A new surf park is coming to this East Valley city. What to know about Cannon Beach

Corina Vanek, Arizona Republic
Updated ·3 min read

Valley surfers wanting to catch some waves without leaving the state will have the option later this summer, as a development that includes a surf park is nearing opening in Mesa.

Cannon Beach, a 38-acre development in Mesa anchored by a surfing lagoon, is under construction at Warner and Power roads in Mesa. Representatives from the development team said they are planning a soft opening in June or July, with a full opening to the public following later in the summer.

The surfing lagoon, called Revel Surf, a stationary surfing wave called the Unit Wave, a tide pool and splash zone, cliff diving, a skate pump track and some of the retailers and restaurants will be among the first pieces to open. Cabana rentals and group event booking will also begin when the surf park opens.

The Unit Surf Pool, which is a pool that produces a continuous, stationary wave that surfers can ride, is the first to be built in-ground, rather than in a larger body of water, the project’s developer, Cole Cannon, said in October when demonstrating the pool and its wave.

Cole Cannon, the developer of Cannon Beach, holds a surf board as surfers test the UNIT Surf Pool at the development.
Cole Cannon, the developer of Cannon Beach, holds a surf board as surfers test the UNIT Surf Pool at the development.

Retailers, restaurants coming soon

The first retailers and restaurants to open will be Ananda Aveda Salon, Live IV Hydration, Moku Hawaiian Grill and High 5 Nails, which will open in June.

Over the next six months, 11 more businesses will open at Cannon Beach, which will include:

  • La Taqueria Factory Y Fruitlandia

  • JL Hot Pot

  • Fresh Monkee smoothies

  • 4Ever Young Anti-Aging Solutions

  • Russo's New York Pizzeria

  • The Peach Cobbler Factory

  • Two Hands Corn Dogs

  • It's Boba Time

  • The Break Coffee Shop

  • Perspire Sauna Studio

  • Guru Palace Indian cuisine

Next buildings under construction

So far, construction has been focused on the surf lagoon, the Unit Wave Pool and the retail pads along Power Road.

The developer recently broke ground on an industrial building that will include a new location of KTR, an indoor sports park with attractions like obstacle courses, a scooter track, gymnastics, trampolines and other sports facilities for kids.

The building will also include the Cannon Family Entertainment Center, which will have go-kart racing, a movie theater, an esports gaming center, bowling and an arcade, along with food and party facilities. The center is planned to open in the first quarter of 2025.

The city also issued a permit to construct four retail and restaurant buildings that will sit directly in front of the Revel Surf Lagoon.

There are future plans for multiple hotels on the site. One hotel will be an Aloft Hotel by Marriott, Cannon said in October, and one hotel will be a Cannon Beach branded hotel.

Water use

The water to fill the surf lagoon and the Unit Wave Pool will come from an on-site well. The Unit Surf Pool uses about 600,000 gallons to fill, Cannon said in October. The entire surfing park and water features will use about 10 million to 12 million gallons annually, representatives from the development said in an email.

That amount is comparable to the amount of water used by one hole of an average Arizona golf course in one year, according to water data from 2019, which showed one hole in an 18-hole course uses about 9.13 million gallons per year.

Reach the reporter at cvanek@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter @CorinaVanek.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mesa is getting a new water park. What to know