The Coachella Valley has two public wave pools about 20 minutes apart by car: DSRT Surf in Palm Desert, which opened its booking calendar in 2026, and Palm Springs Surf Club, open since January 2024. They are different kinds of pool at very different prices. The short version: DSRT is the cheaper way in for beginners and has more sessions to choose from, while Palm Springs Surf Club charges more per hour but sits inside a water park that keeps non-surfers busy.
The wave
DSRT Surf runs a 5.5-acre, 52-module Wavegarden Cove that can make up to 1,000 waves an hour. The lagoon has a left and a right side, and sessions are named for what the wave is doing, from Easy Longboarding through Progressive Carving and Critical Turns to Pro Barrels and Chamber Barrels. Beginners surf separately in the Bay.
Palm Springs Surf Club runs a SurfLoch pool built around set wave programmes: the beginner Waikiki Wave, split-peak A-Frames at intermediate, advanced and pro levels, a Lefts and Rights setting with longer rides, and the 5 Slabs session for advanced surfers. Sets arrive every one and a half to two and a quarter minutes depending on the programme.
What it costs
- Beginners: DSRT's Bay and Play is $65 and its Learn to Surf lesson $100, with board and wetsuit included in the lesson. Palm Springs Surf Club's beginner Waikiki Wave is $265 an hour, its most expensive public session.
- Intermediate and advanced: DSRT's Reef sessions run from $150 for Easy Longboarding midweek to $320 for Chamber Barrels at the weekend. Every intermediate and advanced public hour at Palm Springs Surf Club was $212 including fees when read in late September 2026, and packs bring it to about $185 a session.
- Coaching: at Palm Springs Surf Club coaching is an add-on bought on top of a session.
Who each suits
Beginners and budget trips: DSRT, clearly. Its Bay sessions cost a quarter of the Waikiki Wave, though only a few run each day, so book early.
Surfers who want variety: DSRT has the longer menu of named sessions, and its barrel sessions take smaller groups of 7 to 10 surfers.
Groups with non-surfers: Palm Springs Surf Club sits inside a water park with a lazy river and slides, and non-surfers can buy a general admission day pass for $42.40. DSRT has a leisure pool, pickleball and golf at Desert Willow next door, but its restaurant and hotel are still to come.
Getting there
Both are a little over two hours from downtown Los Angeles and close to Palm Springs International Airport, about 10 minutes from Palm Springs Surf Club and 25 from DSRT. Summer highs in the valley run above 100F from June to September, so early sessions are the comfortable choice at either.
Good to Know
Surfing both on one trip is easy given the 20-minute drive between them. Prices at both change by date and time, so check the booking pages before you go; our California guide covers the state's other pools, and the level guide explains which session to pick.
