✏️ Updated on 14th May 2023
Intro
Hola surfing amigos, in today’s post we’ll be looking at ‘The Wave, Bristol – Everything You Need To Know’.
This blog post includes all the vital info you’d want to know before booking that first wave pool sesh.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the blog post;
1. About The Wave
2. Launch/Opening Date
3. Location
4. On-Site Facilities
5. Opening Times / Hours
6. Lessons at The Wave, Bristol
7. Surf Sessions at The Wave, Bristol
8. Professional Photo’s of Your Session
9. Annual Locals’ Pass
10. Spectators Pass
11. Gift Vouchers
12. Are Dogs Allowed?
1. About The Wave
To start, I thought I’d give a quick background behind the project and some of the key facts. If you don’t fancy a quick history lesson, feel free to head to the next section.
The Wave is the world’s first inland surf pool in the Northern Hemisphere created using Wavegarden Cove technology. It opened on the 26th October 2019 and has been the brainchild of Founder Nick Hounsfield for the last 10-years alongside The Wave CEO Craig Stoddart.
The philosophy was to create a naturally healthy place where people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds can have an amazing time connecting with nature, each other and themselves. The Wave is about improving health and wellbeing through surfing and all the benefits it can provide.
Key Facts:
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- The lake is 180m in length
- It can create up to 1,000 waves per hour
- There’s a new wave every 8-10 seconds
- Wave heights start at 50cm for beginners and peak at 2.0m for expert surfers
- There are six surfing areas located within the lake
- The waves differ in size and shape depending on the area you’re surfing in
- Up to 80 surfers can use the lake at any one time
- The Wave, London is scheduled to open in 2025
- Surf lessons and free surf sessions are available to book (more info below)
2. When did The Wave, Bristol open?
3. Where Is The Wave, Bristol Located?
“Where is The Wave, Bristol located?!” I hear you ask.
Well, it’s located on the Northern edge of Bristol, United Kingdom – close to the M5. Take a look at the map below for a better idea.
4. On-site Facilities
It’s important to note that The Wave is not just about surfing, it’s also about health and wellbeing. For this reason there are some fantastic on-site facilities to use even if you’re not in amongst the waves.
- Starting with a wonderful cafe and bar which serves locally sourced food and drink whilst providing a spot to watch the surfing activities unfold.
- The on-site surf shop is fully stocked with the latest surfing equipment from surfboards to wetsuits and everything in between.
- The education centre is another great place offering surf classes for all abilities to schools and colleges.
- Finally, there is great on-site family friendly camping accommodation in secret safari tents.
There is also short-stay accommodation for those requiring a shorter stay.
5. Opening Times / Hours
The Wave, Bristol’s opening times are usually 7am-8pm but it depends on the season.
In the Summer there’s more light so it can stay open longer and visa versa in the Winter.
6. Lessons at The Wave, Bristol
Of course, with a world class surfing lagoon comes a world class coaching team ready to help you guys get amongst the waves.
With lessons for people of all abilities the coaching team is there to help everyone learn and improve. There is also great support provided for surfers with physical disabilities with ‘Adaptive Surfing’.
Beginner Surfing Lessons
- Ideal for anyone who has never surfed before and wants to give it a try.
- Suitable for all ages from six years old
- Group lessons with expert coaches that include dry land tuition and in-water coaching
- Lesson sessions are 1.5 hours long and include 1 hour in the water
- Takes place in “The Bay”
- Includes: Wetsuits & Surfboards
- Length: 1.5 hours
- Wave Type: Small white water waves
- Water Depth: 0.8m
- Wave Length: 12-15 seconds
- Pricing: £50 per adult (Over 16 years old) & £40 per Junior (6 to 15 years old), exact prices depend on day and time of year.
Waikiki Surfing Lessons
- The natural next step for those who want to progress beyond riding white water waves.
- Group lessons with expert coaches that include dry land tuition and in-water coaching
- Lesson sessions are 1.5 hours long and include 1 hour in the water
- Takes place in “The Reef”
- Includes: Wetsuits & Surfboards
- Length: 1.5 hours
- Wave Type: Unbroken green waves
- Water Depth: 1.5m
- Wave Length: 8-11 seconds
- Pricing: £60 per adult (Over 16 years old) & £50 per Junior (6 to 15 years old), exact prices depend on day and time of year.
Intermediate Surfing Lessons
- Great for those who want to focus on developing brilliant technique, try new manoeuvres or build confidence with the core elements of surfing.
