Sandwiched between the sand of Mission Beach and the Giant Dipper roller coaster, 18 minutes from campus, the Wavehouse is a creative mixture of So Cal trademarks sprawled across 40,000 square feet of oceanfront property, with a beach blonde staff serving up burgers, drinks, live entertainment and in-house waves.
This surfer-cool locale has the usual food, booze and palm trees of any beachside eatery, with two big exceptions. Its dual wave machines are dump truck-sized slanted pools that generate waves up to 10 feet high — the place is world famous for mixing flowboarding and dining.
Flowboarding involves riding a body board down an artificial wave and doing tricks, standing up or laying flat. At Wavehouse, riders use wave machines called FlowRiders that generate sheets of unbroken waves, allowing them to surf in conditions that are perfect every time. Wavehouse is one of three such places internationally where you can experience the sporting mixture of surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding and wakeboarding all in one.
Once you’ve hunted down a parking spot, follow the painted footsteps straight through the entryway; if you’re over 21, pause to get a wristband from security.
You have a choice between four different restaurants within the Wavehouse — North Shore Café, Bar & Grill, Sound Wave (only open weekends) and Patio Grill — but grab a seat on the patio for the best mid-meal enter- tainment, where you can sink your toes into the sandbox under your table and watch people (and wipe out in) the wave machine.
Anyone can take a turn on the wave machines — don’t worry, they give you wetsuits, and the bottom of the wave tank is padded for when you tank it. The FlowRider machine costs $20 an hour, plus a one-time $10 registration fee which includes a short explanation of the basics.
It’s a little harder to stand up on the larger FlowBarrel, where you have to conquer 100,000 gallons of water flowing under you at 30 mph, but if you’ve mastered the FlowRider and forked over the $40 fee, the adrenaline rush might just be worth it. Rides for both machines start on the hour, so be sure to budget enough time to digest lunch before you suit up.
Lunch itself doesn’t really make waves, aside from the fact that it’s relatively cheap (most meals cost under $15). Sandwiches or wraps are your best bet — Patio Grill’s turkey avocado comes topped with red onion, lettuce and garlic mayo, for $5.50. This place is better known for nighttime entertainment, like concerts, than for its cuisine, but service is attentive and friendly. Go at sunset for multicolor glimpses of the (real) waves through bamboo fences.
Inconveniently, bathrooms are located out- side and around the corner (again, follow the footsteps), and after a while, the hardwood benches that make up most of the seating starts to feel like, well, hardwood. But though this place may be better at hanging 10 than making fish and chips, it still offers classic So Cal culture in one picturesque, Volcom-clad, totally rad venue. Wavehouse hours vary.