A surf wave leisure business has been approved for a family farm at Hāwea Flat, following ten years’ development of surfable waves by entrepreneur and inventor Ross McCarthy.

YourWave - a wave created by water flowing over an inflatable form (like surfing on a bouncy castle) - will operate Monday to Friday during the summer months at the McCarthy farm off Gladstone Road, and winter operating hours will be trialled.

“We’re going to start digging holes next month,” Ross told the Wanaka App. 

Ross founded AirWave, a company which develops and markets surfable waves for the leisure industry, ten years ago. The business has recently rebranded as YourWave.

“Our technology is the only tech in the world that can do this,” he said. 

The development’s proposed location at Hāwea Flat.

“We can change the wave from a left hand break to a right hand break in under a minute and we can manipulate the shape of the wave to suit learners or create expert waves [steep and barrelling].

“We are also introducing a kayaking wave, wake for wakeboarding and a half pipe.”

Ross told the Wanaka App earlier this year the business will support the local community with deals for locals and local schools, and will also introduce “water safety programmes and surf trips and maybe a surf team”.

He said the key purpose of setting up at Hāwea Flat was for further research and testing with a view to selling YourWave units worldwide. 

Ross McCarthy, pictured with his daughter, has a masters degree in product design.

The recreational side of the business would be limited to a maximum of 25 people a day.

“Our priority is to sell the unit and hopefully if we book those times [at the recreational wave] we can cover costs. If it works it works - if not, we will focus on research and development,” he said.

The YourWave outlet will utilise the existing water source, a bore, and will sit on a 260m2 irrigation dam used to store water for irrigating another part of the farm. 

The consent application, which was non-notified, noted the development may be partially visible from neighbouring properties, Department of Conservation (DOC) tracks such as Grandview, and the surrounding roads. However, QLDC landscape architect Megan Ash considered the proposed facility would not detract from views of the rural character landscape or reduce the visual amenity of the area.

Earthworks are required to construct the dam and form bunds around the facility. Buildings housing pump controls and generators, and container buildings for ticketing, food and beverage, wetsuit hire, changing rooms and toilets are also included. The development may include retail sales of souvenirs and textile products (woollen products made on site). 

The summer opening hours are proposed to be October 1 to April 1, Monday to Friday from 12pm to 5pm and weekends 12pm to 5pm; and winter hours are proposed to be April 2 to September 31, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 5pm. Ross said he hopes to have a heating system in place before winter.

Watch how YourWave works here.

IMAGES: Supplied