago
Reply to  Rocks local

Agreed, just ribbing Mr. Turren a bit.

Com Turren
Com Turren
11 months ago
Reply to  Barrelled

I love it when you talk snarky to me though 😘

Jack John Johnson
Jack John Johnson
11 months ago
Reply to  Barrelled
Com Turren
Com Turren
11 months ago
Reply to  Rocks local

the other 5% are plaintiffs personal injury lawyers.

Local Sewage Pipe
Local Sewage Pipe
11 months ago
Reply to  Com Turren

You are right, the grease happens for sure, it’s just in the form of quid-pro-quo and forced conservation white washing. It’s donating to a charity that the city council supports (often specific members will approach you for donations), which they probably sit on the board of and get paid by. The gov often doesn’t give a fuck about water, they say they do, but this wouldn’t be denied specifically for that reason. I’ve seen the playbook and been a part of it, it’s a racket like anything else.

Happy Camper
Happy Camper
11 months ago
Reply to  Com Turren

the viscosity of El Segundo grease is much different than Irvine grease.

“The application where the grease is to be used governs what base oil viscosity is required.” ~

https://www.fuchs.com/dk/en/products/product-program/grease/how-to-choose-the-right-type-of-grease/#:~:text=The%20base%20oil%20in%20a,base%20oil%20viscosity%20is%20required.

Hippy
Hippy
11 months ago
Reply to  Happy Camper

Why did you move to Newps?

Our common buddy is missing, btw

Happy Camper
Happy Camper
11 months ago
Reply to  Hippy

Moved to Newport because in the 80’s there were no opportunities on the North Shore.

missing: MV or SM?

SaltyHB
SaltyHB
11 months ago
Reply to  Barrelled

FWIW
Construction of so called Ocean Kamp Wavepool in Oceanside scheduled to start next spring. Where the drive in and swap meet used to be.
https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/socal-wavepool-update/202311

Beef & Beer
Beef & Beer
11 months ago

Uh oh, not El Segundo
As long as Tyler doesn’t drop her wallet purse there…

Jack John Johnson
Jack John Johnson
11 months ago
Reply to  Beef & Beer

She’s gotta get it. Got, Got to get it.


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