The Wave in Bristol Resumes Intermediate Sessions in January
The Wave in Bristol will begin offering intermediate sessions in their wave pool again on January 6th.
Intermediate sessions were cancelled in early November because they were not providing the customer experience hoped for by Nick Hounsfield, founder of The Wave. “We made the big decision to suspend the original intermediate wave and replace it with a better wave setting, once that has been properly tested and risk assessed,” said Mr. Hounsfield in November.
But intermediate sessions are back. Starting January 6th, surfers will be able to book intermediate sessions at the The Wave in Bristol. The intermediate sessions will take place on the Reef, which is the same area of the wave pool that advanced sessions take place. Thanks to the flexibility of Wavegarden Cove technology, the waves offered during the intermediate sessions will ideal for surfers who want to progress beyond riding white water waves. The intermediate waves will offer gentle green faces measuring 0.5-1m high that break left and right. The waves will allow the surfer to travel greater distances, with more speed, and practice their first turns. The waves will also help surfers improve their paddling skills.
The intermediate sessions at The Wave in Bristol will cost around £40-42.50 ($52-55 USD) per hour.
The news presents an interesting operational restructuring from a business perspective. Originally, The Wave in Bristol (and URBNSURF Melbourne) planned to host intermediate sessions at the same time as advanced sessions. This allowed them to have more surfers in the water simultaneously, i.e. more pool capacity. Since then, the questionable quality of the intermediate wave experience it provided led both The Wave and URBNSURF to reconsider their operation. They’ve both wisely prioritized quality over quantity and decided to move intermediate sessions to the primary break where they will alternate with advanced sessions. The net result is fewer customers and waves ridden per hour, but more satisfied customers.
