MANILA, Philippines - The big waves are coming to the city.
However, not the ones that bring torrential rains, flash floods, mudslides and traffic jams,. On the contrary, these waves — artificially generated and contained in giant pools — will bring safe enjoyment and fun for young and old.
The biggest wave pool in the country opens to the public at Club Manila East (CME) this Saturday, Feb. 21 — just in time to heighten summer sun, fun and frolic. Called OceanWaves, the pool is the most exciting and anticipated man-made marvel, the only attraction of its kind in the Philippines. Among other things, Oceanwaves offers the first surfing pool in the country, emulating the levels of natural surfing spots.
Amazingly similar to ocean waves, OceanWaves offers on-demand surf action with waves that are electronically controlled to reach customized heights, shapes and forces. And of course, unlike natural waves, these are predictable. They also have the benefit of constant oversight by lifeguards.
OceanWaves holds two million gallons of water and is the size of more than 10 basketball courts combined. Reggie Hernandez, CME’s Events and Promotions manager, says this attraction will draw even serious surfers to the pool. He adds, “Surfers will surely get stoked as they ride their boards and practice their surfing skills in the biggest and most powerful simulated ocean waves in the country reaching up to 1.5 meters high.”
OceanWaves is another step in the vision of CME’s founder/general manager Don Julio S. Cruz and marketing and promotions vice president Reu Dellota in bringing unique and exciting water sports and activities closer to Metro Manila. For OceanWaves, they contracted the Philippine Surfing Academy (PSA), the largest surf training institute in the country, owned and led by internationally certified surfing instructor Paolo Soler, aided by one of Australia’s foremost instructors, Darryl Buckley, to conduct surfing lessons and monitor surfing activities in the facility on an exclusive basis. In less than 10 months, PSA has trained nearly a thousand new Filipino surfers.
OceanWaves also features a 14-foot diving pool with four diving platforms and a 20-foot waterfall, as well as a 30-meter-wide, 76-meter-long, four-foot-deep Family Wave Pool that can accommodate up to 1,000 persons. Guests of all ages will enjoy the gentle waves of this pool and are in for a big splash in the diving pool and a wild ride in the surfing pool.
OceanWaves will launch at 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 21, with surfing exhibitions by leading local professional surfers, free surfing trials by PSA instructors and an all-night pool party with musical performances, games and gimmicks to welcome its opening at Club Manila East, Manila East Road, Taytay, Rizal. (Call 284-4737 / 658-2065 or 0917-740-8238 for invitations and details.)