Family surf lessons were not something I had contemplated doing before, I wouldn’t describe us as a ‘water activity’ family. But when the opportunity arose to try out The Wave in Bristol, I was excited to give it a go. The Wave is an inland surfing destination where we would all have surf lessons and stay over night, glamping. We have glamped a number of times before including at Warwick Castle but surfing would be a new experience for the whole family. It’s an activity which would stretch all of our comfort zones. Plus, a UK short break as a family was very much in need.
While surfing was a brand new experience for my husband and two daughters (aged 8 and 11), I have to admit, I previously had one surfing lesson, a very, very long time ago. It was in Australia during my world travels in my early 20s. One of my destinations was Bryon Bay, a beautiful seaside haven known for its surfing. Of course, I had to have a surf lesson while I was there.
I was given an enormous board and I attempted to catch waves as big as me alongside a current intent on countering my efforts to get out to sea and catch a wave. I did, eventually, and even stood up, albeit briefly.
The Wave, Bristol
Thankfully, The Wave in Bristol was the antidote to my experience in Byron Bay. Its manmade lake creates and controls waves meaning they are consistent and reliable. As it is on rotation, there is time to walk out with your board before the waves turn on and you try to catch a wave. It is a brilliant place for beginner surfers to learn, especially children. As well as the huge lake, there is also a playground, cafe and restaurant as well as the safari tents which we stayed in overnight for a glamping experience and short UK holiday. I will come onto that later, but first the surf lessons at The Wave.
Surf Equipment
The Wave provides you with a wetsuit and helmet (I didn’t realise I’d have to wear this, but is compulsory for beginners). Not the most stylish but the soft cap gives some protection and actually on a cold day keeps your head warm too. There are adequate outdoor changing rooms and lockers at The Wave.
You are advised to collect your wetsuit well ahead of you scheduled lesson so you have time to put it on. I put mine on inside out to start with while my husband had his on the wrong way around, with the zip at the front! There are even instructions in the changing room! Thankfully, we got it right for our children. You are given a surf board depending on your size. Mine certainly didn’t seem as big as the one in Byron Bay while my youngest daughter was happy to get a bright pink one!
Surf lessons at The Wave
We all had beginner lessons (I didn’t think my attempt in Byron Bay qualified me as intermediate). As my youngest daughter isn’t quite able to swim 25m unaided, she had a Little Ripper surf lesson. Everyone else had beginner lessons. My lesson happened to have only adults while my daughter and husband had a mixture of children and adults in their lesson.
Each surf lesson is 1.5 hours long. You get half an hour on land learning how to stand up and then an hour in the water. You are all given a rash vest in the same colour to put over your wetsuit.
Huge credit given to the amazing instructors. They were cheerful, thoughtful and made the experience really fun. You could feel their enthusiasm and calm disposition which put us at ease, exactly what you need when trying something new which can be unnerving.
Adult beginner surf lesson at the Wave
I don’t often take part in water activities so surfing was out of my comfort zone but I am very glad I pushed the boundaries of what I can do. There is quite a lot of information to take in as you are taught the basics of getting onto a board on land. Then it is time to get in.
The weather had been beautiful but gradually got worse as the lesson went on with rain and wind. Although my body did not feel cold with the wetsuit on, at one point I couldn’t feel my feet (in the winter, boots are provided to wear).
When you first enter the water and the waves come on, it can seem rather discombobulating. As time went on, I got used to it and soon realised walking out to the surf spot when the waves were turned off was the easiest! There was a certain point to go out to before catching a wave. I could just about touch the bottom for all of it (I’m a petite 5 foot 1″). The instructors were great at helping and noted that I was coming up on the board a bit too soon and advised to wait a bit longer.
There was some falling off (of course) lots of water swallowed and some frozen feet but it was an exhilarating experience. It was also tiring (and I consider myself relatively fit). All worth it when you stand up on the board…or even if you nearly do! I have to say the one hour in the water did begin to drag towards the end, I think perhaps because of the rain, so the lesson is definitely long enough.
