Virtual Surfing in Hotels [Edit]

Dude, how good does a surf vacation sound? I hate to break it to ya, but even making the trip to Hawaii can’t ensure perfect weather to hit the waves.

Ideal conditions for surfing are always present though with the surf simulator at the Sheraton hotel. The game lets hotel guests ride virtual waves on a live board any day, at any time, regardless of outside weather.

“We’ve got to worry about sharks, and we’ve gotta worry about the reef,” said creator Paul Goo of the new feature in the lobby of the Sheraton Waikiki. The addition lets people enjoy the adrenaline rush of surfing even when they can’t make it out the real waves of Oahu.

“It takes the fear out of actually going out into the water and really creates a safe environment for people to participate,” said Richard Vidinha, the Sheraton’s Director of Fun (seriously, that’s a real job title!)

So, if you don’t want to deal with salty hair, streaking makeup, cold wind, or you don’t want to risk injury or making a public fool of yourself, this could be an ideal solution!

“We’re really fortunate to be able to use this technology as one of our guests activities,” Vidinha said. “The reaction has been awesome, we have it pretty much five days a week right now for two hour segments in the afternoon.”