ABOUT SURFLOCH
The Pioneer and Continuing Innovator
of Inland Wave Generation
We know first hand that riding waves brings people joy. Which is why we want as many people as possible to have the opportunity to ride waves – whether they live near the ocean or thousands of kilometers inland. For over forty years we have been the originators or cutting edge wave-making technology, enjoying commercial success around the world. We’ve developed the most controllable and most ocean-like wave system on the planet, and continue to shape the future of wave-making. All because we firmly believe, that if everyone surfed, the world would be a better place.
OUR HISTORY
40+ Years of Wave Tech Innovation
1981
Surfer and developer Tom Lochtefeld partners with others to develop Raging Waters waterparks in San Dimas, San Jose, and Salt Lake City. After years of success, Lochtefeld envisions a ‘new wave’ and begins R&D to build the next evolutionary species of wave machine.
1989
Lochtefeld test rides a prototype of what would become the FlowRider®
1995
First international competition of flowboarding takes place. Competitors include world surfing champion Kelly Slater, snowboarding legend Terje Haakonsen, and skate pros Tony Hawk and Chris Miller.
1996
Wave Loch builds the first indoor surfing simulator in Orlando, Florida at Adrenalina.
1999
Wave Loch designs and built the world’s first mobile FlowBarrel® sponsored by Swatch and Siemens. There were 9 tour events scheduled in Europe, Asia, America, and Australia.
2001
The world’s first Wave House venue opens in Durban, South Africa. Featuring a Double FlowBarrel, two FloRiders, a 40,000 sq. ft. Tony Hawk designed skate park, and a restaurant, and two bars.
2005
Wave House San Diego, USA opens.
2006
Wave Loch installs its first shipboard FlowRider® on Royal Caribbean’s newest mega-vessel, Freedom of the Seas.
2009
Wave House Sentosa, Singapore opens.
2013
Switched all Surf Pool R+D to Pneumatics.
2020
Simultaneous opening of the first two full-sized Surf Pools.
2024
Both PSSC in Palm Springs CA and RIF010 in Rotterdam, NL open
BEHIND THE WAVES
Pneumatic Wave
Technology
SurfLoch harnesses air and water in perfect accord. Through our patented pneumatic design, each caisson acts alone yet works in harmony, allowing infinite control — of volume, timing, and form. What emerges is not mere motion, but the ocean’s rhythm, reborn through engineering mastery.
For in every wave we craft lies our promise:
- performance born of innovation
- reliability shaped by experience
- flexibility guided by design
- safety at the heart of every surge.
OUR PARTNERSHIP
Siemens Technology
Siemens provides the backbone of our hardware and software platform and enables us to be able to remotely monitor and troubleshoot our wave systems in real-time, anywhere in the world.
This translates to SurfLoch being able to spot and fix issues before they affect operations, ensuring maximum uptime in the pool and continuous waves. Siemens’ global reach also ensures that local assistance is always close by if needed.
In the Press
Feature Articles
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Featured in: Inherent Bummer
Appointment Surfing
Earlier this week I had the pleasure of doing an Inherent Bummer conversation with a surf legend, a name that’s been imprinted in my brain since I saw The Endless Summer II at Pierside Pavilion in 1994 with my dad and watched Kelly Slater stand inside a man-made wall of water, a surfer synonymous with wave pools, inventor of the Flow Rider, founder of Surf Loch, Mr. Tom Lochtefeld.
Featured in: WavePoolMag
Surf Loch Unveils New Wave Pool Design With Unique Cap’n Crunch Footprint
Surf Loch unveiled a new wave technology design that uses the same pneumatic caisson powering as previous models, but with a drastically different footprint. It’s called Wavebender. Last year, a surf park insider shared the design with WavePoolMag under the agreement that we would wait for the official launch to share.
Featured in: SURFER
What Is the ‘Wavebender’? Innovative New Surf Park Tech Unveiled
Surf Loch drops new feature, touting “a breakthrough wave-generation technology that redefines what’s possible in commercial surf pool design.”