- Group lessons with expert coaches that include dry land tuition and in-water coaching
- Lesson sessions are 1.5 hours long and include 1 hour in the water
- Takes place in “The Reef”
- Includes: Wetsuits & Surfboards (Bring your own is preferred)
- Length: 1.5 hours
- Wave Type: Unbroken green waves
- Water Depth: 1.5m
- Wave Length: 1o seconds
- Pricing: £60 per adult (Over 16 years old) & £50 per Junior (6 to 15 years old), exact prices depend on day and time of year.
Play in the Bay – Limited Availability
- Ideal for Everyone! No experience necessary
- For those taking their first steps into a world of waves, or those wanting to build up water confidence before trying out a Beginner Surf Lesson.
- Takes place in “The Bay”
- Length: 1 hour, with 10 minute brief before session
- Wave Type: Small white water waves
- Pricing: £10 per adult (Over 16 years old), £8 per Junior (9 to 15 years old) & £15 for Adult and Child (Under 9 years old) combi ticket. Exact prices depend on day and time of year.
7. Surf Sessions at The Wave, Bristol
If you’re looking to get amongst it without the help of the coaching team, you can also book a surf session. Going from easiest to hardest, these can be categorised into:
- Beginner
- Waikiki
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Advanced Plus
- Expert
- Expert Turns
- Expert Barrels
Surf sessions are perfect for those who just want more time in the water to practice their skills.
Beginner Surf Sessions (No coaching)
- Ideal for those who’ve had a lesson and just want more time to practice and build confidence on their own
- Suitable for beginner surfers who have already had a lesson
- Available for all ages from six years old
- Surf sessions are just under an hour of water time plus a safety briefing beforehand
- Takes place in “The Bay”
- Includes: Wetsuits & Surfboards (You can take your own if you prefer)
- Length: 1 hour
- Wave Type: Small white water waves
- Water Depth: 0.8m
- Wave Length: 10-12 seconds
- Pricing: £40 per adult (Over 16 years old) & £30 per Junior (6 to 16 years old), exact prices depend on day and time of year.
Waikiki Surf Sessions
- This is the perfect wave for improvers
- The Waikiki wave is a slow, mellow, spilling wave, which is soft breaking but also a longer ride from the reef area
- Surf sessions are just under an hour of water time plus a safety briefing beforehand
- Don’t forget to choose whether you want the wave breaking from right or left – surfers have to stay on their booked side for the duration of their session.
- Takes place at “The Reef”
- Includes: Wetsuits & Surfboards (You can take your own if you prefer)
- Length: 1 hour
- Wave Type: Gentle wave with an open face that maintains its unbroken profile till the end
- Water Depth: 1.5m
- Wave Length: 8-11 seconds
- Pricing: £45 per adult (Over 16 years old) & £35 per Junior (6 to 16 years old), exact prices depend on day and time of year.
Intermediate Surf Sessions
- Ideal for those who can confidently riding unbroken waves
- Suitable for improving surfers who are able to turn using bodyweight and want to practice turns using the rails and fins of the board
- Surf sessions are just under an hour of water time plus a safety briefing beforehand
- Don’t forget to choose whether you want the wave breaking from right or left – surfers have to stay on their booked side for the duration of their session.
- Takes place at “The Reef”
- Includes: Wetsuits & Surfboards (You can take your own if you prefer)
- Length: 1 hour
- Wave Type: Wave with an open face that maintains its unbroken profile till the end
- Water Depth: 1.5m
- Wave Length: 12-15 seconds
- Pricing: £45 per adult (Over 16 years old) & £35 per Junior (6 to 16 years old), exact prices depend on day and time of year.
Advanced Surf Sessions
- Ideal for those who have mastered all the fundamentals of surfing and surfing etiquette
- Surf sessions are just under an hour of water time plus a safety briefing beforehand
- Don’t forget to choose whether you want to surf a wave breaking to the right or left – surfers have to stay on their booked side for the duration of their session.
- Takes place at “The Reef”
- Includes: Wetsuits & Surfboards (You can take your own if you prefer)
- Length: 1 hour
- Wave Type: A mixture from slow peeling, rapidly breaking and steeply barrelling waves
- Water Depth: 1.5m
- Wave Length: 12-15 seconds
- Pricing: £45 per adult (Over 16 years old) & £35 per Junior (6 to 16 years old), exact prices depend on day and time of year.
Advanced Plus Surf Sessions
- A step up from the current advanced settings to include barrel wave sessions
- Surf sessions are just under an hour of water time plus a safety briefing beforehand
- Don’t forget to choose whether you want to surf a wave breaking to the right or left – surfers have to stay on their booked side for the duration of their session.
- Takes place at “The Reef”
- These special sessions are run at specific times so be sure to check the link below to check availability.
- Includes: Wetsuits only (You can take your own if you prefer), bring your own surfboard
- Length: 1 hour
- Wave Type: Punchier with a steeper face that barrels along the length of the wave
- Water Depth: 1.5m
- Wave Length: 12-15 seconds
- Pricing: £50 per adult (Over 16 years old) & £40 per Junior (6 to 16 years old), exact prices depend on day and time of year.
