All photos by Rob Henson. Interviews with Paki Gale

During the aerials tournament held at the Waco, Texas, Stab High pool, one of the announcers, respected surfer Shane Dorian, said that kids from Hawaii are raising money to travel to the middle of Texas, 1500 kilometers from the nearest ocean, to practice at the BSR Park pool.

Panamanians Kai and Teo Gale and Agustín Cedeño did just that, leaving behind the wave-filled Central America where they live to go to a pool. The conclusions they came away with after three days with three one-hour sessions are quite impressive.

They are still down.

Agustin Cedeño: “For me in just one day with three sessions, one sees the increase in the level of surfing”

What goes through your head after this experience in Texas?
It was amazing for me, very addictive and constructive, because after each session you can analyse the videos and prepare to correct mistakes. As the waves are the same, you can plan what you can do and this helps to raise the level.

What are the pros and cons of the pool?
The benefits are that the waves are almost identical each one. It is easy for you to plan what you are going to do on each wave. Another benefit is that you know where they are coming from and how many are coming.

The pool also has several sections of tubes and maneuvers. You can combine all the maneuvers in many ways. The cons are that the pool has a limited number of waves, and you have to pay to surf and for a limited time. If you want to keep surfing, you can't.

What was your best wave?
I had a right that I was able to do two good moves on and an aerial at the end. On the left I tried several times to do a reverse aerial on the backside and I was able to get two. The best one was a wave that I was able to get a maneuver at the beginning and at the end I did the aerial and I completed it well.

Does surfing in a pool improve your level?
For me, in just one day with three sessions, you see the increase in your surfing level. Being there for three days is a lot and helps raise the level a lot. I managed to complete some maneuvers that are difficult for me in the sea, but in the pool I was able to practice and practice until I could do them quite well and easier. I was able to improve my power surfing technique as well.

Did you feel left wanting more or was it enough?
It's like an addiction, the more waves you catch, the more you want.I was left with a lot of desire, I didn't want to go back.

What do you miss about the sea?
It's just that it's free and I can go whenever, but if I could, I would stay in the pool.

Kai Gale: “The best tube of my life”

What do you think after surfing this wave pool?
I loved it, it was much better than I expected. I had a lot of fun surfing the rights and the lefts. I couldn't stop having fun..

Do you think this could change surfing?
The wave pool can revolutionize surfing, because they can be set up like soccer fields, in places where there are no beaches. For me, it will change surfing a lot. There is a before and after.

What are the pros and cons?
The pros are that you always know what section is coming up and you can practice your moves over and over again. The quality of the wave is great and allows for lots of moves. The cons are that you have to pay for the wave and you don't get as many waves as you want, you can only catch a certain amount and you don't come across any natural features, like dolphins, fish or whales.

What was your best wave on the trip?
It was a right hand where I stopped, picked up speed, did a first maneuver and continued to pick up speed to hit a pretty high 180 aerial and I was able to land it. On the left I liked that I was able to take a couple of fairly long tubes, get out and hit a good maneuver.

Did riding this wave for three days improve your surfing skills?
I feel like I've improved a lotI feel much more confident with my maneuvers. I do aerials and tubes much better, and cuts too.

Are you still looking forward to staying in the pool?
Yes, but I also wanted to go back to the sea because it's good to be with nature, salt water, seeing the animals, how the tide changes and all that.

Is there any strange anecdote that you remember?
Something weird but that I loved about the pool is that we became very good friends with one of the wave makers and he threw me a special wave, like a right wedge with a huge tube and it was the best tube of my life, I loved it.

Also one thing that was kind of weird and funny was that I thought it was impossible to steal someone's wave in a wave pool… There was one person who I thought was going to fall  and I jumped without looking carefully and suddenly I heard hey! hey! and the person was behind me and I jumped out, and the person started screaming as if it were a real point.

I stayed under the water for a while thinking that I had stolen $10 from him, because that's what each wave costs. I went out to apologize profusely and luckily he was also on the next shift so he wasn't as angry.

You must be the first person to steal a wave in a wave pool, are you happy with the title?
Yeah (laughs), I don't think anyone has done it before, so it's nice to have a record.

Which would you choose, the pool or the sea?
I would choose a place where I can live, where I have the water and the waves in front of me and the pool behind me, to have variety.

Teo Gale: “I missed seeing the fish and seeing everything that happens in the sea”

What is your final reflection on having surfed in the pool?
It's a great wave, with tubes everywhere, fun, friendship and everything together in one place.

What are the positive and negative things about the pool?
The good thing is that they are all perfect waves and there are also turns at the point. The bad thing is that you have to pay and sometimes the wave can be closed to you. The color of the water is sometimes clear, other times dark, depending on the rain and the chlorine. They put a dye in the color of the water and when they put the chlorine in, it kills the dye and turns brown.

What do they put ink in for?
They put it on so it is more pleasing to the eye.

Do you see it as a disadvantage? Do you prefer the transparency of the sea?
Yes.

What was the best wave of the trip?
It was a long tube, I went out through the doggy door and I was able to hit the pocket well.

Did surfing this wave for three days change your level?
He improved a lot. The first few days I wasn't that confident knowing the wave. Then on the last day I was very confident and I was hitting the pocket hard, up and down, aerials everywhere and attacking the wave more.

Are you still wanting more?
Yes, I could stay a couple more days and it would be nice to ride a couple more waves to finish the trip.

Do you miss the sea?
I miss it because I prefer natural things over artificial things. I missed seeing the fish and seeing everything that happens in the sea.

Have you ever imagined this in Texas?
I never imagined a wave pool here. I imagined an old, kind of weird neighborhood, but I never imagined that technology would go so far. I imagined something more like cattle, horses and cowboys.