Atlantic Park Surf

Atlantic Park Surf opened to the public on 16 August 2025 as the first Wavegarden Cove in North America. Its 2.67-acre lagoon, which can generate up to 1,000 waves an hour, is the centerpiece of the $350 million Atlantic Park project on a 10-acre site at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, developed by Pharrell Williams and Venture Realty Group. Surf sessions run 55 minutes across levels from Beginner through Pro.

The Wavegarden Cove sends waves peeling across a section the park calls the Reef, and the settings come in families: Malibu (M) for rolling, open faces, Turns (T) for punchier performance waves, Barrel (B) settings, and the Slab. Beginner and Novice are coached group lessons, starting on gentle rolling whitewater and moving on to open-face waves you paddle into yourself. Progressive offers waist-to-stomach-high, slow-peeling open faces. Intermediate runs Malibu 3 and Malibu 4, the park's top Malibu-style waves, suited to linking carves or working on noseriding. Advanced Turns runs T1 and T2, punchy head-high waves; Advanced Barrels mixes T2 with Barrel 1, a turn section followed by a playful tube. Expert Turns runs T2 and T3, head-to-overhead; Expert Barrels moves from T3 into Barrel 2, a powerful and technical tube, and requires a helmet (the park supplies one). Pro Turns runs T3 and T4, and a Pro Slab session, the most technical barrel riding on the menu, is offered for a limited time.

Intermediate to advanced surfers who want structured repetition on consistent waves get the most out of a session here, and the separate Turns and Barrels sessions at Advanced and above let you choose what to work on. Beginners can learn in coached Beginner and Novice group lessons that include a soft-top and wetsuit. Longboarders are catered to through the Malibu settings, which the park pitches for noseriding. Barrels start at the Advanced level, with Barrel 1 in the Advanced Barrels session.

Sessions run 55 minutes and are priced by level. The booking system's starting prices are $117 for Progressive (the cheapest surf session, soft-top included), $128 for Intermediate, $133 for Advanced Turns, $142 for Advanced Barrels, $135 for Expert Turns, $147 for Expert Barrels and $151 for Pro Turns and Pro Slab. A longboard-only Log Jam session on the Malibu 3 setting, with thigh-high waves, starts at $128 (booking system, 23 October 2026). The Beginner and Novice group lessons start at $119 and $120, with a soft-top and wetsuit included. A bodyboard session, Boogie Nitez, starts at $133. Surf packs of 3, 6, 12, 20 or 50 sessions are sold. For non-surfers, an all-day beach pass starts at $10 and a sunset beach pass at $5, and a cabana for up to six people starts at $150 for four hours, with beach or surf passes still required for every guest. Board rentals for the harder settings are $50 a session or $60 a day. Outside food and drink are not permitted. Read from the booking system on 26 September 2026.

Book sessions online in advance, and arrive 45 minutes early for check-in, wristbands and the safety briefing; signing the waiver online beforehand speeds things up. If you just want to watch, a sunset beach pass starts at $5. The lagoon is not heated and follows natural temperatures, so in cooler months the park has wetsuits, boots, gloves, hoods and hot showers, and the wading pool is heated in winter. The park is open year-round apart from maintenance periods and bad weather. The Atlantic Park district around it includes The Dome, a 5,000-capacity indoor-outdoor music hall, plus restaurants and shops. The park does not run its own parking; paid lots are on 17th and 20th Streets.