Forum menu
I've booked an intermediate session in a month's time as a birthday present to myself.
i thought they'd cancelled all the intermediate sessions?
So did I, but it's let me book so I assume they have sorted something. I thought I heard talk of turning the wave size down on the advanced area for use as intermediate, but I could have dreamt that.
make sure you get there in plenty of time. its a bit of a hike from the car park...
I did wonder why they suggest arriving 90 mins before your start time. I know wetsuits can be a struggle but it doesn't take that long to get it on.
first time there? I'd probably aim for about that. watch some waves, work out whats going on etc.
next time i'll aim for 45mins or so before. You need to be at a brief 15 mins before your start time. I've seen some comments that if you miss it, they won't let you onto your session.
Yes, first time. I'm booked on the 10am slot so was planning on getting there early to have a coffee and watch the 8am session surf to get a bit of an idea of what's going on.
8am on Thursday for me 🙂
As you say, if I lived near the beach, its a long drive there.
They're starting to do the softer barrels in the spring, which they said will have the same take off and its just when it gets to the inside section that it will barrel. I think its a great size as it is personally and a lot of fun, a bit bigger would be fine too.
They can't have beginners in when the barrel setting is on, so it will be expensive.
I assume there's a cafe? Might need something warm post-surf if the water's as cold as people say.
there's a cafe, but it ain't cheap. Take a thermos flask!
There's also warm showers inside, but people seem to use the outside ones instead.
The water tracks the air roughly, so when its as mild as it is now, the water's about 8 degrees and with all the paddling I don't get cold. Its been down to just under 6 degrees I believe...
food seemed pricey but coffee was good.
water was a bit sharp on the hands on the first paddle out but bearable.
I’ve been a few times (lucky to be a Bristol local) and think it’s great for what it is. It’s effectively a 3ft wave, consistent training ground. Still much prefer a good day in the sea though.
As others have said, the takeoff takes a bit of getting used to, as it’s a bit blind and ramps up quickly. Easier slightly away from the wall. After a couple of sessions it clicks though, meaning you can get circa 12 fun rides in an hour.
After the initial fast takeoff, it tends to flatten off a bit, before steepening up into a fast and playful wall. I have surfed both my 6’10” Gulfstream Eggplant and 5’8” Firewire Seaside there, and both go really well. The egg planes over the middle flat section better, but the Firewire is more fun in the latter half, gaining warp speed when going up and down the steeper sections. So on balance I think shorter boards are more fun there, but make sure you have a bit of foam to carry you over the slacker bits.
On Saturday morning just gone, it was reaaally cold (noticeably colder than Porthcawl a few days previously). But still bearable, and the café is a lovely post-surf place to warm up!
The whole setup is really well done, with friendly staff and a buzzing atmosphere. I reckon it’ll come into its own more in the Summer flat spells / warm and light evenings. You can also see there are building works in process on site, so it should improve all the time.
The negatives are that it’s not cheap, you have to arrive at least 45 minutes prior to your session, there is a fair walk from carpark to site, and the water is very cold. But overall, its great.
i still prefer the polzeath wave machine...was on fire on sat afternoon push...
definitely, agree Jim, can't beat a good surf in the sea with mates. On the plus side, the Bristol Wave has meant I've had more waves this month than in the last 3 years! And its got me checking the surf report more, so getting out over to the beach more often for some saltiness.
It's going to be interesting to see what sort of standard they'll be looking for with the barrel settings at the wave. I imagine there will be some bruised egos when some get told they can't cut it... The only time I've ever been assessed for my surfing was in the Student Champs in the 90's!! (when I never made it past the 2nd round...).
It looks like the wind is picking back up for the weekend. That scuppers any plans for a sea surf.
I’ve got some mates heading up for the assessments, umming and arring over whether to go.
If I go again, it’ll probably be en-route to the airport when someone else is paying the fuel.
Long range for weekend after looks promising.
And the evenings are starting to draw out a little. Almost fit enough to do battle with the SUP’s at bantham after work...
There's high winds forecast for Bristol this weekend. Don't know how much it's affected by the weather. I'm going to contact them today and see what the score is.
they closed on sunday because of the weather.
I think they've only closed twice due to the winds. it seems to hold up well generally to (most) winds.
Beginner lessons have been cancelled tomorrow but my intermediate session is still going ahead.
