Is Sydney’s Best Surf in Olympic Park? Learning to Surf at URBNSURF

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*This is an unsponsored review and I have no personal connection to URBNSURF

Is Sydney’s Best Surf in Olympic Park?

📍 Location: URBNSURF – 15 Hill Rd, Sydney Olympic Park NSW 2127

🚗 Getting There: Car park with 2 hours free parking, otherwise its a 30 minute walk from Olympic Park Station

🎟️ Entry Fees: ≈ $100 per visit. Membership and multipacks are also available here.

🔎 Tips for Your Visit: There is a $5 entry fee for spectators and a no photography/filming policy!

🍽️ Facilities/Food (if applicable): Restaurant, cafe, bar, heated pool, lounge chairs and cabanas are available.

I’ve spent my whole life skateboarding, snowboarding, and loving the ocean—so naturally, surfing should complete my board sport trifecta. But despite that, I had never tried it. Maybe it’s the intimidating surf culture that makes it feel daunting to begin, or it’s the simple fact that I live 45 minutes from the nearest beach.

Then URBNSURF opened—Sydney’s first inland surf park, where perfect, machine-made waves roll in on demand. It’s an odd idea when you think about it: paying to surf artificial waves when Sydney contains arguably some of the best beaches in the world. But for someone who lives 10 minutes from Olympic Park I couldn’t fight the appeal. The short travel time, no battling crowds, no guessing when the next good set would come, just endless, predictable waves in a controlled pool.

At first, the concept seemed odd—paying for waves when the ocean offers them for free. It felt like the surfing equivalent of a golf driving range: a curated, upmarket version of something that’s usually raw and unpredictable. Still, I was intrigued.

So when my sister surprised me with a beginner lesson for my birthday, it became my chance to finally try surfing – and to answer a bigger question: could surfing become more accessible for those of us who live far from the coast?

URBNSURF, Sydney’s only artificial wave pool, sits in Olympic Park—a sleek, modern facility catering to surfers of all levels. The setup is impressive: clean changing rooms, an observation deck, restaurants, a surf shop and plenty of space to relax between sessions. Best of all, the wave pool delivers consistent, perfect waves perfect for beginners who want to learn without battling unpredictable ocean swells.

But as polished as the experience was, I couldn’t shake one question: How does a place like this stay in business? The sheer scale of the facility must come with massive running costs, and even with premium pricing (let’s be honest—$100 a session is egregiously expensive), I wonder about long-term profitability. I can’t imagine a typical surfer (especially my age) being happy to drop that kind of money regularly.

Then again, maybe URBNSURF isn’t targeting the typical surfer. Could this be a training centre for elite athletes? A playground for cashed-up retirees who want the thrill of surfing without the hassle of driving to the coast? The business model fascinates me almost as much as the waves themselves.

The $109 beginner lesson at URBN Surf covers everything you need to get started. After a short indoor theory lesson, we were taken to the shallow end of the wave pool, where the waves are smaller and easier to catch. The instructor walked us through the basics of paddling, standing up, and timing to catch a wave.

If I’m being honest, the predictability of the waves breaking at the same spot made it relatively easy to catch my first wave. The instructor was patient and encouraging, and she provided one-on-one tips (helping me turn quicker), which made all the difference in feeling confident enough to stand back up after wiping out. One of the main drawbacks with the wave pool was something my sister complained about during our lesson. To keep the waves consistent the pool is built on concrete and not sand. This has led to my sister’s friend breaking his toe in the shallow end and my sister complaining about how scary it is to fall in the shallow end. Maybe because of my skateboarding background I didn’t notice any significant drawbacks to surfing on the concrete but I can definitely see how it can add fear to first timers.

URBNSURF in Olympic Park offers a strong introduction to surfing for beginners. The convenience of a consistent, artificial wave pool paired with high-quality instruction makes it an excellent option for those looking to learn in a controlled environment. For people living in Sydney’s West or people who find it hard to access the coastline, it’s a practical and accessible alternative to the beach.

However, I have mixed feelings—not just about the high cost, but about what this experience represents. Surfing here feels more like structured athletic training than the more organic, “free-flowing experience” of being in the ocean. It makes me think: is surfing just about riding waves, or is it also about immersing yourself in nature, embracing unpredictability, and engaging with the surfing, beachside culture ? While URBNSURF offers an easy and efficient way to learn the technical side of surfing, it does lose some of the magic I guess that makes surfing so meaningful for many.

All in all, if you have the budget and you’re looking to improve your technical surfing skills or if you just want to fit more surfing into your weekly routine, URBNSURF is a great resource. But no matter how advanced the setup, it can’t quite replicate the magic and raw beauty of the ocean. 🌊✨