Wave parks are all the rage these days, ever since Kelly Slater unveiled that perfect man-made barrel in his back garden. And now the idea of artificial perfection has reached the shores of England! Meet The Wave, Bristol’s artificial surf park with waves on tap!

The Wave in Bristol is the first inland-surfing destination of its kind in England.

Its Wavegarden technology provides over 1,000 waves an hour!

Like the idea of surfing super consistent waves – without strong sea currents and messy chop? The repetitive perfection of Bristol’s man-made wave park is ideal whether you’re a first-time surfer wanting to learn the basics or an intermediate rider looking to master more advanced manoeuvres.

Every aspect of the surfing experience – perfect wave breaks, fun and supportive lessons, free wetsuit and board hire – have all been designed to ensure an awesome surf experience for everyone. We LOVED it!! 

Euphoric Threads founder, Laura, tested out the intermediate wave for the first time and took our NEW sustainable Scuba surfsuit for a spin …

Read Laura’s lowdown on The Wave surf park in Bristol :

Where is The Wave?

The wave pool at The Wave is situated in a village called Easter Compton, just 20 minutes outside of the city of Bristol.

It’s actually super easy to get to from most parts of the country, about 10 minutes off of the M5. Click here for map.

The Wave Bristol opened last Autumn in 2019, but recently had its grand re-opening post Covid chaos this Summer.

(Some exciting news for Londoners – The Wave London is in the pipeline, looking to open in 2021 ..and for our Aussie chicks down under, Melbourne has not long opened URBN SURF – a surf park operating the same WaveGarden technology as The Wave in Bristol!)

 

Upon arrival you are instantly surrounded by lush green countryside. Park up, head over to a sign in booth then it is a 15 minute walk (or skate) from the car park to the wave park.

TIP: Arrive an hour before your allocated surf slot! I actually arrived 30 minutes before, and had to rush around trying to find a locker (missed half the briefing – oops)

The main building at the wave park is all wooden walls and tall ceilings, with an inviting cafe overlooking the surf action through huge glass windows. As well as surfers nursing hot chocolates in the cafe’s warmth there are plenty of locals who have popped in for a coffee and a glimpse of the surfers speeding along the turquoise waves outside. 

When you arrive you are guided to check in, given a rash vest (colour coded for levels) and given a hire board. 

I chose to wear a Euphoric Threads new scuba surfsuit underneath my wetsuit for an extra layer of warmth:

 

TIP: I recommend bringing your own board! I was pretty rushed and wanting to nip out of Bristol so decided use the free hire boards they have on offer. The boards available range from the free Softtech foamies to more advanced hard boards (available for an extra £10).

 

How does it work?

Ok first things first, how does a session at the wave pool work? Well it’s pretty simple in that respect – you paddle out, line up along the central pier, then sweep around to the take-off spot one at a time to catch your wave. In regards to getting back to the peak for a potential second wave in the set or for the next one – well that’s down to paddle power!

There are usually 15-20 waves per set (depending on group size) with around 1-2 minutes between sets – so once you’re ‘out back’ again you can chill out and wait for the next round of waves to start.

 

The Take Off

Honestly, the weirdest and most difficult part of surfing The Wave is the the take off!

You’re sitting close to a huge concrete wall and instead of paddling around to meet the peak of the wave and looking behind you to adjust and get in the right spot, you’re instead trying to line up with two markers on the wall and relying on the motion of the water to time your paddling.

Sounds odd right? It does take some getting used to!

 

Ideally you want to get into a rhythm where you use the forward motion of the wave being caught by the person in front of you to move you across and into position, lightly paddling to stay in place. Then, as the water draws backwards, begin paddling to catch your own wave.

Generally speaking, the closer to the wall you are, the steeper the wave, so if you’re a little bit out you’ll need to smash in those extra two or three paddles to lock yourself in. I personally found it a little easier to move away from the wall ….OR If like me you end up nosediving, you usually have time to get back up and catch the next wave (if no one else is one it). The general rule is you have two attempts at catching a wave then you have to paddle back around and queue up. It certainly takes some getting used to! 

(First wave I caught – I caught it, popped up, slipped, and fell flat on my arse and bum surfed the wave all the way in! Spectators were very amused! I am pretty sure the whole park could hear my cackle too. Shame no photos LOL ) TIP – Get your board waxed pre surf!

What Level should I book?

Beginner

If you’re brand new to surfing, or have tried it and are still learning to stand up on your board, the beginner session is for you. Together with the other beginners you will catch small, manageable white water waves that are perfect for building your confidence and learning to control your board. A booked coach will teach you the surfing basics and guide you towards picking up some solid techniques.

Having a surf lesson in a space far smaller and more controlled than the open ocean turns out to be an excellent way to improve.

