Opinion: No way is wave park a lagoon

A lagoon it’s not.

The term lagoon, used by the proponents of the surf park, perhaps to dilute the reality of an artificial construction, is a misnomer, as according to a range of definitions a lagoon is:

a) a stretch of salt water separated from the sea by a low sandbank or coral reef.

b) a small freshwater lake near a larger lake or river.

c) an artificial pool for the treatment of effluent or to accommodate an overspill from surface drains during heavy rain.

d) an area of shallow water separated from the sea by low sandy dunes.

e) an artificial pool for storage and treatment of polluted or excessively hot sewage, industrial waste, etc.

Cambridge dictionary – An area of sea water separated from the sea by a reef.

Collins dictionary – A lagoon is an area of calm sea water that is separated from the ocean by a line of rock or sand.

Oxford dictionary –

1. A stretch of salt water separated from the sea by a low sandbank or coral reef.

2. An artificial pool for the treatment of effluent or to accommodate an overspill from surface drains during heavy rain.

Call it what it is – a man-made surf park.