Waco Surf

Really fun experience! The lazy river and slides are great. The surfing is really fun too and beginner lesson sets you up for success but definitely book surfing in advance as there's very little chance of getting in later especially because the beginner sessions are pretty limited. We stayed on property and enjoyed the room, the food, the cable park, etc.

Been having a great time progressing at Waco Surf. This is why I'm here I'm a river surfer turned into a wave surfer. The reason I love Waco Surf is no one is fighting me for waves I get my own wave. So far I like the advanced wave better then the intermediate wave it's easier to paddle into. The staff is amazingly friendly and very helpful don't be afraid to ask for help/tips positioning etc. The instructor Will K that works there gave me incredible tips for paddling into the wave and my pop-up which I saw immediate results on my next few waves. He's a rockstar Thank you Will K and thank you to Waco Surf for this incredible wave and opportunity to progress quickly. Also to note they are installing a stand up wave by March 1st 2026. So you will have the opportunity to surf both kinds of waves this is my kind of place not to mention enjoy the hot jacuzzi after a winter session. If you do go in the month of December until they close down for the winter I do highly recommend a 4/3mm wetsuit and booties and gloves with a hood, or if you get cold even in a 4/3mm like myself after 2 hours then I'd bump it up to a 5/4mm. I personally don't like hoods so I wear a helmet which does keep my head warmer than nothing not to mention the confidence and safety because the pool does have a cement bottom and for my protection I'm used to river surfing with a helmet so I highly recommend it. They do rent boards as well as wetsuits and booties and gloves. High performance shortboards are $35 per session for 1 hour and then if you have multiple sessions in one day the price goes down a little bit to add on that second or third hour etc they do recommend the insurance which I would add on. But by the lifeguard station there are mid-length soft-tech surfboards as well as longboard soft-tech surfboards which are foamies which I do not believe they charge for those.

Water slides were a blast. Wish we had booked surfing before we came. Stayed in a cabin and it was a great time for our family. 44” is the height limit for the big slides. Our 6 and 9 year olds had a blast as well. You can bring your own food and alcohol to the slide portion but can buy beer by the surf park!

This is a great place for beginner and advanced surfers alike! We booked a beginner session and had an awesome time. It’s definitely worth the trip if you’re in the area. A few things I think aren’t super clear from the website, so I’ll let everyone know here: SURF SESSION = TIME IN THE WATER When you book surf sessions, you’re effectively paying for time in the water rather than an organized event – it’s not really a “everyone meet up here, let’s go over some quick things, let’s go as a group” kind of thing, it’s literally just “meet at the tower, here’s a surfboard, ok your hour starts now.” (Foam surfboards are included with the beginner session.) Every hour, they switch the difficulty level of the waves from beginner to intermediate to advanced, so you’re basically booking to be in the water for an hour at a specific difficulty level. They did have a couple guys come out with our novice group to help us find the right spot to catch the waves, but if you’re looking for any instruction beyond that, you need to sign up for a lesson, which take place before the beginner sessions and cost an extra $30 or so. Honestly seems pretty fair, just not abundantly clear from the website what a “surf session” is as someone who doesn’t surf regularly, so now you know. COUNTRY ROADS, TAKE ME TO WACO SURF You will be driving down some proper country backroads to get there. It won’t look like you’re getting close even when you are. Just trust in your maps app and keep an eye out for the Waco Surf sign. SIGN YOUR WAIVER BEFORE YOU SHOW UP There’s a QR code to complete a waiver posted in the parking area, and you need to have completed it before you can check in for your surf session. If you want to save yourself a bit of trouble on the day, just do it online when you book your session. There’s a “waiver” tab on the website. THE FOOD IS GOOD AND AFFORDABLE You are allowed to bring in coolers (incredible) but they also have onsite restaurants. We ate at the surf shack off the lagoon; the food was great and the prices were pretty good all things considered – I paid $16 after tax and tip for a couple of good-sized tacos. I was really expecting low-quality high-cost food like you get at a theme park or something like that, but that’s not at all the case. THE WATERPARK, SURF LAGOON, AND CABLE PARK ARE ON DIFFERENT SCHEDULES While the surf lagoon is open all year, the waterpark is not, and the cable park operates on different schedules depending on the season. When we came in late October, just the surf lagoon and the cable park were running (that did make it much quieter in the surf area, which was kind of nice). If you’re planning to do multiple activities, check that everything is operating when you plan to be there. Overall, it was a great experience that I’d definitely go back and do again sometime.