Little Ripper lesson, The Wave
The Little Ripper lesson is for beginners who can’t swim 25m unaided and the child needs to be accompanied by an adult. Children up to 12 years old can take part. It was a great experience to see my youngest (8) do the surf lesson and be on hand to help her out.
She was so excited to do the surf lesson and thoroughly enjoyed the session on land. They learned the moves with some easy to remember phrases like ‘chicken arms’ and knowing the board’s ‘nose’ from its ‘fin’. There was even time for a couple of games before setting off into the water.
As we entered the water, it was nice and calm, no waves. The children lay on the boards as the adults pushed them along. Then, the waves came. What happened? My daughter totally freaked out! She panicked with the motion of the waves and the size of the waves coming to her from the back of the lake (which are bigger for more experienced surfers). I tried to reassure her but she got in a bit of a state. With the help of the instructors, she came back to shore on the board.
We had some time out, sitting by the shore and, fortunately, it wasn’t for too long. After a while she declare she wanted to carry on. I was so proud of her for getting back up and giving it another go. Seeing the other kids doing it definitely helped. I am pleased to say she LOVED it!
The instructors were great at reassuring and taking extra care of her. They all helped the children catch a wave and most of them stood up – or got onto their knees. Surfing is something that can take a bit of time but what an amazing skill and how she grew in confidence over the course of the lesson was miraculous.
Beginner lesson at the Wave
After having my surf lesson, I suspected that my husband would struggle with his. He had a stroke six years ago and has cognitive difficulties. It means getting lots of instructions in one go is difficult for him to take in and fully understand. An alien environment and coping with the combination of noise, waves and surfboards were indeed a lot for him.
He spoke to one of the instructors and explained his situation. They were really helpful and reassuring. He did what he could and gave it go but didn’t last the full hour, watching from the sidelines instead. He seemed to enjoy what he did do.
My eldest daughter (11) had more success. She liked that there was a good system of getting out to catch the waves and moving around the lake. She lacked a bit of confidence to really go for it and keep trying to stand on the board. Nevertheless, she really liked body surfing on it as it came into shore.She got onto her knees and almost stood up.
The size of their group was bigger than mine and my other daughter’s with a mix of adults and children. It meant she probably didn’t get as much attention to perfect her technique.
Even though my daughter is a competent swimmer, on reflection, I think she would have been better doing the Little Ripper session. I could have helped her by being in the water and given her some extra guidance too.
It was a good idea to have my surf lesson first so I knew what to do and could better help them (whether they listened or not, I’m not sure)!
Special thanks to the surf instructors Luca, Charlie and Ollie. Thank you for a great experience!
Changing and Shower Facilities at The Wave
There are hot showers and plenty of changing rooms and lockers at the Wave so it was all fairly straight forward to secure our clothing and take a shower. You need to bring your own towels and toiletries. It has a basic hairdryer.
Other facilities at The Wave
There is still plenty to do at the wave if you AREN’T surfing. There is a large, wooden playground with plenty of play equipment. My youngest went to play while her dad and sister were surfing. I grabbed a coffee from the restaurant, which got the big thumbs up from me. The hot chocolate was enjoyed by my daughter and it has a licensed bar too which my husband utilised. There is also a shop with lots of surf related gear, clothes and accessories.
The Wave also run other sessions and lessons for body boarding and more advanced surfers. You can go open water swimming during certain hours without the waves switched on. If you just want enjoy being in the water, The Wave does Play in the Bay sessions when no surf equipment is allowed in the water and everyone of all ages can enjoy being in the water. Body boards can be brought. In summer, there are also yoga classes.
Restaurant at The Wave
I was very glad of the restaurant at the Wave after my surfing lesson – I was ravenous. The food has a standard menu of fish and chips, burgers and sandwiches. There are some vegetarian choices and you can make dietary requests if needed. They have a children’s menu which is fairly good value: they can choose a main with sides and a salad/vegetables. It was well received by both my daughters.
Parking at The Wave
The car park is around a 10/15 minute walk away so do leave plenty of time to get there for your lesson. I noticed a lot of families bringing scooters for their younger children which is a brilliant idea while some older children and adults had skateboards.
