Virginia Beach has finally scored a reliable surf spot — and it didn’t come from a hurricane. On August 16, the city opened Atlantic Park Surf, the first Wavegarden Cove wave pool in the U.S., giving locals consistent, high-quality waves in a region known more for flat spells than barrels.
The $350 million project isn’t just a tourism boost; it’s a game-changer for the East Coast surf scene. Local surfer Blayr Barton called it surreal:
> “As a local, it is pretty insane that I can drive 15 minutes from home to go surf perfect waves. It’s flat here almost year-round, so this opens up huge opportunities for kids and upcoming surfers to train and progress.”
Pro surfer Brett Barley made the trip from North Carolina to test it out, riding the pool’s left-hand barrels and turns. Under the “pro” settings, a one-hour session cost him $160 — which he said was “completely worth it.”
For Virginia Beach, long considered a core surf town without core waves, the new facility signals a major cultural shift.
> “The East Coast doesn’t get as much attention as everywhere else,” Barton added. “Now that this is running, it’s finally catching everybody’s eye. This is a complete game changer for VB surfing.”