We’ve Jumped London, But Can We Surf It?

After talk early last year regarding the build of an indoor ‘Surfdome’ somewhere in the city of London, it seems the developers of Venture Xtreme have gone one better in proposing an open-air artificial break in the East London area of Silvertown Quays, Newham.

Planned for 2011, the complex will work by diverting water from the Thames and passing it though a large filter to create an area of safe and controllable surf, capable of producing consistent waves that roll for around 100m and have the potential to be 8ft in height.

With the British Surfing Association estimating there to be around 500,000 surfers in the UK, project directors of the new London surf park are hoping to convince a proportion to grab their surfboards and try out Venture Xtreme’s congestion-free alternative to the beaches of the West Country, where overcrowding and territorial surfing are becoming more commonplace.

Add to this the fact that decent surf is at least a 3 hour drive from the capital city, and more often than not it’s dead on arrival, there is certainly a strong argument for surfers to enjoy a little more reliability and convenience. You can expect to pay around £30 a time and early estimates state that you’ll get around 10 waves per session. Those in charge are quick to point out that this enterprise is not aimed at replacing the real thing but instead intended to supplement surfer’s time in the salt water and allow anyone to sharpen their skills whatever the weather, something we at Extreme Sports Trader agree with and can’t wait to try out ourselves.