Surf and Turf
Golf and surf can thrive together at North Park.
A Boca project created for Boca residents. (Fazenda Praia da Grama – Brazil)Boca Surf Park proudly supports keeping golf as part of North Park’s long-term vision. The two can coexist beautifully. Our proposal uses about 20 acres out of the 210-acre North Park property, less than ten percent of the total land area, leaving ample space for golf, walking trails, and natural open space.
Golf and surf share common roots. Both are rhythm-based outdoor sports that connect people to nature, community, and personal wellbeing. Golf brings quiet precision. Surf brings movement and flow. Boca Surf Park is anchored in respect for the environment and introduces an important blue space that will serve as a community gathering place. Together, a refreshed golf experience and Boca Surf Park can create a recreation destination that serves residents first.
By dedicating a small portion of the site to the surf lagoon, the District can preserve wide green landscapes while introducing a year-round amenity for youth, families, and active adults. The surf park complements the course. It does not compete with it. It can serve as a social, environmental, and economic anchor for the entire park.
We Want to Hear From The Community
When change touches a neighborhood, questions are natural. We have heard concerns about traffic, hours, lighting, sound, and the environment. Some claims circulating today do not reflect our proposal. The details below come directly from certified studies, engineering analyses, and our official submission to the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District.
A Wavegarden, Not a Water Park
Boca Surf Park is not an amusement park or a water park. There are no big slides, rides, or thrill-seeker attractions. It is a purpose-built surf and wellness park designed by local residents who live, work, and surf in Boca Raton.
The lagoon operates more like a calm lake or controlled ocean environment. It provides safe, consistent surf for all skill levels while remaining surrounded by trees, landscaped walking paths, and natural gathering spaces. The atmosphere is peaceful, family-oriented, and focused on recreation, health, and community.
Our goal is not commercialization, but thoughtful activation of an underutilized area of North Park. Every design choice, from lagoon placement to landscape buffers, follows the principle of harmony with nature and respect for the surrounding neighborhood.
Hours and Programming
Operations are designed around natural daylight patterns, with most guests visiting between mid-morning and sunset. Early-morning and evening sessions are limited and carefully managed to maintain a quiet, low-impact environment. All activities occur within the park’s established hours of 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., consistent with community standards for sound and lighting.
Lighting Designed for Neighbors
Lighting is engineered for neighbor comfort and dark-sky practice. Fixtures are full-cutoff, low-glare LEDs that keep illumination focused within the lagoon. Berms, tree canopies, and directional visors prevent light from reaching homes. Lights dim automatically as the evening ends to preserve night skies and minimize environmental disruption.
Traffic Impact: Certified, Minimal, and Managed
Traffic is one of the clearest points of study and one of the simplest to explain. The certified Traffic Impact Analysis prepared by JMD Engineering shows that Boca Surf Park creates very little change to existing road operations.
- No road widening required
- No new signals or turn lanes required
- The intersection at Clint Moore Road and Congress Avenue remains within standard service levels
- Total daily trips: approximately 1,121
- Morning peak hour: 32 trips
- Evening peak hour: 90 trips
- Visits are distributed throughout the day through scheduled sessions, with no single-hour surges
A trip in traffic terms counts both arrivals and departures. With around 700 daily visitors, an average of 1.5 people per car, and additional staff and service vehicles, the total aligns with the professional projection of 1,121 daily trips. These verified numbers confirm that Boca Surf Park is a neighborhood-scale facility, not a high-traffic attraction.
Sound and Quiet Operation
The defining sound of Boca Surf Park will be the natural peel of a wave, not machinery. All mechanical systems operate quietly within enclosed structures, and sound levels at the property boundary measure around 45 to 50 decibels, which is comparable to a calm conversation or the ambient background from distant traffic on I-95.
Residents and community members who wish to explore the technical data can review The Sound Science Behind Boca Surf Park, which details certified acoustic measurements from existing Wavegarden facilities worldwide. The findings show that modern surf technology operates well below local sound thresholds and maintains the peaceful character expected within the North Park environment.
Environmental Care and Water Use
As surfers and environmental advocates, we take water stewardship seriously. The Wavegarden Cove system operates on a closed-loop recirculation cycle that filters and reuses the same water continuously rather than drawing new supply.
Once filled, the lagoon is maintained through an advanced on-site treatment system using filtration, UV sterilization, and a very small amount of chlorine similar to what is used in drinking water. The result is a clean, safe, and balanced aquatic environment with minimal water and energy use.
To give residents a sense of scale, the lagoon’s annual water use is comparable to the irrigation required for roughly two golf holes. This comparison is meant only to illustrate scale, not to criticize golf. Golf courses naturally require large green areas and steady irrigation, while the surf lagoon operates with a fraction of that water demand. Both amenities can coexist within North Park, serving different interests and contributing to a balanced recreational environment.
- Rainwater harvesting and on-site storage for natural replenishment
- Drought-tolerant native vegetation to minimize irrigation
- No continuous discharge into city stormwater systems
- Energy-efficient pumps and filtration designed for reduced consumption
This reflects our philosophy as lifelong surfers and Boca residents: to live in balance with nature, to protect what makes Boca beautiful, and to ensure that recreation and the environment thrive together.
Closed-loop water care and native landscaping support a healthy park ecosystem.Designed Around Neighbors
Boca Surf Park has been carefully planned to enhance the neighborhood, not just fit within it. The site plan includes generous buffers of 100 to 200 feet of native trees and vegetation separating the park from nearby homes. These natural zones provide privacy and visual screening while supporting local ecology.
Lighting and safety were key topics during community discussions. Many residents and commissioners expressed that well-designed lighting can make the park safer at night by discouraging unwanted activity. The park’s lighting strategy balances both goals by maintaining a secure environment with camera coverage and shielded, full-cutoff fixtures that prevent light spill beyond the property line.
All public areas and pathways will be safely illuminated while preserving the natural ambiance of the park. The lagoon and gathering spaces remain centered within the property to maintain distance from homes and minimize light and sound exposure.
Environmental consultants, landscape architects, and local engineers are part of the team to ensure that Boca Surf Park becomes a community asset that enhances neighborhood safety, preserves green space, and reflects the values of Boca Raton residents.
Wide green buffers designed around neighbors(Fazenda Praia da Grama – Brazil)A Shared Vision for North Park
Boca Surf Park is not about replacing golf or changing what North Park stands for. It is about keeping golf, preserving open land, and introducing a new form of blue space that adds value without taking away from what residents already love.
The vision is balance. Golf and surf can coexist as complementary uses within one unified park, creating a recreation hub that celebrates both green and blue spaces, a park that welcomes every generation, from golfers and walkers to surfers and families.
This is a For Boca, By Boca project, created by locals who believe in thoughtful growth, clean energy, and accessible outdoor recreation. The result is not a theme park or commercial attraction but a community-driven surf and wellness park that reflects Boca Raton’s values and strengthens its future.