The Wave Bristol | Behind the scenes of Riptide

The Wave is the UK’s first inland surfing lake powered by Wavegarden Cove technology. Located in Bristol, The Wave allows you to surf all year round and be guaranteed the kind of waves that are hit or miss at our fickle UK coastlines.  When researching The Wave, we were impressed with the team’s dedication to ‘Blue Health’ – research showing that being in or near water is beneficial for our physical and mental wellbeing. The Wave’s Founder, Nick Hounsfield, explained that the whole vision for The Wave is rooted in his desire to bring these blue health benefits to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, even if they don’t have the luxury of living close to the coastline.

As an osteopath, Nick became frustrated only being able to help people, one patient at the time. He realised how much being around water seemed to relieve stress and anxiety and he wanted to create a place that would help connect people with nature, water and waves and share the positive health benefits of this. Fast-forward 10 years and this original vision is still at the heart of The Wave.

The benefits of surfing and Blue Health became even more apparent to Nick this year after a major health scare. Much like with Jock, Nick was forced to bounce back from adverse conditions after suffering a series of strokes while playing a friendly hockey match. Surfing and water played a massive role in Nick’s rehabilitation. He recognised the value of being able to spend prolonged periods of time in blue and green spaces, whilst feeling ‘held’ by the waves, and is more passionate than ever about sharing this with others.

To see Jock surfing at The Wave is to see Nick’s vision in action. The guarantee of perfect waves combined with the water’s familiar embrace is a surfer’s dream and a testament to Nick’s commitment to mental health. After a long lockdown, it was amazing to see the rejuvenating power The Wave had on Jock. In his own words: “It was an absolute dream session, It took a week to come down from the buzz. The best surf I’ve had in years.”

This comes as no surprise to Nick, who reminds us that, “In a recent UK-wide survey of over 5,000 people, 75% of surfers say that the mental health benefits of surfing are more important than the physical health benefits.” Something we’re keen to explore further in RIPTIDE.