The present application relates to a wave pool (100, 300, 400) comprising a channel (106) containing water and having a bottom contour having a slope (204) that rises upward from a deep region (202), the bottom contour further including a shoal (206) that is an extension of the slope; the pool further comprises one or more foils (500, 600), each foil arrangeable vertically proximate the deep region of the channel and adapted for movement in a direction along a length of the channel, each foil having a curvilinear cross-sectional geometry that defines a leading surface (502) that is adapted to generate a solitary wave toward the shoal in the water from the movement, and a trailing surface (504) configured for flow recovery to avoid separation of the flow of water in the wave and to mitigate drag from the foil in the water from the movement; and a moving mechanism having a track along the length of the channel proximate the deep region of the channel, for moving the one or more foils along the track in the direction along the length of channel to generate a surface gravity wave from the solitary wave by each of the one or more foils.