Pip: Welcome back to a site where the desert occasionally decides it wants to be the ocean.

Mara: Today we're covering a major surf destination coming to Palm Desert — the who, the what, the waves, and the sustainability story underneath it all.

Pip: Let's start with DSRT Surf and what it actually means for the Coachella Valley.

DSRT Surf Brings Ocean-Scale Waves to the Desert

Pip: The question here is straightforward: what exactly is DSRT Surf, and why does a 17-acre surf resort in the middle of the Sonoran Desert represent something genuinely new for this region?

Mara: Eric Gray's reporting sets the scene directly — the project is "centered around a 5.5-acre Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon designed to create customizable ocean-style waves for surfers of varying skill levels."

Pip: That's not a lazy splash pad. The technology is rated to generate up to 1,000 waves per hour, which means a beginner and an experienced surfer can be in the water at the same time without one of them getting destroyed.

Mara: The broader footprint matters too. Beyond the lagoon, the development includes a beach club, food and beverage, wellness programming, pickleball courts, and gathering spaces — the intent is a year-round destination, not a seasonal novelty. Future phases are planned to add resort accommodations and residential components.

Pip: So the surf lagoon is the anchor, but the ambition is closer to a lifestyle district. Which, in the desert, is either visionary or extremely on-brand — possibly both.

Mara: The earlier construction coverage fills in the origin story. When groundbreaking happened in May 2024, architect Bruce Greenfield described the goal as creating "a unique, 360-degree experience that redefines surf culture in the Inland Empire." AO, the design firm, positioned the lagoon as the central attraction from the earliest planning stages, with wave-inspired roofs and mid-century modern elements drawn from the desert surroundings.

Pip: That construction piece also introduced the sustainability angle in concrete terms.

Mara: Right — Beach Street Development's "Turf for Surf" initiative repurposes turf from Desert Willow's golf courses, and the lagoon is designed to achieve net zero water use, saving over 10 million gallons of water annually. The current reporting from Eric Gray notes that DSRT Surf remains on track for a late July 2026 opening and is an independent development, not affiliated with Palm Springs Surf Club.

Pip: A surf resort that conserves more water than it uses, opening in July in the desert. The audacity is almost refreshing.

Mara: The Coachella Valley is clearly building out its recreation and hospitality identity — and the water story is worth watching as the region keeps adding these destinations.

Mara: Surf lagoons in the desert, net-zero water commitments, a late July opening — there's a lot riding on this summer for Palm Desert.

Pip: Next time, we'll see whether the waves delivered. Until then, the desert keeps surprising us.