We had a great time at Waco Surf! I want to give extra special thanks to the accommodating and helpful staff, especially Zach and Danny who were super friendly and encouraging coaches. We came late season mid week which made it easy to jump in sessions, however the river and slides (and a few bars)were closed. I feel that surfing here was the best learning experience I’ve had in surfing yet. We stayed in a cabin and it was clean,modern and comfortable, although I wish they had an inside flat top for cooking. If you have experience surfing, have your pop up down and can surf down the line I would recommend surfing the advanced wave. If you’re surfing intermediate make sure you’re on a much bigger board (think of it like a less powerful point break). Cocktails were good at the bar, and the food at the surfside shack was flavorful (spam bfast tacos ftw) Definitely will be back, excited to get a crew together and possibly book a private!

Like stepping back into what surfing used to feel like I’ve been surfing for over 40 years, and Waco Surf keeps drawing me back. I live and grew up surfing in Southern California, and still surf spots up and down the coast, but having a full-time job and a family gives me less time to travel for waves. As far as pools go, the Palm Springs pool is super fun and obviously way closer, but Waco is different. Everyone I’ve gone with ends up wanting to return. When I first came years ago, it was pretty raw — darker water, rough bottom, no real infrastructure. You’d walk away with a few cuts and a huge smile. It felt like a mirage in the middle of Texas: perfect waves, nothing around. Now it’s grown into something incredible — turquoise water, great food onsite, and a mellow, welcoming vibe. The hotel and property are dialed in without feeling corporate. The wave itself is the real deal. You can test fins, boards, and approaches, and it actually translates — you feel yourself improving session to session. Seeing Noel Salas out there was a trip. I’ve followed his board breakdowns for years, but watching him ride and tinker in real time brought the whole thing full circle. His insight helped me dial in setups that work. And then there’s Rob Henson, the resident photographer — total legend. He’ll give you footage that looks like it’s out of a Taylor Steele film if you’re after that, and he even mentors a crew of other photographers and videographers on site. There’s also a new FlowState system (HD cameras all over the pool). You can buy your clips for almost nothing, study your surfing, and actually level up. Lots of options for clips. The tech and surf clinic side of this place can’t be understated. The FlowState captures everything — the good, the bad, and the truth. Like an aging performer losing confidence when HD took over, it can be humbling. But that’s where the growth is. Delusions of grandeur get smashed, and real change takes over. It’s honest, and that’s why I’m obsessed. The ocean will always be home — nothing replaces the salt, the randomness, the sunsets. But since COVID, the crowds and scarcity have changed things. Waco flips that dynamic. Everyone gets waves, everyone relaxes, and people start cheering for strangers again. It feels like what surfing used to be: generous, fun, connected, and even a little absurd at times. It’s not a replacement for the ocean — it’s a reminder of why I fell in love with surfing in the first place.

First timer here and we will definitely be back. As soon as we entered the park, everyone was so kind and helpful. Other guests have common courtesy and it's not overly crowded. The burgers are delicious and the park itself is clean.

Came here with a buddy last week, and we had a blast. We went to the six flags water park in Ft Worth this week, and the stark difference really made me appreciate Waco Surf. The Waco Surf Attendants/life guards are way more attentive and competent. The staff are friendlier and more helpful. The facilities are nicer. While there are fewer slides, they're way (like, not even close) more fun, and for me, a much much better deal. We got a cabin, which makes everything that much more affordable, which is so nice. I cannot recommend Waco Surf enough, and I highly recommend staying at the cabins/hotel if you're not local, you won't regret it!

