One thing we’ve learned over the years here at WavePoolMag is that each and every operator in the sphere has spent countless hours studying surf park wave settings optimization. So when OG wave pool The Wave, Bristol, announced changes to several wave characteristics, we took note.
“You spoke, we listened,” the company said in a statement. “To make sure you’re getting the most out of every wave, we’ve officially ‘remixed’ sessions from Advanced upwards. Based on your feedback, we’ve adjusted the speed, the steepness, and the power.”
What does this mean exactly? Surf park wave settings optimization (and we’ve documented many in our Podcast) is the existential crux of operating a surf park, the fact that “the perfect wave” differs for each individual. And that a successful business requires pleasing everyone. It’s a big ask, your preference for peaky shore dump is just as easily countered by your sister’s love for Lowers.
So what did The Wave do? We spoke with Senior Surf Coach Dave Cox, who was instrumental in the change process.
The Advanced session now begins with a wave featuring a clean, open face from the current second half, followed by a second phase with a steeper, faster take-off designed to increase critical sections and allow surfers to push performance down the line.
Why did you decide to evolve the wave settings?
Last year we reviewed all our wave settings and were really happy with the waves we offer early in the surfer’s pathway, from beginner to intermediate. So, this year we wanted to focus more on offering higher-performance waves for our Advanced and big-wave settings. We want to be a high-performance centre and a location for surfers to train, push themselves and really be able to perfect technical manoeuvres. This is reflected in the new settings – we have dialled them up and improved the quality!
We tested a lot of new and older wave settings over winter, and we have revised all our sessions from Advanced upwards, other than our expert barrels – increasing the size and power throughout! I’m really excited about our Advanced wave as we run this session a lot and it now has more power than ever before. It’s a really great wave. I also love the new Expert Turns session which really dials it up, with our biggest wave ever in the second half.
We have also introduced a new session called Expert Plus, which offers premium waves for a smaller group of surfers. With fewer surfers in a session, we can push fewer waves, which really improves the quality and offers an amazing experience.
Alongside the changes to the bigger wave settings, we also introduced Intermediate Plus to keep that progression pathway safe and fun.
The other thing we wanted to do was add more variety – which is the driver behind our ‘Monthly Mix up’ specials. We are using these to offer unique experiences to customers and test new sessions, waves and formats. There is a lot of hype on these sessions and it’s a great way for us to continue to learn what works best
“We’re bringing back a classic with a remix. If you surfed with us before 2025, this wave will feel like an old friend. We’re running two distinct waves, with the size stepping up at the midway point. Expect a steeper, punchier version of our Advanced Plus wave. Same flow, but with significantly more kick. Whether you want to lay into a massive carving cutback or snap it tight in the pocket, this session is designed for maximum impact.”
Is it difficult to communicate this change to customers?
Yes and no… Generally, our customers are only excited when they hear about new wave settings. Our regulars are always asking about what’s coming next! Sometimes, there can be a bit of a challenge, as people get used to surfing a certain way and don’t like the change, but personally, I love the challenge of figuring out how best to surf a new wave, as it makes me a better surfer. The new Expert Plus session is great for this, and the waves are more technical and take some learning. We are planning to release videos with our best surfers describing the waves and how to surf them to help people have the best sessions – watch this space.
How is this key to your business sustainability?
We always want to offer the best product possible to our surfers and we think there is still a lot of potential to try new waves and improve those that we already offer. We are so excited to be exploring this more and are delighted with the results so far. Always improving our settings and offering more variety is just good for our surfers and keeps things new and interesting.
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