The Wave in Bristol is Open
History was written once again by Nick Hounsfield and The Wave in Bristol on October 25, 2019 when they opened their wave pool (lagoon) to the public.
Wavegarden Cove technology allows operators pick from a menu of waves that vary in shape and size. The menu at The Wave in Bristol has 15 waves loaded into the control software, but only 3 of those have been approved for public use thus far: Malibu 1, 2 and 3. The Malibu waves are modeled after their namesake in Malibu, CA and they offer a fun open face, roughly chest-high, and a punchy end section.
None of the waves on the public menu offer real barrel opportunities yet, but like a restaurant, the menu at The Wave in Bristol will continue to evolve.
Just prior to opening, a team of professionals got to surf the wave on powerful settings that are not available to the general public. The highlights from that session can be seen in the video below.
While Wavegarden Cove technology can produce up to 1000 waves per session total (on both sides of the pier), the advanced area on either side of the pier will get between 200-300 waves per hour with some breaks between set to allow surfers to rest and water to settle. With a maximum of 15 surfers in either advanced area, that means each surfer should get at least 13 waves per hour, if not more.
If a surfer misses one wave, they get to paddle for the next one. But if they miss both, they are sent back to the end of the queue.
For more info about The Wave in Bristol including pricing, logistics, and on-site experience, click here.