Clean, eclectic family atmosphere & you can bring in coolers with food & canned beverages. Fun to watch the surfers & the lazy river was relaxing- it did get alittle congested a couple of x's but it was still nice. Next time we'll do the cable ski as well. Looking forward to visiting again. We didn't try the food since we were allowed to bring our own.

Fort Wilderness with Surf and Sun! Great way to unwind and rip some waves. We had a quick little getaway all the way from FL. My son had a blast when he wasn't surfing on the slides and we joined in on the fun. We had breast fast and lunch on the property and stayed at the hotel (great/ modern chic rooms) and a night in the cabin. Staff was friendly and welcoming. Very different and nice experience.

New lawn chairs on the deck and I can't wait to get back to Waco Surf. The rooms are roomy and you're in the country so glad they added fly swatters to the rooms. Awesome that summer is here and everything is open! (In Spring, when only the Surf pool is open always check the weather because Spring can be turbulent with thunder storms). I was surprised by how good the food was in the shack. Good bar upstairs where you can also watch your surf on a big screen. No need to record because they do it for you (and you can buy your video sessions/pics for extra).

5" peephole views for rows /rows of seats. Not accommodating to us moms/spouses supporting our boys being here. DUMB choice of fencing. Lady next to me complained to her family a group of 5 men stood there watching her shower, "pretty upsetting", she said. Here from Seattle for 2024 solar eclipse, along with thousands of other out of towners. You'd think they'd want to consider us out of towners travel and expenses and open the water parks; but no, WS decided to keep rides closed until next month, even though it's 80 weather. They don't want our business. Otherwise, cool spot middle of peaceful town. Not impressed with the lack of consideration for women. Hopefully they sort out these scuffs soon

Nice place to cool off! Some great amenities and lots of parking. Price wasn't too bad and the amount of fun you can have is endless.

I would give 6 stars if I could...for the employees! I was a lifeguard for many years at a popular water park and this was a whole diff experience. From start to finish, arrive early, buy and sign online, then pay for easy parking. After that, just enjoy your time. We bring canopies, wagons, chairs, coolers, and a propane grill to be self sufficient. Family pack gets 2 adults and 2 kids for 99 bucks. This past visit was father's day, and the employees were top notch. Friendly, accommodating, and so patient with our young swimmers testing the limits. Every employee had a smile, and a how can I help you attitude. If you are looking for a great family function...come to Waco Surf!!!

We rented the lake house for two nights. The place is still on property, however, the staff helping direct us was limited help in finding the house. Our guest that came in separate cars had just as hard of time because we had to keep going back to the gate to use the one clicker to let them in. Staff said they only have two clickers for the whole property. Highly inefficient- at the very least, allocate one of the many kids sitting around to show you how to get to the place, instead of them sitting on their phones. Once to the house, cobwebs all over the entry door. These were not created overnight. Once we were able to get in the house, the fridge was not cooling, the dishwasher had standing water in it with bugs floating, on the back patio we attempted to turn the fans on and one of the fans was missing a blade and about came off the ceiling. Sitting on the patio could be delightful, but there are wasp/dirt dobers everywhere!!!! It appeared no one cleaned the place. Next morning we woke up to two guys cleaning the pool and I asked how long before we could swim since they were adding chemicals. One guy "20 min" the other guy "an hour"...which is it?!?!? After that a guy on a lawnmower came to cut grass...all the work they did to clean the pool-he messed up with grass clippings--at 9am. I shared with the pool guys our son stepped on a nail at the bottom of the pool, his response "oh, sorry" About 10ish Jordan showed up to fix the fridge and dishwasher. He had to call another maintenance person who then came out about 2ish. Fridge started working, so our food didn't spoil. There was a mini fridge in the bunk room we could use with some of the food- That evening we washed our wet clothes, the dryer turned on-but would not heat. So I had the pleasure of dragging wet musty clothes home 2 hours to rewash ... The dock was unusable and chained off, so no fishing. There are 4 TVs, only one worked. Since we could not be on the patio because of all wasp, we attempted to watch tv, we used our phones. Will we be going back, probably not. For 2 nights $2,163.72, not including the water park passes - I would say we can find a much less expensive place that has working appliances, staff that knows the property and can truly assist, clean, and no nails at the bottom of the pool. And, yes, I did share all this with the front desk and Jordan. The response I received "I hope these issues doesn't impact you coming back. And thank you for letting us know so we can fix before the next guest." 7 water park passes for the next day was $250. This was an expensive experience I don't plan to repeat. EDIT: I have been contacted by Amy who shared they had a team meeting to address the concerns I raised, replaced the dryer, trying to find out what happened with the remotes, and credited me $250.00 for our water park passes. Oddly, the water park was the only "up shot" to the whole thing. So all in we spent $2413.72. She refunded $250. That is a 10.4% refund. If we think of all the appliances that were messed up (dishwasher, fridge, dryer, 3 TVs, back fan) plus the other issues, 10.4% is laughable. Glad y'all had a team meeting. Good luck!

