In this paper a new wave pool concept is presented using ship hulls as wave generators. To evaluate the potential of such a concept a towing tank experiment is conducted to investigate ship wave generation in a confined space. In the towing tank experiment various hull sizes and velocities are examined to maximize the generated wave height. The laboratory data shows that when blocking of the cross section of the pool by the hull is large, the large return flow significantly influences the wave height. This is in contrast to the open water case where the return flow is much smaller and therefore is not incorporated in wave height predictions. Based on the results of the physical model tests an optimum hull size and velocity are derived to maximize the potential use for surfing and a preliminary design of the wave pool is proposed.