The short answer: if your event is in the next six months, Palm Springs Surf Club is the only one you can actually book, and its 7.6 WPP Corporate Score is the highest we have published. DSRT Surf is the bigger technological swing, a 5.5-acre Wavegarden Cove rated for up to 1,000 waves per hour, targeted to open in 2026 with a preliminary 7.5 score. Book PSSC now; watch DSRT for late 2026 and beyond.
Head to head: 17 categories
Our take
These venues are less rivals than sequels. PSSC proved the Palm Springs corporate surf market with resort hospitality around a pneumatic pool. DSRT is betting the Cove's throughput and wave variety raise the ceiling for big groups. If DSRT opens on schedule and publishes competitive group pricing, Palm Springs becomes the only market in the world with two corporate-grade wave pools 25 minutes apart.
For planners, the decision tree is simple: dates before mid-2026 means PSSC. Dates in late 2026 or beyond means PSSC as the bookable option with DSRT as the watch item, and we will rescore the moment it operates.
Event planner questions, answered
Which is better for total beginners?
PSSC today, because it is operating with proven beginner settings and coaching. The Cove platform is excellent for beginners at other operating venues, but DSRT's version is unproven until it opens.
Which handles a 150-person event?
PSSC has run large buyouts. DSRT's 5.5-acre footprint and 1,000-wave-per-hour rating suggest even more headroom once open.
What about the rest of Palm Springs?
Both venues sit inside the strongest retreat ecosystem in the desert: PSP airport, hundreds of hotels, golf, Joshua Tree and the tramway. Our Palm Springs destination hub maps the full picture.
Where do we get DSRT updates?
The DSRT venue page and corporate guide are updated the week anything changes: opening date, rate card, corporate products.
Written and hand-verified by Wave Pool Party.