My entire family loves this place! We love the lazy river and the pools By the slides! Wish their drink selection was a little larger;however, it is BYOB so DEF not a deal breaker! I am a huge fan of the fact we can bring our food and beverages in and setup a blanket or grab a table and don't have to pay for overpriced meals. We go multiple times a year and plan to keep going!! I will say, unless you are surfing or doing surf lessons, the beach is not worth it in my opinion.

Got my wallet stolen and they don't have lockers. Lost $300+ in cash and then they messaged me that someone turned the wallet in but had no way to reply and no phone number to call back. zero phone numbers. stressful and I live out of state and had to drive back to have nothing left in there. Not happy.

Great place to surf and wakeboard in a land-locked area. They have mimicked both sports well! Website is a bit confusing because you have to book everything separately: surf, wakeboard, beach, water slides/lazy river, food/bar area, and equipment; however, staff are friendly and able to answer questions as needed. They have caps on the daily tickets they sell, so it's never too busy. Prices are very reasonable. Plenty of free parking. Bring lots of water. Clean and well maintained. Will return for sure!

This is a hidden gem! My family and I enjoyed our 4 day stay with surf time. I am a mom who was able to surf with my 15 yo son. What a special experience together! We've been here 3 times since 2021 and look forward to our visit next summer! Thank you Waco Surf and the great staff!

This review is for the wave pool. All i can say is - its world class. The negatives - the price. And - no loaner towels -- the only available towels are for sale at - wait for it $40 - which is a ripoff anyway you slice it.

This place is truly a hidden gem right outside of the city of Waco. If you go or have gone to Baylor in the last 10 or so years, you've likely come here. The surf park, cable park, slides and lazy river are perfect on a hot day. The one negative would have to be the prices, as they've gone up drastically. The park is very nice, and they've added additional parking which allows for ample space to park. Definitely check this out if you're spending your summer in Waco!

Regretfully they downgraded the advanced session wave to a 4 wave setting that isn't as powerful as the original 3 wave format. This change was extremely noticeable and you can get little turns in but not big ocean style gouges. You will get much more power out of waist high Malibu. The original 3 wave point sets are available in the pro session but just a quick run of them and then the "air wave" and "wedge barrel" which are tricky but accessible if you surf them enough times (I highly suggest at least 2 pro sessions to get the hang of those waves or you will be replaying what could have been in your head haha). Also bring your own camera setup if you want to ensure all your waves are captured. The onsite photographer is awesome but there is a lot going on. If I were giving this rating based on staff friendliness, quality of facilities, and quality of food, I would give it a 10 out of 5. It's hard to find people as friendly and professional as the staff. And dang those tacos are so good...... Please bring back the 9 person advanced setting with 3 wave sets. I'd be happy to pay a little more for that.

Update, we never heard back from them despite multiple attempts. So Someone is probably walking around with a nice new pair of PRESCRIPTION Oakley sunglasses. Super disappointed.

We only went to the surf school so I can't speak for the hotel. The surf school was really fun for my son and husband. They did a beginners class (never surfed before) and both were able to pick it up pretty quickly. I would definitely recommend this place if you're in town. For those watching, there are beach chairs and you can rent a cabana if you want to get out of the sun. Otherwise, it's hot! Bring a hat and some sunscreen and enjoy being outside in a beach like environment!

