Waco Surf

Waco Surf is a surf resort on 450 acres outside Waco, Texas, roughly 100 miles from Dallas and 110 from Austin. It began as Barefoot Ski Ranch Cable Park (BSR), opened in 2002 by brothers Ryan and Stuart Parsons; a wave pool arrived in 2018, and new owners rebranded the resort as Waco Surf in 2021. It runs three public wave settings on its PerfectSwell lagoon, higher-performance settings sold as private sessions, a deep-water standing wave called the Shredmill, and lodging on the property.

Public sessions on the lagoon come in three settings. The Coaster (beginner) is a gentle, rolling ground swell in three-wave sets, with whitewater and small faces, a soft-top included and coaches in the water. The Runner (intermediate) is a consistent chest-to-head-high, Trestles-style wave with a roll-in takeoff and a long, clean wall for linking turns. The Peak (advanced) is also chest-to-head-high, with a quicker takeoff and a long open face with room for big turns, barrels and airs. Intermediate and advanced sessions include both rights and lefts and run four-wave sets about every 90 seconds, and public sessions take 12 to 16 surfers depending on the level. The Pro Slab barrel wave and the Pro Air wave are sold only as private sessions. Separately, the Shredmill is a deep-water standing wave with a face of about 4 to 5 feet for carves, turns and 360s on a performance shortboard, run in 30-minute sessions of up to 12 surfers.

Intermediate surfers who want a concentrated hour of turn-linking on The Runner's long walls. Beginners are well looked after, because The Coaster includes a soft-top and coaches in the water rather than just a briefing on the deck. Groups and multi-day trips suit the hotel rooms, private houses and RV hook-ups on the property, and intermediate and advanced sessions include both rights and lefts.

Public sessions are priced by wave type and time of year. The park's FAQ lists beginner sessions at about $129 to $159, intermediate at $149 to $179 and advanced at $159 to $189, per person per hour plus tax, so check the slot you want. Its surf page gave starting prices of $129 for beginner, $139 for intermediate and $159 for advanced on 23 October 2026. A learn-to-surf lesson starts at $75 for an hour. A 2026 Winter Surf Pass is $999 plus tax for 14 sessions between 1 November and 3 January, booked by email after purchase. A soft-top is included only with beginner sessions: intermediate and advanced surfers bring their own board or rent one, and wetsuits rent for $25 a day in winter and early spring. Private hire of the whole pool, for up to 15 surfers with your choice of waves, is listed at $1,250 an hour for early mornings and late evenings Monday to Thursday, $2,000 for daytime Monday to Thursday, $1,500 for early and late slots Friday to Sunday and $3,000 for daytime Friday to Sunday. The Shredmill standing wave is priced separately at $49 plus tax for 30 minutes at any level, with a board included only on the beginner setting, and can be hired privately for $499 plus tax for 30 minutes or $799 plus tax for 60. Read from wacosurf.com on 26 September and 11 October 2026. On 17 October 2026 the booking system listed the beginner session at $139 for Wednesday 21 October and $149 for Saturday 31 October, before tax, against the website's 'starts at $129'.

Book ahead, especially for summer weekends. Guests staying on the property get priority access to book surf sessions before they open to the public, which is the main practical reason to stay on site. First-timers check in an hour before their session and returning surfers 20 minutes before. Waco Surf is about two hours' drive from Dallas, Austin, DFW airport or Austin-Bergstrom. The surf lagoon's posted hours are 8am to 8pm, and private sessions can be booked from 6am to midnight. Flowstate films every wave in the pool; you can watch yours on screens after the session and buy the footage.