No ocean? No problem. Catch a wave at Coachella Valley surf park

Forget Malibu or the North Shore. Next summer, you can catch a wave in Palm Desert, 100 miles from the nearest ocean.

- BY DEBORAH NETBURN

DSRT SURF, which has been in the works since 2018, will bring a 5.5-acre surf pool to Palm Desert in 2026.

After years of delays, DSRT Surf, the Coachella Valley's second surf destination, is expected to open to the public in the summer of 2026. The new complex will offer inland surfers a steady stream of machine-powered waves in a 5.5-acre surf pool embedded in the sprawling Desert Willow Golf Resort.

The complex, which will eventually include a 139-key hotel and 57 luxury villas, is the latest addition to a growing number of surf resorts opening across the country and the world that don’t require proximity to a coastline. Surf pools may not have the romance and drama of the open ocean, but fans say they can provide beginners and experienced surfers alike consistent waves for working on skills as well as introduce the sport to people who lack easy access to natural waves.