My session last week didn't happen. But I am booked in for 9am tomorrow instead. My thinking is there's plenty of spaces on the midday session too. So if it goes really well I can have a coffee and cake then get back in the pool for a second go.
given the shit awful conditions for most of this month, I'm quite tempted to take another visit.
How does the assesment work? Do you pay for the assesment and does it take a whole session? I have a voucher for one visit, it would be nice to test it on barrel mode but as you have to book in advance I guess you can't do the assesment and then book into a barrel mode session on the same day. The intermediate mode looks fun enough anyway fo the novelty factor
have they actually launched the 'expert' assessments and sessions yet?
i think the session I did was advanced, at the time there was no intermediate.
Ah I see, yes it seems advanced is the normal setting so I guess they'll be launching a new expert category. I can't actually see the assesment sessions on the website.
I don't think they're running the barrel settings yet. It's a bit hit and miss with the assessments as I haven't received any emails from them yet. talking to them there though, they asssess you in a normal advanced surf, alongside everyone else booked in. So there isn't a set "assessment surf hour". I'd suggest you discuss it with them at the desk when you arrive.
They seem to be alternating the advanced and intermediate surfs during the day. The intermediate sessions seem to have lots of boards flying about, so might be better at a quieter time of day.
Ah that makes a lot of sense, so book for an advanced session, say you want to be assessed and they do that while you surf so next time you can book expert.. and potentially if there is space book expert later the same day.
yep, I think so. Worth asking though.
I haven't plucked up the courage to be assessed on my surfing yet!! Just enjoying the normal advanced setting. Still have the odd issue on the positioning for the take off, seems much easier in the sea.
how cold is it? 6/5/4 or 5/4/3 wetsuit?
cold but you'll warm up quick...its hard work and no let up.
I'm planning on wearing my 5/4/3 hooded jobby. Will take the 6/4 just in case though.
Well that was a lot of fun. Messed the first few waves up but then got the feel for it. Finished my 9am session and booked a midday one straight away. My shoulders are feeling it now.
Excellent. I'm back for more tomorrow morning. I'm compensating for the boggy trails with more trips to the Wave than I should probably have. My shoulders feel it the next day after just one surf! It's good trying out some of the boards there, which have definitely changed from when I got my last board made.
There's a dedicated bodyboard barrel session coming up on 17th March in the afternoon. Using us spongers as Guinea pigs maybe, as the take-off will be easier?
Errr no thanks, I'll happily plod along in intermediate for a bit longer.
Think I'll leave those to the experts...
I started off well with the adv wave but after a couple of decent rides started to find the slow section challenging.
Need to get back asap, but my most recent booking was cancelled due to Ciara....
£60 for advanced plus.
£95 for expert…
I can barely see the difference between the two, adv + looks like a 3ft beachie; expert looks like a good bank on a 3ft beachie. Does look fun though, but at that price... 5 hours on the expert setting would pay for a budget trip to Hossegor for a week!
£95 is bonkers. I can see how they've arrived at it, and I guess if they keep the number of sessions very low, they will fill them. I might pop down and see what it looks like. The advanced plus looks fun, as I seem to find the M3 and M4 settings a little bit slow, probably more because i can't link by bottom and top turns as well as others
@pedroball - if the wave is a reasonable shape and slow, esecailly on your forehand, think about coming out more into the flats to place your bottom turn, you'll naturally come up the wave face straighter and match the (slower) wave speed. I find (or rather found when i was surfing a lot) that if you get the first bottom turn right the whole wave will be timed well, as you sort of hit the right rythym
Thanks @ferrals I'll give that a try. I've been trying some of the different boards there (which have changed a lot since I got my last board 12 years ago!). The take off there is a bit fiddly, but if I get my feet right and take off in the right spot, it can give you a decent amount of speed for a good cutback in, it then walls up nicely for the inside bit. Its when my back foot is too far forward, getting used to the board, wearing boots, I end up cruising it rather than being able to cut back properly. I need to try to concentrate on some proper bottom turns to create some space on the wave I think, specially as its quite small.
Really fun there yesterday, warmer than November and nice to be surfing again after a month of storms.
Another fun session this morning. Missed my first wave somehow but managed to cut back round and get a second wave in the first set. Then got everything I went for in the rest of the session. It was busy but it did stop me paddling back to try for a second wave in every set so I'm nowhere near as knackered as last time I was there.
So, thinking about a trip. Is it worth the hassle of a very very early start or getting home late for the advanced plus/expert settings or is advanced still fun for the novelty of surfing in a pool? I'll be surfing a standard 5'11 thruster.