The Wave (company)

Coordinates: 51°32′32″N 2°36′20″W / 51.54222°N 2.60556°W / 51.54222; -2.60556
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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][2]

Development[edit]

The founder of the project is Nick Hounsfield.[3] The project was named "The Wave: Bristol" in 2012, initially focusing on a site next to the Portway in Bristol. This site was rejected as it was not big enough.[4] A 70-acre (28 ha) site on farmland at Easter Compton was selected in 2013, with artificial wave generation technology supplied by the Spanish company Wavegarden.[3] A sustainability agenda for The Wave was created by Chris Hines MBE.[5]

In August 2017, South Gloucestershire Council approved the £20 million scheme, which is designed to prioritise sustainability.[6] In October 2019 construction was completed.[7]

Setting[edit]

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.[8] The pool is divided into right and left sections, with waves breaking in opposite directions on each side.[9]

The wave pool can provide up to 1,000 waves per hour. There is space for up to eighty users at a time.[5] The 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.[10]

Besides the wave pool, the scheme includes a clubhouse, lake, restaurant, camping ground, woodland trails, and gardens.[5]

Renewable energy[edit]

In 2023, The Wave installed an on-site solar array, which they claim will produce enough electricity to match demand from the facility.[11] The waves themselves are generating using only sustainable energy.[5]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Wave". www.leevalleypark.org.uk. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019.
  2. ^ "The Wave Story | The Wave London". Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Bristol confirms artificial wave pool site". SurferToday.com. 11 June 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  4. ^ "Bristol's artificial wave park seeks larger site". SurferToday.com. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d "The Wave, Bristol". Hydrock. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  6. ^ "The Wave: Bristol has been approved". SurferToday.com. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  7. ^ Marshall, Claire (25 October 2019). "'World-class' surf lake opens near Bristol". BBC News. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  8. ^ "Surf The Wave". The Wave. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Surfing Safely - The Wave Bristol". The Wave. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Surf's up in an unlikely place – a Gloucestershire field". The Guardian. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  11. ^ "Solar powered waves coming your way 🌊🌞". r1.ddlnk.net. Retrieved 11 August 2023.

External links[edit]

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