Take the five minute survey, win a JS surfboard or Surfline Premium+ membership
By Jess Ponting
Every few years, Surf Park Central runs the most comprehensive global survey of surf park users, travelers, and surfers interested in artificial waves. It’s the only study that traces how the surf park consumer is changing — and it directly shapes how developers, operators, and investors make decisions about pricing, design, and experience.
The survey is now live, and it only takes about five minutes to complete. Those who participate can enter to win a new JS Industries surfboard of your choice and one of three Surfline Premium Plus annual memberships.
But beyond the prizes, here’s why taking the survey matters: it’s how the industry learns who’s surfing, where they’re going, and what they really want from surf parks. The insights that come out of this study literally don’t exist anywhere else.
Take the Surf Park Consumer Trends Survey Now
A Growing, Changing Surfing Population
According to the last Surf Park Central Consumer Trends Report (2023), surfing is in the middle of a once-in-a-generation expansion. Global participation jumped 27% in the U.S., 43% in Australia, and a staggering 66% in the U.K. during the pandemic years.
What’s even more remarkable is who’s entering the lineup. Women’s participation grew by 78.6% in Australia, and the gender gap in U.S. surfing closed by 10% points between 2019 and 2022. Almost half of all surfers in key markets have been surfing for two years or less — a true “beginner boom.”
That means the industry is no longer serving only the salty core surfer. Surf parks are becoming the learning ground, proving ground, and playground for a new, more diverse generation of surfers.
Surf Park Hesitancy? Gone.
In 2015, more than one in five surfers said they’d never set foot in a surf park, often dismissing the idea as “fake.” By 2022, that number had plummeted to just 1%. The conversation has completely shifted.
Surfers now see surf parks not as replacements for the ocean but as extensions of it — reliable, progressive, and social. Concerns about authenticity have been replaced with practical ones: cost, crowding, and convenience. That change represents an enormous opportunity for operators, but it also shows how fast attitudes evolve. The next round of survey data will reveal what the post-pandemic consumer expects now that more parks are open and the novelty has worn off.
Take the Surf Park Consumer Trends Survey Now
Who’s Surfing in Surf Parks?
The data shows that surf park users are not your average surfers. They tend to:
- Have surfed for five years longer than non-users
- Earn $35,000 more in household income on average
- Spend $150 more per year on surf equipment
- Travel further and more often to surf
In other words, the surf park customer is both passionate and willing to invest in their surfing life. That’s critical intelligence for developers deciding on pricing, membership models, or travel packages — and it’s only possible because people like you take the time to complete the survey.
Take the Surf Park Consumer Trends Survey Now
Willingness to Pay: Understanding Real Value
One of the most eye-opening findings in the last report was how much consumers’ willingness to pay has evolved. Between 2015 and 2022, the average amount surfers said they’d pay for 10 perfect waves jumped by 267%, and among advanced surfers it climbed 307%.
In real terms, that means what once felt extravagant in 2015 is now seen as good value — a reflection of how surfers increasingly view park sessions as premium, bucket-list experiences rather than novelties.
Actual spending backs this up. Visitors spend 21% more per day than they think they will, averaging between $220 and $380, depending on the park and user group.
That kind of insight gives operators and investors data they can actually build financial models around — but it only exists because thousands of surfers answered a few questions.
The Sustainability Imperative
For the first time, the 2022 survey dove deep into sustainability attitudes — and the results were unambiguous.
- 91% of respondents said they are willing to pay more for a demonstrably sustainable surf park experience.
- On average, consumers are willing to pay 13.75% more for a park that can show clear sustainability credentials.
- Water use and conservation ranked as the single most important sustainability issue, followed by renewable energy and education about ocean ecosystems.
That data has already shaped how many surf parks are being planned and built. Developers now know that embracing sustainability isn’t just a moral choice — it’s a market advantage. As one key takeaway from the report puts it: embracing sustainability pays for itself in marketing advantage and pricing power.
The next survey will show whether those attitudes are strengthening as the climate conversation grows louder and as more parks pursue certification through programs like STOKE.
Take the Surf Park Consumer Trends Survey Now
Why This Data Matters to Everyone
If you’re a surfer, completing this survey helps ensure the future of surf parks reflects what you actually want — from wave quality and pricing to sustainability and community engagement.
If you’re an operator or developer, this is the data that investors, city planners, and lenders look for when making multimillion-dollar decisions. It provides the only longitudinal view of surf park consumer behavior anywhere in the world, tracking shifts across nearly a decade of surveys (2015, 2016, 2022, 2023, 2024, and now 2025).
If you’re simply a fan of surfing’s next frontier, the findings are a fascinating look at how a once-niche dream has become an emerging global recreation sector worth billions.
Take the Surf Park Consumer Trends Survey Now
Looking Ahead
The surf park industry has entered a new phase — more mature, more global, and more competitive. But to keep evolving, it needs clear, reliable data about what surfers value most. The Surf Park Consumer Trends Survey is how we get that clarity.
The last report taught us that:
- Surf park users are traveling farther and visiting more often.
- The gender and age balance of the surfing population is rapidly changing.
- Sustainability isn’t optional — it’s expected.
- And the value surfers place on controlled, high-quality waves keeps rising.
The next report — built on this year’s survey responses — will take those insights further, showing how new technologies, park openings, and shifting travel habits are reshaping the surf economy in real time.
Take Five Minutes, Shape the Future
It takes less than five minutes to complete the survey, and you’ll be entered to win a JS Industries surfboard of your choice or one of three Surfline Premium Plus memberships.
But more importantly, you’ll be contributing to the only data source that captures the heartbeat of the global surf park community — who we are, how we surf, and where this wave-making revolution is headed next.
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