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Kickers and transitions: Elevation, position, and size
This is an discussion of how kickers and transitions impact river wave formation. Kickers and transitions are the river bottom contours that cause manufactured river waves to form. Kickers and transitions can be adjustable or static. The key factors for shaping a good river wave are size, position, elevation in the tailwater, and angle. The […]
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River waves: Fish habitat and boat passage
This is an overview of the opportunities and concerns related to fish habitat, fish passage and boater passage when constructing new river waves. The comments draw on the referenced studies of fish passages and recreational waterparks, extensive review & testing of existing river waves and a long history of building great waves in rivers.
The planned […]
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Finding a good location to build a river wave
To build a good river surfing wave you need a good location. A really good spot for a wave has the river conditions required to make a good wave, support from surrounding land-owners, and it will receive lots of public support. A bad spot means a wave will be impossible to build either due to […]
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Economic impacts of river waves
Global wave tourism is valued at $60 billion a year. Rivers waves allow communities to capture part of this economic value. Good waves are proven to generate millions to tens of millions of economic activity annually. The predictable high quality of the waves, good safety and ease of spectator access make river waves very attractive […]
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River wave formation at an abrupt drop
Most great manufactured river waves occur where fast and smoothly moving water meets an abrupt drop. The science of river wave formation at an abrupt drop has been researched since at least the 1950s. This article explains how river waves form at abrupt drops and key considerations for designing these waves. You can see information […]
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Flat multi adjustable kicker sysem – Concept engineering
This is a concept engineering design for the adjustable surf and kayak wave on the Lower Kananaskis River in Alberta, Canada. Construction is scheduled for Fall 2023 or Spring 2024. This simple river wave design allows the creation of different shaped good 3D waves while minimizing costs. The river wave multi adjustable kicker system is licensed under […]
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Types and costs of adjustable river waves
A variety of adjustable river waves designs make good and consistent waves. Projects costs range from $100,000 creative commons designs to $3,500,000 patented wave systems. Low-cost wave designs can make excellent waves. This article provides simple diagrams and costs for wave types. All diagrams are based on published information in news articles, project pictures, or […]
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Ramp multi adjustable kicker system – Concept design
This is a concept design for the ramp multi adjustable kicker system. This simple river wave design allows the creation of good waves when there are big changes in tailwater while minimizing costs. The river wave multi adjustable kicker system by Surf Anywhere is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License to encourage […]
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Tailwater effect on waves
Tailwater is the water body immediately downstream of the wave. The elevation of the tailwater has a huge and predictable impact on wave formation. Controlling the elevation of tailwater relative to the wave is required for reliably making good river waves.
This article is part of Surf Anywhere sharing wave building knowledge to make river wave […]
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Kayak wave research
The 90+ page Kayak wave research report by Surf Anywhere details results from the kayak wave research project for the Alberta Whitewater Association (AlbertaWhitewater.ca). The project was a partnership between the Alberta Whitewater Association, Surf Anywhere, University of Ottawa, the Alberta River Surfing Association, and MITACS. The project examined how the multi adjustable kicker […]
