Two lessons from the first two weeks at The Wave in Bristol
The Wave in Bristol has been up and running for two weeks now. In a recent interview with Carve, Nick Hounsfield passed on two important lessons: surfers can’t accurately judge their own skill level and safety needs to come first.
Most people who surfed The Wave have nothing but great things to say about it. Quotes like “Awesome setup, such a great vibe” and “next level…surreal setup” are easy to come by.
However, there have been some disappointed customers. Most of them are disappointed because the waves they get to ride are not as big as the ones seen in video and photos shot of professionals surfing wave settings that are not available to the public (yet). The “Malibu” class waves that have been commissioned for public use are not as big and powerful as some of the waves that professionals have ridden in closed sessions. Nick Hounsfield and the crew at The Wave are working on commissioning additional, larger waves but they have to make sure they are safe for public consumption, first. According to Nick, the wave is a “beast” when it’s turned up to full size, so they need to make sure no one gets hurt surfing a wave they can’t handle. The team looks beyond the individual waves in their safety assessment as well. For example, Nick told Carve that “bigger waves create currents in other areas and we have to fully understand the impact of these before putting users in the water.” So the team is taking all kinds of steps to ensure the safety of their guests.
Safety is not just up to the crew at the Wave, though. Part of staying safe in any surf sessions is knowing your own limits. That brings me to lesson #2: surfers can’t judge their own skill level accurately.
The team at The Wave have noticed that a lot of people over estimate their surfing ability. Some customers are asking for the biggest, most advanced wave, but struggle with the take off on the waves at the easier end of the “advanced” spectrum. That’s not only dangerous, but it causes operational problems that hinder other surfers’ sessions by reducing wave counts.
We’re with The Wave when they ask everyone to be patient as they continue to guinea pig the modern wave pool business. They are working to provide a fun, safe surfing experience in a way that’s never really been done befor