Glamping at the Wave
As well as surfing at The Wave, it also has a number of safari tents where you can stay the night. We had one night glamping at The Wave. Doing this helped break up the lessons a little and allow us to have some family time together in the outdoors.
Upon arrival, we were amazed at the size of the tent and space round it. They are all raised up on a wooden platform so you are never walking on the ground.
Inside, it has a kitchenette and table on one side and a living area on the other. Ours had three separate sleeping areas, two with bunkbeds so could sleep six people. There is a sink and portable camping toilet in the middle of the tent in a separate room. It was pointed out this should only really be used in the night. The toilet and shower facilities are the same ones used for the surfers.
The kitchen had a kettle and two hob rings but only had one saucepan so you would need to bring some of your own if you wanted to cook a meal as well a tea towel, which wasn’t provided. It had cutlery, washing up liquid and sponge.
Outside on the balcony, there’s a large table which we enjoyed having our breakfast on as we awoke to a beautiful sunny morning.
Inside, there is a wood burner which made it so cosy and warm in the evening as we relaxed after a long day and enjoyed being away in nature. It felt like a very good break even though we were only there a night. There’s lots of space around the tents to play outdoor games and give you privacy.
As the car park is a way from the tents, you can unload next to the entrance to the tents. They have a trolley for you to transport your luggage to the tent. We seemed to have a lot for just one night away!
Have a look inside our glamping tent at The Wave, Bristol
Is it worth Glamping at The Wave?
As our lesson stretched across two days it was worked really well to stay the night and have a glamping experience. We went during May half term and appreciated going somewhere different – and outdoors – for a short family holiday in the UK. We used it as a stop off to see friends who live in Herefordshire so it could be combined as part of a bigger holiday. Alternatively, a great option for getting away from it all for the weekend or during the holidays. For us, living in London, our glamping trip to the Wave was utterly different to anything we would usually do. We felt like we had enjoyed a really good break away from life’s stresses helped by the open countryside and developing some surf skills.
Where is The Wave?
The Wave is just outside Bristol, around a 2.5 hour drive from central London. It is very close to the River Severn and south Wales.
How much does The Wave cost
Prices for surf lessons at The Wave start at £70 and children £60. At peak times during holidays you may pay a little more. There are discounts available for students.
Are surf lessons at The Wave worth it?
I think the Wave is a brilliant concept. As someone who isn’t hugely confident in open water, I found it a much more accessible way to get started surfing. My previous experience in Australia had put me off a little because I found it such hard work and a bit scary. I felt very safe within the environment created at The Wave. Knowing the waves would turn off for short intervals so I could walk out and wait for the next wave was very reassuring.
I also thoroughly dislike being cold, but aside from my frozen feet, I didn’t feel too cold at all. The wetsuit kept me warm and the locker area seemed to retain some heat as I wasn’t cold after getting out and ready for my shower. The showers are also very hot!
The Wave is an excellent place for children to learn to surf. Having consistent waves which can be controlled rather than being out in the sea is brilliant, especially for those less confident in the open sea.
If you already surf, The Wave gives space to improve and perfect your surfing. The Reef at the back of the lake, which has bigger waves, is for more intermediate surfers where we saw some very impressive skills on display.
Although the prices may appear a little high, you do get the equipment loan and coaching. Added to that, learning a new skill, building confidence and being in a new environment is always something worth investing in. Surf lessons at the Wave in Bristol serve as a very good starting point to learn and for you to become more assured prior to a move onto the sea.
Doing something together as a family, where we were all starting from the same place, was hugely positive. Life is about creating experiences and memories and this is one we won’t forget. It helped take us away from domestic life, connect and get away from screens. Taking part in outdoor activities is also so good for your mind – as well as your physical wellbeing.
I thoroughly appreciated getting out of my comfort zone and learning something different. At times it was tough and tiring but the sense of fulfilment at overcoming fears and challenges is priceless.
* I was invited by The Wave to try out the facilities in return for an honest review