Believe it or not, the small north Indian River County town of Fellsmere, so far mostly known as the home of itinerant agricultural workers in Florida’s citrus and row crop industry, is about to become a hot surfing spot.

After breaking ground in May 2025, The Point Surf Park has taken shape rapidly and is now substantially built. The project received final zoning and development approval from Fellsmere last September.

It is located north of County Road 512, a couple of miles west of the I-95 intersection. That makes it easy to get to, and the owners expect surfing enthusiasts from all over the Americas and indeed the world to start flocking to Fellsmere to engage in their favorite pastime, 16 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There won’t be any downtime because there is no wind, no chop, no messy crosscurrents, and surfers don’t have to fear sharks. The pneumatic artificial wave machine serves up ideal surfing conditions every day, all day and all evening.

The Fellsmere facility will be the first of its kind in the Western Hemisphere and only the third in the world after a surf park in Munich, Germany, and a recently opened park on the shores of the Red Sea near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to park General Manager John Turner.

The park employs ES36 Endless Surf technology that uses air pressure to create constant customizable waves of any desired height for different classes of surfers – up to overhead high – in a 700-foot artificial lagoon for rides that can last anywhere from 11 to 19 seconds.

Turner, who came on board in January of this year, said he’s not at liberty to disclose the total construction cost of the project, but he said, “it’s expensive – into the millions for sure.”

The unique project has drawn the attention of specialty publications like Wave Pool magazine and a total construction cost of $34 million has been mentioned in several online magazines.

The park is the brainchild of three surfing enthusiasts and business partners, including Brazilian-born Luis de Araujo, and Texas real estate developers Asa Cascavilla and Jack Cook, from Dallas and Waco, respectively.

“Our vision has always been to create a haven for surfers, by surfers,” said Luiz de Araujo told Wavepoolmag.com. “Partnering with Endless Surf to leverage their next-generation technology to bring Florida’s surf park dreams to life was a no-brainer. We’re so stoked to offer a space where Florida’s surfing community can come together and experience waves like never before.”

Turner said the early September target opening date could be delayed somewhat by inclement weather, but so far the project is on schedule. The planned grand opening festivities will include a meet-and-greet for a slew of invited surfers from all over the Americas, local dignitaries, food and music – but no alcohol. “It’ll be a family-friendly event.”

Turner said the park plans to give back to the community by providing opportunities to learn how to surf to underprivileged groups, physically challenged people and veterans.

Prices for the public for surfing sessions or lessons have not yet been set, but Turner said that “making surfing an affordable experience is at the heart of the philosophy of this place. With the affordable prices we plan to offer for surfing lessons, we’re confident people will be excited.”

The Park’s three-story welcome center has been built, and crews are now finalizing the basin, the final stage before the pool can be filled with water. Next comes construction of the adjoining lifeguard tower and the wave operator tower, followed by the addition of lockers and stretching areas.

The ground floor of the welcome center is where people will check in, sign a liability waiver, and have access to a wellness center, stretching areas, a sauna, a massage parlor and a retail shop, all of which will be open to the non-surfing public as well as park patrons.

Turner, who shares a passion for surfing with the members of the ownership group, joined the enterprise after a successful career in commercial TV station management in New York, Los Angeles and the Palm Beaches.

“When you really think about it,” Turner said, “it really wasn’t that radical of a change. In both positions, I had to manage different departments and maximize time. We’ll be open 16 hours a day from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., so it’s very similar to a TV station where you have a limited inventory of time slots to sell.”

He also said that since the park will seek corporate sponsors for special events, his experience dealing with advertisers will also be helpful.

The great advantage of the surf park is that surfers can schedule time to go surfing, Turner says. “A working man who has limited time off can schedule time to ride the best waves he’s ever experienced and he doesn’t have to be afraid that Florida’s fickle weather and winds will mess it all up.”

Night surfing will be a special experience, Turner says, with stadium lights around the property turning the waves a fluorescent blue. He expects night sessions to be popular with families learning to surf together in a safe, controlled environment.

The surf park is located next to the now closed Mesa Motocross park, but the surfing facility has no relationship with that failed enterprise, Turner says.

Turner says the surfing park has enjoyed “phenomenal relations” with Fellsmere officials, who appear to be genuinely proud to get the unique facility for the city, believing it will give the local economy a big boost. “We have been very blessed to have that relationship,” Turner says.

Fellsmere City Manager Armando Martinez says The Point Surf Park so far has been an outstanding corporate citizen.

“I wish every company coming into our town would be as easy to do business with as they have been,” he says – although the project was cited last year for lacking needed permits.

“They will put our city on the map in a very positive way,” Martinez adds. “The proprietary technology can generate artificial waves of any size, between one foot for beginners to 7 feet for experts, and the investment will generate between $8 million and $12 million in annual revenues to Fellsmere. It will add to the tax base and create 74 new jobs – so what’s not to like?”

Martinez says The Point Surf Park has, even before its opening, assisted with Fellsmere community events, such as helping with the toys for kids Christmas campaign.

“They always step up to the plate when we ask them,” he says.

Wave pools, which are exploding in popularity around the planet, “all employ some sort of method to displace a large amount of water, which then ripples over a man-made reef that shapes the water into an actual, surfable wave – much like in the ocean. The methods currently in use are pneumatic (moving water with air pressure), hydraulic (moving water with other water), or mechanical (moving water with a paddle or plow),” according to adventure sport website theinertia.com.

The same source reports that there are 15 operating surf parks in the world at present, including four in the United States; 15 more are slated to open this year, according to Wavepoolmag.com, including the Fellsmere park.