Work On Surf Snowdonia Should Start In May

We have featured it often enough in the past, but now it looks as though the much publicised Surf Snowdonia project on the site of the old aluminium factory at Dolgarrog in the Conwy Valley is finally moving off the drawing board.

Work is expected to start on building a multi-million pound surf attraction and "wave garden" in May. Conwy Adventure Leisure said the scheme had taken a major step forward with the signing of a contract with a specialist firm to build the centre. They are now awaiting the final planning consent.

Hopefully this is what Surf Snowdonia will be like

Conwy Adventure Leisure said the centre would create 100 construction jobs and 60 jobs on site once operational. Included in the proposals are a "wave garden" with lagoons, water slide, wakeboard lake, lodges, restaurant, retail and play facilities along with a main car park for up to 250 spaces.

It is now some seven years since Dolgarrog Aluminium, which employed 170 people, closed  and an action group was set up to develop the site.

Steve England, editor in chief of Carve surfing magazine, said the planned wave garden would be "amazing" for new and experienced surfers by providing consistent conditions. He compared it to providing facilities for snowboarders, skiers or skateboarders saying that currently surfers have to constantly hunt for the right conditions - weather, tides and seabed - which create suitable waves on which to surf.

He added that technology that had been developed in Spain over the last few years made it "fantastic for surfers as you can practise time and time" again on the same type of wave and without having to endure difficult conditions with storms in the winter and a flat sea in the summer.

Surf Snowdonia