Came to Waco Surf because my significant other used to be a professional wakeboarder, so he wanted to visit the place again since we were around the area. We booked the Cabana for 2 days. Now of course this is not a 5 star hotel so expect that to he vibe and ambiance are on a more relaxed pace. One of the things I wish were different for the guests staying at their park is beach/pool towels to be provided to their guests.... The bedding and towels are more on the used side but it was sufficient for the 2 days stays... I had no expectations of a 5 star hotel although the price is a bit high. But we had a great time on the slides, pool and the cable park. So overall we had a great experience and I do recommend.

Awesome place! An oasis in central Texas! Splurge and get the cabana! Makes my beach heart happy!

Yes, it's an oasis in the hellscape of central texas. Yes, it's a surfable wave without the jelly fish, sharks, or salty locals who keeps jumping you at the peak. It is all of those things that it looks like from the photos. What you can't see is the miserable management, disgusting water quality, terrible customer service and utter lack of recourse when they double book you and punt you for the more famous patron. This pool does not add to the accessible waves in Texas. In fact it just makes surfable waves in Texas less accessible as it attracts egotists from across the globe.

It was okay I went mainly for the lazy river since it is the largest in the world, was very disappointed. The water was dirty and smelt weird and it was very narrow could only fit two tube across which made it crowded very quickly, the scenery wasn't that great, not the relaxing experience I was hoping for. If you're looking for a nice place to float just go to an actual river. Also one of the girls at the desk to buy tickets from was rude and had an awful attitude. The slides were pretty cool but that's about it. Not worth +$50

Great staff and very nice customer service. The park was a lot of fun. The kids enjoyed the water slides and the lazy river. I recommend bringing a popup canopy if you have one. You can also bring a cooler with drinks and snacks.

Friendliest lineup anywhere! Go spend a few paychecks and you'll be happy. Haha..............

So much fun! The beachside was our jam! We had a cabana and spent all day in the sun, we went on a Tuesday and had no lines for the slides! At 38 I felt like a kid again!

Very fun and relaxed environment. Would highly recommend. Lazy river was long and fun. Slides were a bit intense

Edit: The owners have reached out and very satisfactorily remedied the situation. As I said, the surfing was wonderful but the accommodations were more like a campground with no accommodations. Also, they do sell coffee on site, this was a miscommunication from their staff. My family will definitely return for the surfing, but stay in a hotel in town. If you choose to stay at Waco Surf I highly recommend renting a car and stopping at the supermarket for food. I live in Waco and had family visiting who stayed at Waco Surf, and although the surfing was great the "hotel" accommodations were AWFUL. For $250/night there was no room cleaning, they had to find a place to empty their garbage each day, and no ice machine on site. Sheets and towels were never changed during their four night stay, twice they asked about coffee and twice they were told there was none available, even though the website states they provide coffee and breakfast. There was nothing available for hotel guests to eat other than tacos and burgers in the cantina, no salads, fruits, or anything healthy. Most surfers try to eat healthy foods. No one on site at night if an issue arose. Fresh towels, room cleaning, an ice machine, and overnight staff are the minimum you would find at a cheap roadside motel, but not at this $250/night hotel. They requested a late check out, the front desk granted their request, they paid for late check out, yet the day of check out they returned to their room after a surf session and were locked out of their room. For a water park where guests get sandy, hot, and need to shower frequently not providing fresh towels each day is ridiculous. We had to go to HEB to buy fruit, salads, cold cuts, and bread so they could have food during the day. I had to drive 40 miles round trip each day to bring them coffee. Waco Surf is not in Waco, but actually at the northern end of McLennan County, the closest city is Bellmead, not Waco.

We went on Memorial Day and the Tuesday after. The park wasn't busy at all. There was several people there but not what we had expected. It was clean and well maintained. Staff was friendly and the lazy river was just what we wanted. So relaxing and fun. Definitely a family friendly place.

