Inside Waco Surf's Sold-Out Wave Pool and the 400-Acre Desperado Build

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are David Taylor and Luke Schock, and how did they end up owning Waco Surf?

Taylor came from a restaurant operations background and Schock from finance. After Taylor surfed the pilot American Wave Machines technology at Barefoot Ski Ranch in 2018, original developer Stuart Parsons approached their group about a takeover. Following a two-year diligence period, they closed on the property in 2021, with Taylor moving from Encinitas, California to Waco with his wife and 6-month-old baby.

What exactly is Desperado, and what amenities are planned?

Desperado is a 400-acre surf-anchored ranch community being built on undeveloped land surrounding Waco Surf, which currently uses only about 60 of its acres. Plans include a second surf pool, a 13-hole golf course designed for quick family rounds, a hot springs resort, pickleball, and dirt-only roads. Taylor and Schock spent a year studying lifestyle amenity communities worldwide before designing it.

Why did Taylor and Schock reject the private, gated model used by other surf communities?

They describe Waco Surf as the "everyman surf pool" and believe the magic comes from mixing homeowners with bucket-list travelers from Brazil, Japan, Hawaii and beyond. Homeowners get guaranteed access hours roughly 30% of the time, but the pool stays open to the public otherwise. That openness also turns Desperado homes into rentable investment properties with a built-in customer base.

How has Waco Surf's customer base changed since 2019?

When Taylor and Schock began operating the park, roughly 99% of customers were core surfers, often from California, traveling in bachelor-party-style groups. Over five years, that flipped to a 99% family-oriented, largely Texas-based clientele. The same migration shows in Desperado deposits, which are overwhelmingly from Texas families, with one notable exception: a Hawaii native whose family lives in New York.

Why does Waco's location matter to the project?

Waco sits an hour and a half from both Dallas and Austin and roughly three hours from Houston, making it genuinely central to Texas. Taylor argues it is no longer a drive-by city on I-35, citing Baylor graduates staying to open businesses, the Magnolia-driven Chip and Joanna Gaines effect, and surprise visits from figures like Tony Hawk that draw crowds within minutes.

How does learning to surf in Waco compare to learning in the ocean?

Schock explains that waves break in the exact same spot every time, with no stingrays, jellyfish, or sharks, and a dedicated paddle-back channel that avoids oncoming sets. Beginners start with a beach lesson, then instructors push them into waves. Some guests arrive never having surfed and, within five days, are riding the park's most advanced wave.

What's the historical significance of the 1952 Waco tornado mentioned in the episode?

Taylor recounts, via Waco lifer Sam Brown, that Waco was positioned in the 1940s and '50s to become the financial hub of Central Texas, fueled by banking and oil money. The 1952 tornado decimated the city, investors got cold feet, and that growth migrated to Fort Worth. He points to the Hippodrome on Austin Avenue, which once hosted Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, as evidence of the pre-tornado boom.