Sustainability
The EPIC Promise provides a snapshot of our values, ongoing-efforts, and commitment towards sustainability. As leaders within the wave system design and manufacturing industry for over 50+ years, we are passionate about creating an inclusive and safe surfing experience beyond the ocean while maintaining our commitment to environmentally responsible and sustainable practices.
There are three pillars to sustainability: environmental, economic and social and we developed a promise to acknowledge each of these pillars in order to make a truly sustainable surf experience for ALL.
“At the forefront of EpicSurf’s design was the mission of developing an accessible and sustainable surf experience for all abilities. Built with a small footprint, green building materials, energy efficient flow system and a drain dry safety system to mitigate water evaporation – we are proud to bring this product to the growing man-made surf industry around the world,” said Julie Kline, Marketing Manager of ADG & EpicSurf.
E: ENERGY EFFICIENT SURF WAVE TECHNOLOGY
EpicSurf’s variable flow system can be adjusted to meet the needs of each surf session for power efficiency. With a max power consumption of 480 kw/hr, the wave was designed to reduce our client’s overall energy costs and lower carbon emissions to mitigate environmental impact.
P: PROVEN HISTORY IN WAVE SYSTEM DESIGN, MANUFACTURING & PERFORMANCE
As a leader within the wave manufacturing industry, Aquatic Development Group has 50+ years of expertise and over 550+ wave installations worldwide, sustained by a reputation for providing unparalleled product innovation, installation, service & support.
I: INCLUSIVE SURFING EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES
We are proud to offer a product that makes real surfing possible – anytime, anywhere while offering an experience for ALL abilities. Not only offering a retractable training bar, and adjustable wave height – but a surf experience where the user does not need to know how to swim. This is revolutionary for the sport of surfing. In 2019, a survey was conducted across 142 countries and the World Risk Poll Since launch, EpicSurf has shaped waves for a myriad of surfers, including novice, intermediate, professional, child, veteran, age 70+, adaptive, blind and more! EpicSurf is the first ever wave technology that has been granted the title of Certified Autism Resource by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).
C: COMMITTED TO ECO-AWARE & SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
To maximize operational performance and uphold the highest environmental standards, EpicSurf uses green building materials and a compact drain-dry system that minimizes water usage and evaporation.
“Our long history of creating exceptional projects with industry leading clients has been built on a foundation of great people – we have an exceptional group of people at our company. Individually and as a team, they not only excel in delivering the highest quality products, projects and customer service, they are dedicated to giving back to the community,” said Bruce Quay, COO of ADG & EpicSurf, “As the world’s leader in wave systems technology for over 50+ years, innovation is in our DNA. The same creative thinking used to innovate and advance our technologies also helps us to constantly explore new ways to minimize our impact on the planet – all while still delivering the same level of fun!”
EpicSurf is proud to collaborate and partner with purpose-driven organizations that align with our values and ultimately help make the world a better place through democratizing the sport of surfing. The EpicSurf team this year joined up with Save the Waves Coalition to conduct a beach cleanup, to showcase their commitment to sustainable practices and give back to their community.
Inclusion
EpicSurf Making Waves for ALL Abilities
According to the World Health Organization, 15% of the world’s population (or about 1.2 billion people) live with some form of disability, and as the surfing industry continues to rapidly expand worldwide, empowering this population is essential.
At Aquatic Development Group, we see this is an opportunity to employ EpicSurf, our newest technology, to break down barriers and provide more people with access to waves especially those that do not live near the ocean or prefer a more controlled surfing experience. EpicSurf delivers a true deep-water, surfing experience for ALL abilities!
To support our vision, we assembled a collaborative network of expert disability advocates to evaluate EpicSurf for inclusivity, accessibility, and potential therapeutic benefits for individuals of varying abilities. Beyond creating a platform for surfing, skimboarding and bodyboarding, our latest innovation benefits those living with some form of a disability.
“As an adaptive surfing instructor, I found that EpicSurf creates a consistent medium that lends itself to surfing therapy. Not having to deal with tides, winds, and swells make managing a surfing therapy session easier,” said Justin Speegle, Veteran, AMPSurf Board Member. “The proximity of coaches and spectators to the riders makes verbal communication while riding possible. This lends itself well to group therapy and team building as everyone is cheering on the rider. The surfer bond is one of the things that makes ocean therapy successful but even when a group goes surfing together, the ride experience is not easily shared. This setup completely changes that.”
EpicSurf shaped waves for Christiaan “Otter” Bailey, para-surfing champion, USA Team Captain, and board member of USA Surfing, ISA Para-Surfing, and the Olympic Surfing Committee, and to date, the only adaptive surfer to charge Mavericks and Pipeline. Previously, the Boise River was Otter’s only stationary surfing experience, that he described as an “adaptive-adverse.” Otter gave EpicSurf positive reviews and has agreed to explore partnership opportunities at prospective facilities for para-surf training.
This experienced panel, many retired veterans with invisible wounds, assessed EpicSurf through the lens of the adaptive surfer, testing every possible scenario. They experimented with a variety of surfboards, bodyboards, adaptive boards; they role-played wipeouts, analyzed surfaces, construction materials, water conditions and velocity, pool entrances/exits, and the retractable training bar – examining every possible situation.
Once the trials were complete, adaptive participants from the VA and a habilitation center for special needs adults joined a session. A first-time surfer commented, “I have cerebral palsy, and I never thought I could do something like this.”
Ocean waves are widely embraced for their positive physical, mental, and emotional impact. Now, there’s a growing body of research suggesting the same holds true for manmade waves. “Surf simulation offers tremendous potential to people without access to the ocean,” said Kris Primacio, CEO, International Surf Therapy Organization. When discussing the potential of EpicSurf installations, Primacio shared “I like to describe wave pools and surf machines as ‘wellness centers’ of the future.”
While both progressive and stationary waves increase access, EpicSurf is the only wave of its kind manufactured in the USA, available worldwide, and economically sustainable in terms of water consumption, power, and space requirements.
Since launch, EpicSurf has shaped waves for a myriad of surfers, including novice, intermediate, professional, child, veteran, age 70+, adaptive, blind, and more. The reactions across the board indicate this is truly an EPIC experience for ALL abilities! Creating a fun, inclusive guest experience motivates and energizes the entire ADG team, many of which are new surfers.