Bristol’s Cornish-Inspired Wave Pool Is A Surfer’s Paradise • The Wave
Surf's up but inland and minus the sand.
Clevedon, Portishead, Weston-Super-Mare and Burnham-on-Sea are just a few of Somerset’s great seaside destinations. Despite being less than an hour’s drive from Bristol, why go that far? Plus, you won’t have the disappointment of not being able to catch some gnarly waves. Or the issue of traipsing sand back home with you…
Just a 30-minute drive north from Bristol city centre is The Wave, the first inland-surfing destination of its kind where visitors can experience the joy of surfing the waves without having to head to surfing beaches down in the likes of Cornwall or abroad. With a 180m long surfing lake, The Wave has created an inland surf experience suitable for everyone whether you’re a beginner or an absolute pro.
The waves are produced by Wavegarden Cove technology, which can generate up to 1,000 quality waves per hour, ranging from 50cm (1.7ft) to almost 2m (6.5ft) in height. This ground-breaking technology allows The Wave to produce a new wave every 8-10 seconds. Totally rad or what?
If you’re looking to learn how to surf or simply want to practice knowing you’re going to get awesome waves, The Wave is a wonderful place to provide safe and consistent waves. Plus, the whole surfing experience has been designed to ensure each surfer has the “space, time and serenity” to enjoy their surf at The Wave without ever needing to deal with the crowds.
The Wave offers a range of surf lessons delivered by qualified coaches for beginners looking to learn how to surf as well as improving and experienced surfers so you can build on your skills in a fun way. The lessons are 1.5 hours long, with a 30 minute dry side lesson and 60 minutes in the water, with the wave height increasing based on difficulty. Prices start from £40 for children and £50 for adults, with wetsuits, gloves, boots and board hire all included in the price of your surf.
The inland-surfing spot also offers surf sessions for all abilities; adaptive surfing for those with additional needs of challenges, such as a disability; women-only surfing sessions; as well as a ‘Play in the Bay’ sessions to allow little ones to paddle, splash, take a dip and build confidence in the water within the bay area. Plus, those who know a thing or two about surfing and want to feel absolutely stoked, the Wave offers expert barrel sessions allowing you to ride powerful waves with consistent and fun-to-navigate barrels or expert turn sessions, a fast and challenging session, full of The Wave’s most powerful turning waves to test your performance turns.
Surfing is hard work and thankfully The Wave has its very own café for you to refuel with burgers, hearty, protein-filled bowls, loaded fries, fish and chips, mac n cheese and more. Fancy staying longer? The Camp at The Wave allows you to enjoy a surfing break in the countryside, but still close to Bristol, where you can surf and relax.
The Wave, Washingpool Farm, Easter Compton, BS35 5RE