Waco Surf: A Baylor Student's Complete Guide
If you've lived in Waco for more than a week, someone has already asked if you've been to Waco Surf. It's not just a local attraction — it's the world's largest inland surf destination, and it's sitting about 10 minutes from 19Eleven on S 8th Street. With 18,100 people searching "waco surf" every month, it's clearly on a lot of minds. If you haven't made the trip yet, here's everything you need to know before you go.
What Is Waco Surf?
Waco Surf at 5347 Old Mexia Road is a full-scale surf resort and water park that runs year-round. The centerpiece is a 2-acre wave pool powered by PerfectSwell® technology — the same system used at the Olympics. The pool generates consistent, shape-able waves for all skill levels, from people trying surfing for the first time to advanced riders working on aerial tricks.
Beyond the surf wave, the property has expanded into a full outdoor recreation campus: water slides, the world's longest lazy river, a cable park, and resort lodging. It's not just a surf lesson destination — you can spend an entire day or weekend there without running out of things to do.
Distance from 19Eleven on S 8th Street: about 4–5 miles southeast, roughly 10–12 minutes by car. Uber is consistently available from the Baylor area.
Waco Surf Hours and What's Open
The different attractions at the Waco Surf park run on separate schedules:
- Surf Lagoon (wave pool): 8am–8pm daily
- Water Park (slides, lazy river): Monday–Friday 12pm–6pm; Saturday–Sunday and holidays 11am–7pm
- Shredmill: Temporarily closed for repairs as of mid-2026
If you're coming specifically for the water park, plan around the noon opening on weekdays. Weekday mornings are your best window for the wave pool without the weekend crowds — arrive around 8am and you'll often have the water nearly to yourself for the first hour.
Surf Lessons: What They Cost and What You Get
Waco Surf lessons are booked by the hour and are taught in the wave pool:
| Lesson Type | Price Per Person |
|---|---|
| Learn to Surf | $75/hour |
| Beginner | $129/hour |
| Intermediate | $139/hour |
| Advanced | $159/hour |
The Learn to Surf option at $75 is specifically designed for first-timers — you'll learn to pop up, find your balance, and ride the small wave section of the pool. It's genuinely beginner-friendly: no prior surfing experience required, boards and instruction are included.
Group math: If four of you split a Learn to Surf hour, that's $18.75 per person for an hour of guided instruction in a wave pool. You can then buy a standalone water park session to extend your day. That's a reasonable afternoon by any Baylor student budget standard.
One practical note: bring board shorts or a swimsuit that won't come off in the water. Loose boardshorts with no drawstring tend to fail. First-timers fall a lot — that's part of it.
The Water Park Side: Slides, Lazy River, and Cable Park
The water park portion of Waco Surf stands on its own even if you don't surf. The key features:
The Wedge Water Slides — four slides at varying levels of intensity, from the kind where you can bring a young sibling to the kind where you'll question your life choices at the top.
The World's Longest Lazy River — genuinely long, great for recovering between slide runs or just drifting in the Texas heat. Free inner tubes available.
Cable Park — for wakeboarding and water skiing without a boat. You're pulled along a cable system across the water. This is a separate rental; it's worth trying at least once if you've never done it.
The water park is the right call on days when you want to be in the sun without committing to surf lessons. It's also the crowd-pleaser for groups where skill levels vary widely — everyone can do the slides, even if not everyone wants to surf.
Resort Options: Cabins, Hotel, and More
Waco Surf isn't just a day trip destination. The resort has a hotel, private cabins that sleep 4–14 people, and RV hookups. If you're planning a birthday weekend or Greek chapter event, booking a cabin is genuinely worth considering — it puts everyone in the same place for the whole trip. Cabins vary in size, so check the site for availability.
Waco Surf also offers golf, horseback riding, UTVs, fishing, skateboarding, and pickleball on the property. If your group has people who aren't into water activities, there's enough land-based stuff to keep them occupied.
Getting to Waco Surf from 19Eleven
From 19Eleven at 1911 S 8th Street, the route is straightforward:
- Head south on S 8th Street to I-35 South
- Take I-35 South to TX-6 Loop / Valley Mills Drive
- Head east on Old Mexia Road — Waco Surf is on your left
It's approximately 4–5 miles and 10–12 minutes with normal traffic. Parking on-site is included with your activity.
Uber and Lyft are active in the Waco/Baylor area — if you're going as a group of four, splitting the fare makes sense over the cost of gas and parking logistics.
19Eleven tip: If you're spending a full day at Waco Surf, pack snacks from the apartment. The on-site food is fine, but it's a theme park pricing situation. Bringing lunch cuts costs significantly for a full day out.
Best Times to Go
Weekday mornings: The wave pool crowd is thinnest before noon on weekdays. Good for lessons when you want the instructor's full attention.
Weekend afternoons: Peak crowding, longest waits for slides. If your schedule only allows weekends, arrive at or before opening (11am Saturday) to beat the lines.
Late summer: August is busy but still warm. September weekends thin out significantly as the school year takes over — lower crowds, same conditions.
The Shredmill: Currently closed for repairs. Check wacosurf.com before you go to see if it's reopened. When it's running, it's a stationary wave good for practicing tricks between pool sessions.
Waco Surf vs. the Campus Pool
The Baylor McLane Student Life Center pool is free with your Baylor ID and great for regular training. Waco Surf is a completely different experience — it's a destination, not a daily training facility. Think of it the way you'd think of Cameron Park vs. a treadmill: one is practical, the other is an experience.
If you're living at 19Eleven, you also have access to our indoor pool year-round — which handles the "I want to swim today" need without a drive. Waco Surf is for the days you want to make an event out of it.
Planning Your First Trip: A Practical Checklist
- Book surf lessons in advance — weekend slots fill up. Check wacosurf.com early in the week for weekend availability.
- Arrive at water park opening if you want shorter slide lines (11am Saturday, 12pm weekdays).
- Bring: sunscreen, water shoes (optional but helpful on hot pavement), a change of clothes, lunch or snacks.
- Don't bring: anything you're worried about losing. Lockers are available; leave valuables in the car.
- Check the Shredmill status at wacosurf.com before going — it periodically closes for maintenance.
Waco Surf is one of those places that's easy to put off until "later in the semester" and then you've somehow been in Waco for a year without going. Don't be that person. It's 10 minutes away.
Ready to Make 19Eleven Your Waco Base Camp?
Waco Surf is one reason students keep extending their leases in Waco. Once you know where everything is — 10 minutes to the surf park, 5 minutes to Cameron Park, walking distance to Baylor — it starts to feel genuinely convenient. If you're still looking for a place to land in Waco, our floor plans start at $1,035/month and come with the indoor pool, sports court, and bark park you'll want after a full day in the Texas sun.
Schedule a tour to see the apartments in person and find out what's currently available.
