Wavegarden has constructed three fully-operational units in Spain, the UK, and Austin, Texas. The latter, which was built in 2016, hit a number of roadblocks and ruffled the feathers of lawmakers and locals along the way. It is currently closed.
The Austin facility, known as Nland, began construction in 2014, but faced a lawsuit from Travis County alleging that its Wavegarden didn't meet state health requirements for public pools and hadn't applied for necessary permits.
The park ultimately reached an agreement with county authorities and opened in October 2017, but closed just a month later due to damage under the Wavegarden. Meanwhile, locals living near the park — built in a floodplain — complained that it was regularly spilling water into the surrounding area, flooding their front yards and driveways.
Nland is currently closed after being purchased by the World Surf League, according to its website, and will be redeveloped. Surfing blogs speculate that the Wavegarden "lagoon" — derided for its "crumbly, meandering waves" — might be replaced with a Wavegarden "cove," or another brand of wave pool entirely.