Surfing is probably the last thing that comes to mind when you think of the Midlands. You know, due to the fact that it’s not exactly coastal. But this is the twenty-first century, and technology makes almost anything possible.
Soon, you’ll be able to ride waves at Emerge Surf in the North Warwickshire town of Coleshill, which is just a short drive from Birmingham and a two and a half hour journey from London.
Emerge Surf was first announced in 2019 and predicted to cost a hefty £25 million. Now, after some Covid-related delays, some new investors have hopped on board and it’s set to about double that. With new backers Stoneweg Infrasport (a partnership of Stoneweg and Teras Capital), the Brummie resort is now set to cost 50 million big ones.
The plans include a 5.4 acre surf lagoon (the size of almost three standard football pitches), an outdoor heated pool, a skateboarding track and an outdoor playground. Its surf pool will apparently create up to 1,000 waves an hour of up to two metres tall. Who needs the actual ocean, eh?
The Emerge Surf resort will also include a huge urban beach, which once built will be the largest in the whole of Europe.
Miguel de Lucas, managing partner at Teras Capital, said: ‘This new wave park in Birmingham represents our commitment to fuse sport and leisure, offering an innovative experience in what is the second largest metropolitan area in the UK.
‘This project will not only provide access to urban surfing for millions of people, but will also become an international benchmark in terms of the facilities and entertainment offering for visitors.’
Emerge Surf has ambitions to become the biggest surf park in the UK, putting it in direct competition with this resort set to open near Edinburgh in September. There’s also the epic Therme waterpark due to arrive in Manchester in 2025. If you can’t wait for any of those, go ahead and make a splash at one of Time Out’s best waterparks in the UK or in and around London.
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