The Wave (company) facts for kids
The Wave is a company that builds special pools for surfing in England. These pools create their own waves, so you don't need to be near the ocean! The first one, called The Wave: Bristol, opened in 2019. It's located just outside the city of Bristol. Another one, The Wave: London, is being planned for the future.
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The Wave: Bristol
The idea for The Wave: Bristol came from a person named Nick Hounsfield. In 2012, the project was officially named "The Wave: Bristol." They first looked at a spot near the Portway in Bristol, but it wasn't big enough.
Finding the Perfect Spot
In 2013, they found a much larger area – about 70 acres of farmland – in a place called Easter Compton. This was a great spot for building a big wave pool! The plan was to use special technology from a Spanish company called Wavegarden to make the waves.
What's Inside The Wave?
In August 2017, the local council, South Gloucestershire Council, gave permission for the £20 million project. The design was made to be very eco-friendly and sustainable.
Besides the main wave pool, The Wave: Bristol has lots of other cool features:
- A natural swimming lake
- Barefoot trails for walking
- Areas where you can learn about foraging (finding wild food)
- Different types of gardens: activity gardens, sensory gardens (for your senses), healing gardens, and gardens for cooking herbs.
There are also plans for a clubhouse, a surf shop, a ropes course, and even a campsite where you can stay!
How Big is the Pool?
The main wave pool is huge! It's planned to be about 300 meters long, 100 meters wide, and 1.5 meters deep. That's a lot of water! The company also wants to host special surfing training centers and even surfing competitions there.
Wave Technology
At first, in 2015, they decided to use wave-making technology from an American company called Wave Loch. This meant the opening date had to be moved back. However, by May 2017, they decided to go back to using the original Wavegarden technology.
In April 2016, The Wave announced that the council had approved their updated plans. With the change back to Wavegarden, the plans were sent in again and approved in August 2017. Construction was finally finished in October 2019, and The Wave: Bristol was ready for surfers!
