Adam Broadway is the Boardmaster at The Wave. We love the term “Boardmaster.” It’s wonderfully British, vaguely midievil and hints at an apprenticeship in alchemy. But instead of working in a forge and reaching for a bellows to temper steel on a new blade, Adam is mixing epoxy resin in a tight space surrounded by surfboards. These are the very same surfboards that have violently come into contact with the concrete that frame the wave pool here. Adam is their savior, returning them to a life of purpose and profit. The University of Bristol’s “UK Surfing and Health Report” puts the average surfer spend at £2,101.08 each year on surfing activities. Some of this winds up in the wave pool in the form of purchased sessions, post-surf pots of tea and rented equipment. Adam, in turn, is holding up this corner of the UK surf industry.

So what is your job title here and what do you do?

I’m a surf tech at the Wave, or you can refer to it as Boardmaster. Generally, on a day-to-day basis, half of the day will involve fixing our surfboards that we rent out to customers. I do this up at our repair area just behind the lake. Then I’ll swap over with a colleague and come into the Boardroom to guide people, help them choose the right surfboard for their session, and give them any advice or information they might need about our boards.

How do you usually start out the assessment when someone asks you for something?

We generally go straight to the point and ask them what board they would normally ride. We might ask for some dimensions of their board, how long it is, how wide it is, and if they know the volume of it. This helps narrow down the options available for them. From there, we can start talking about different shapes and fins they like, and then we can narrow it down even more to a handful of boards for them to choose from.

Do you recommend boards according to wave setting or my by the rider’s ability?

Generally, it will be the rider’s ability. For example, if a really good surfer comes in, they can surf any of our boards on any of our waves. If someone is transitioning from a beginner, we’ll guide them more towards our softer boards. We do try to ask about people’s levels and put them on the right board based on the information they give us. It’s a difficult topic because it’s hard to gauge someone’s level without watching them. One of the main reasons we get a lot of damage is people surfing the wrong board, like taking something out that’s maybe too small.

You repair boards as well?

Yes, we repair all our own boards here on site. We get a lot of damages due to the concrete wall right next to the take-off and the shallow end of the lake, which makes it common for the noses and tails of our boards to get damaged.

What percentage of your time is spent fixing boards and what percentage is helping people out?

At the moment, it’s about half of my day. I do eight or nine-hour shifts, spending about four hours on repairs, which is more than enough time because it’s in a room where I’m alone with a mask on, but I can listen to music. After that, I come down here to socialize with people and talk about surfboards. It changes it up. It used to be the other way around, and during holidays, it was tough. After a whole day of fixing boards, it can get quite lonely. We’ve worked out a better model now, swapping around between me and Harry MacBeth.

What advice would you offer for someone coming in to rent a board?

I would tell them it depends on what wave they’re surfing. If they’ve never surfed before, I’d advise them to stay away from the wall, as the wave here tends to be quite steep on the take-off and close to the wall. Generally, people in the UK are not used to surfing faster breaking waves, so sitting a bit wider on the take-off is good advice. This also minimizes our damages. A lot of people get surprised when they go to surf and the wave pulls out underneath them, which can be critical if they’re too close to the wall. So, that’s the main advice I would give people: sit aside a bit, angle the board and paddle hard.

This post is run in partnership with Wavepooljobs, the global connection platform for the wave pool and surf park community.

Board Hire: How one surf park enhances the guest experience