• Wave type: Small white water wave that ends at the shore.
• Water depth: 0.8m
• White water height: 0.5m
• Wave length: 12-15 seconds

 

Intermediate

For surfers who are already standing up on white water and catching unbroken waves, the intermediate session offers unhindered rides on perfect, unbroken waves. These waves have more power and you catch them before they break, giving you chance to practise your take-off, turning and enjoy longer, faster rides. You’ll also develop paddle strength and board control as you paddle back to the take-off zone.

• Wave type: A range of open-faced waves, both right and left. Some have faces with a soft incline and slow peeling speed, while others break rapidly with steep barrel sections.
• Water depth: 1.5m at take off
• Wave height: 1 m
• Wave length: 12 – 15 seconds

 

I have travelled and surfed around the globe – but not consistent enough to progress past intermediate level ..so decided the intermediate wave was ideal to try out. While I’m not a beginner surfer, I’m definitely not advanced, so I signed up for a session on this smaller wave. After changing into a wetsuit and grabbing a board, I meet the rest of my group by the water’s edge, half listen to the instructions, then paddle out. Happy days!! 

 

( I attempted to capture a hell lot more on the GoPro – but yeh, I don’t advise trying to take a camera lol! )

TIP: If you’re lucky and you get papped by The Wave photographer you can purchase your professional photos afterwards for £9 a pop.

 

I’d never caught an artificial wave before my visit to The Wave, it’s certainly different to a surf in the ocean – there’s no downtime on an artificial reef, and you have to be far more careful when you step off your surfboard, as the floor is hard concrete – a surprise when you’re used to forgiving sand. But the reliable waves and more intimate space makes it absolutely perfect for surf instruction. 

 

Advanced

If you already surf, the chances are that you’re looking for info on the advanced surf sessions at The Wave. As an intermediate surfer, I would recommend you checking out this info here. 

The advanced wave is equivalent to a medium sized beach break or small swell on a reef – around chest high and apparently pretty fun!

 

 

Just before the Coronavirus brought the world to a halt, The Wave tested out two new settings, the Advanced Plus and the Expert wave. The Wave now offer Advanced-Plus and Expert waves on early morning and evening sessions each day too. You can view videos here on both the settings.

Advanced Plus

The Advanced Plus setting offers a solid, punchy face which runs all the way through.

It has a small barrelling section which is apparently really easy to read and then lots of space for more open face turns afterwards.

• Wave Height: 1.7-1.9m
• Wave Length: 12-15 seconds

 

Expert

The Expert session offers the biggest, most powerful and most challenging wave currently available at the Bristol Wavepool.

At 2.0m high it’s a solid wave which offers performance sections from the word go – with multiple barrelling sections. Again apparently the barrel is pretty easy to read (for those pros out there!), so if you’re a seasoned surfer getting a barrel at the wave pool shouldn’t be much of an issue – especially with the amount of waves you’ll be catching

• Wave Height: Around 2.0m
• Wave Length: 12-15 seconds

 

Can I surf Left and Right waves?

No. You have to choose one side. So if you are goofy you would choose to surf from the left side. Regular – right.

If you’ve booked a left thinking you’ll just cross over to the right for a few, then you thought wrong. Surfers have to commit to each respective side. You are given a coloured rashguard to wear to denote which session you’ve booked (advanced left or intermediate right for example.) How does it work?

 

How many waves do you get?

I had so much fun surfing that I forgot to count. But safe to say, you should score at least 8 – 12 waves. If your session is fully booked, you’ll get about one wave per set if everyone files along orderly. If you have fewer people during your session you can sprint back out and possibly get two waves each set, upping your wave count. That approach is a full aerobic workout mind!

Tip: The weekdays are less crowded than the weekends, so try to book then. (Also cheaper!)

Can you shower, eat and drink at The Wave ?

As well as the pumping wave pool, The Wave also has an awesome club house area – which contains everything you need for a pre/post surf feed (their menu is pretty epic!) and of course plenty of space to keep parents/non-surfing partners happy whilst you hit the water!

• Cafe and bar – perfect for a post surf feed or cold beer!
• Education centre for school and teaching courses
• Surf shop
• Full range of surfboards and wetsuits, which are included in surf session of all levels

One thing I would point out with the facilities side of things is that the changing rooms and lockers are all outside  – so if you’re heading there in the winter months be prepared to get a little chilly when getting in/out of your wetsuit. There are NO hot showers for afterwards!

Eventually, they’ll also be offering on-site accommodation (they have some epic surf and stay packages coming soon) in safari tent style, which are expected to launch by summer 2020.

Not only will this mean you get to stay close to the wave pool, but they will also offer exclusive dawn patrol and sunset sessions too. Sweet!

 

OK, Finally, How much we talking ?

A surf lesson costs £55 and a surf session £40, both including wetsuit and surfboard hire.

In the Autumn prices are a little cheaper. Enquire and Book your next session here.

 

Happy Surfing! x

 

Enjoy our blog on The Wave Bristol ?  Find more surfing adventures, euphoric escapades, and blog posts here.

Have you been to The Wave before? Comment below! We would love to hear your thoughts

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