The Wave is a firm building artificial wave pools for surfing in England. The Wave: Bristol was opened in 2019, on the northern outskirts of the city. A second site, The Wave: London, is planned.[1]

The Wave, Bristol

The founder of the project is Nick Hounsfield.[2] The project was named "The Wave: Bristol" in 2012, initially focusing on a site next to the Portway in Bristol, but rejected it as not big enough.[3] A 70-acre (28 ha) site on farmland at Easter Compton was selected in 2013, with the technology generating the artificial waves to be supplied by the Spanish company Wavegarden.[2]

In August 2017, South Gloucestershire Council approved the £20 million scheme, which is designed for sustainability.[4] Besides the wave pool, the scheme will include a natural swimming lake, barefoot trails, foraging areas and gardens of various types - activity, sensory, healing, culinary and herb gardens.[5] Other proposed features include a clubhouse, a surf shop, a ropes and tunnels course and a campsite. The planned dimensions of the pool are 300 metres (980 ft) long by 100 metres (330 ft) wide and 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) deep.[6] The firm plans to host a High-Performance Surfing Centre and surf contests.[7]

In June 2015, it was decided to use the American company Wave Loch's wave generation technology instead of Wavegarden's, requiring the opening date to be put back to 2016.[8] However, as of May 2017, they reverted to the Wavegarden's technology.

In April 2016, The Wave announced that South Gloucestershire Council had approved the revised designs.[9] With the switch back to Wavegarden, the planning permission was resubmitted, and approved in late August 2017.

In October 2019 construction was completed.[10]

Sessions and settings

The Wave offers different sizes and styles of wave to suit different abilities, from 0.5m white water to 2m barrelling waves. Each session at The Wave lasts for one hour, and uses the same setting throughout.[11] The pool is divided into right and left sections, with waves breaking in opposite directions on each side.[12]

Renewable energy

In 2023, The Wave installed an on-site solar array, which they claim will produce enough electricity to match demand from the facility.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Wave". www.leevalleypark.org.uk. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Bristol confirms artificial wave pool site". SurferToday.com. 11 June 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  3. ↑ "Bristol's artificial wave park seeks larger site". SurferToday.com. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "The Wave: Bristol has been approved". SurferToday.com. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  5. ↑ "Plans for £6m Bristol surfing lake approved by planners". BBC News. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  6. ↑ "Surf's up in an unlikely place – a Gloucestershire field". The Guardian. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "The Wave Bristol promises a better surfing experience with Wave Loch". SurferToday.com. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  8. ↑ "The Wave Bristol signs technology deal". insidermedia.com. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  9. ↑ Ribbeck, M. (27 April 2016). "Bristol's man-made surfing lake is hit by a further set of delays". Bristol Post. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  10. ↑ Marshall, Claire (25 October 2019). "'World-class' surf lake opens near Bristol". BBC News. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  11. ↑ "Surf The Wave". The Wave. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  12. ↑ "Surfing Safely - The Wave Bristol". The Wave. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "Solar powered waves coming your way 🌊🌞". r1.ddlnk.net. Retrieved 11 August 2023.

51°32′32″N 2°36′20″W / 51.54222°N 2.60556°W / 51.54222; -2.60556


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