Expert Surf Sessions
- Created for only the most expert surfers
- Surf sessions are just under an hour of water time plus a safety briefing beforehand
- Don’t forget to choose whether you want to surf a wave breaking to the right or left – surfers have to stay on their booked side for the duration of their session.
- Takes place at “The Reef”
- These special sessions are run at specific times so be sure to check the link below to check availability.
- Includes: Wetsuits only (You can take your own if you prefer), bring your own surfboard
- Length: 1 hour
- Wave Type: Fast and challenging with a long face for performance turns and barrel sections
- Water Depth: 1.5m
- Wave Length: 12-15 seconds
- Pricing: £55 per adult (Over 16 years old) & £45 per Junior (6 to 16 years old), exact prices depend on day and time of year.
Expert Turns Sessions
- Created for only the most expert surfers who want to focus on their turns
- Surf sessions are just under an hour of water time plus a safety briefing beforehand
- Don’t forget to choose whether you want to surf a wave breaking to the right or left – surfers have to stay on their booked side for the duration of their session.
- Takes place at “The Reef”
- These special sessions are run at specific times so be sure to check the link below to check availability.
- Includes: Wetsuits only (You can take your own if you prefer), bring your own surfboard
- Length: 1 hour
- Wave Type: Fast and challenging session, full of their most powerful turning waves to test your performance
- Water Depth: 1.5m
- Wave Length: 12-15 seconds
- Pricing: £55 per adult (Over 16 years old) & £45 per Junior (6 to 16 years old), exact prices depend on day and time of year.
Expert Barrels Sessions
- Created for only the most expert surfers who want to focus on their barrels
- Surf sessions are just under an hour of water time plus a safety briefing beforehand
- Don’t forget to choose whether you want to surf a wave breaking to the right or left – surfers have to stay on their booked side for the duration of their session.
- Takes place at “The Reef”
- These special sessions are run at specific times so be sure to check the link below to check availability.
- Includes: Wetsuits only (You can take your own if you prefer), bring your own surfboard
- Length: 1 hour
- Wave Type: A whole session dedicated to our most popular barrel setting. Powerful waves with consistent, fun to navigate barrels.
- Water Depth: 1.5m
- Wave Length: 12-15 seconds
- Pricing: £55 per adult (Over 16 years old) & £45 per Junior (6 to 16 years old), exact prices depend on day and time of year.
8. Professional Photo’s of Your Session
Yes they’ve thought of everything at The Wave, even professional photo’s starting from £9!
The team from Image Cabin are onsite everyday shooting every single session that gets run. This offers a great opportunity to capture your best moments from your sesh!
Photo’s can be collected an hour after you’ve finished by scanning the QR codes displayed on the screens near the surf desk and the cafe-bar. You’ll also get a link emailed to you and you can view them for up to 28 days so you have time to decide – great!
9. Annual Locals’ Pass
If you’re lucky enough to live within any of these postcodes (BS35 5, BS35 4 or BS32 4) you’re able to purchase the Annual Locals’ Pass. Adults (Over 16 years old) can purchase the Annual Locals’ Pass for just £15 a year, Juniors (6 to 16 years old) for £5 and Kids (under 6 years old) go free. The Annual Locals’ Pass not only gives local community residents year-round access to the restaurant and cafe but exclusive discounts as well.
To find out more about how to apply for an Annual Locals’ Pass at The Wave, Bristol contact the team. Contact information can be found on the link below.
10. Spectators Pass
If you fancy heading to The Wave to watch the surfing action, you’ll need a spectators pass. These things give you access to the entire site (excluding the lake) but including; the clubhouse and the food pop-ups as well as free parking.
They start from £2 and Under-5 year olds go free.
11. Gift Vouchers
If you’ve got a family member, friend or other half who you think would love to experience surfing The Wave in Bristol, you can purchase gift vouchers. They range from £10 to £250 and can be used on either surf lessons or surf sessions and are a great gift idea for anyone interested in surfing.
12. Are Dogs Allowed Onsite?
Unfortunately, furry friends are not currently allowed at The Wave, with the exception of Service or Assistance dogs. The Wave team ask you to contact the customer services team for any further information.
Summary
Well guys, that’s ‘Everything You Need to Know About The Wave, Bristol’.
I think it’s going to provide a great learning opportunity for surfers of all abilities. The additional aspect of being inclusive for physical disabilities is also fantastic.
If you found this guide helpful, please let me know in the comments, share on socials and get the info out there! Until next time guys…
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Next read: ‘Best Gift Ideas For UK Surfers, 2023’