Not worth the money lazy boring and water smells weird so if you like tuning and seeing concrete brushes and trash can this is the ride also the royal flush it was fine better than lazy river park benches were dirty if you want to go to the beach $$ if you want to wake board $$$$ and if you want to surf $$$$$$ I should've just taken the kids to Schlitterban don't waste your money but they are good at advertising it make you think your going to get this great park and then let's you done down only stayed about 40 min sad

Booked a beginner surf session and was shocked at the lack of guidance or any direction from the staff from the start to the finish. It was as if their weren't anyone there to help first timers at all. From arriving at the meeting point, absolutely no one was there to let us know what to do and where to grab a board as well as what to expect when the session began. Then while out there, it was just way too many people making it hard to get many waves and just not organized where everyone kept jumping in front of you. I just felt very uncomfortable and like we didn't belong in a way. I also expected to get some help on how to get up on the board, but no help was provided and just like I was guessing the entire time. Just utterly so shocked at the lack of assistance or guidance. It's like this business is paying for staff to just stand around and not give any help especially for someone coming here for the first time. Not worth the $100+ price in my opinion at all. This is overall a place only for experienced surfers and that's it.

This is such a gem, the fact that you can bring your own chairs and coolers is amazing. There is something for everyone here but the slides are defintely the best part.

Great park and experience! Waco Surf park is great and has a new water filtration system. People are super nice and a very cool recovery pool! Nice and warm to relax all the muscles and workout!

I just returned from a 3 day trip to Waco Surf. Although the surf was fantastic, what I want to talk about are he people that work there. It was so refreshing to see a group of people that are happy to be at work and genuinely cared that we were having a good time. Everyone there, from the people at the front desk, to the board room guys, to the lifeguards, to the people in the food shack, to the guys in the wave pool, they were all always friendly, helpful, and fun. I can't thank the staff at Waco Surf enough for making this such an awesome time. Thank you! PS, I will try to add some photos when I get them :)

My husband booked this trip for my two kids and I, we had such a good time, my kids both said they liked it more than most of our vacations. The rooms are really well done, very efficient and comfortable, the bed was amazing. The staff was so kind to my kids and super helpful for all of our needs. My kids loved the lazy river and the surfing. We also enjoy going into town and getting some great Mexican food. We are already preparing to book our next trip. Thank you Waco surf for a great time!

I love WacoSurf!!! I've gone for two beginner sessions thus far and will for sure for sure be back. I love that this place exists, especially in Waco of all places. The staff members are really chill and really kind. If I had any complaints, it's that (a) I wish they had higher capacity (especially for weekends) and (b) that I wish there was a more economic way to do it on the regular as a hobby (e.g. monthly memberships, bulk purchase discounts, group discounts, winter sessions, etc.). $100+/session is a bit steep, but still worth it if you're looking for a safe place to learn. I can't speak as much to the cable park/slides/river, but I will say that I went to BSR for the slides a few years before the management changed, and the vibe overall seems to be a lot more wholesome and friendly than it was before

Worst $156 dollars I've ever spent. Bought a family Pack, which includes the lazy river, the slides and the "beach". The lazy river was absolutely disgusting. The water is murky and filled with bugs and shrub. The current is slim to none, so you have to either kick or walk the river to get anywhere. The slides are ok, more painful then actually fun, my whole family came home sore and bruised. The beach isn't really a beach, it's murky lukewarm water with a barrier in between where the waves come in, so unless you want to spend even more money surfing, you don't even get to reach the actual waves. They make it seem much more exciting in their online promo videos then it is in real life. I can't get over how dirty the water was, and I'm almost positive I got sick from accidentally intaking water going down the slides. I didn't drink the whole day and I made sure to stay super hydrated. The entire next day I was nauseous and having major stomach issues. Save your money and go to an actual water park like Hurricane harbor! At least you get your money's worth and the water is Clean.

Super fun but can get very packed. I wish there was more seating because if you are not there right when they open, you only have one option to be on the sand which is full of twigs and dirty mixed in. And also pricey on drinks.

Awesome time at Waco Surf. We will definitely return. The food is great. The chef is from Oahu so he puts a little island twist into the selections.