The Wave Reviews 77

Rather expensive, but nice for a treat - we'd come more if it was a bit cheaper. I am sure it was MUCH cheaper last year.

My youngest child attempted a surf session without staff (had done a few beginners lessons last summer and was competent then), but it was a bit too hard (not least because the water was soooo cold), and she wanted to go back to the beginners' class where staff are on hand in the water to help give her a little push. Had to really plead to be allowed to swop her out of the beginner session and into the beginner lesson - I'd have hoped for customer satisfaction (especially at this price point) they would have automatically just let her do this - it wasn't as if they were very busy on this day and there were plenty of spaces for her for the lesson which was a little over an hour later and highly unlikely to sell out in that time frame. Hence my three stars. If i had left a review last year it might have been 5, but this incident marred our trip this time, so I wanted to feec back to management.

Generally a fab vibe though.

Luca the lifeguard/surf dude was fantastic with my daughter while I was trying to get her swopped to the lesson at the desk, he was sympathetic and kind and encouraging and a real credit to the Wave. Five stars for Luca.

Management did eventually approve the swop, otherwise this would have been a very long trip (2.5 hours' drive plus we were staying on site) for us and a wasted journey for my daughter and a huge expense for me. So thank you for doing that, but ideally just be easier on us especially when a young child is involved.
I am sorry I didn't get their names, but the two surf dudes who took her in the lesson were really fantastic, and she did come out of it very happy. 3.30pm on Thursday 9th, if management wish to check who the staff were.

Regarding the stay. April 2026, unseasonably chilly (was set to be warmer when I'd booked). Log burner in the tent was lovely but didn't really take the edge off the cold unless we were sat right by it. Beds were really cold. I'd like to suggest heated blankets for the beds, or at least a hot water bottle available (to others, suggest bringing your own!). We have stayed in the summer and it's been lovely, but we were all so cold and tired from not getting a great sleep that we just wanted to head off home the next morning rather than stay for another session in the waves.

Food/cafe. Not bad options for vegans. Again, rather pricey. Little shop is really lovely.

I had a beginner surf session. I had a surf lesson earlier on in the year in the sea where I got up to standing but couldn't balance. I assumed I would more or less pick up from there and hopefully get a bit of balance.
The session didn't go well though and I didn't enjoy it. Once we got on the water no advice was given. On most my goes I came off the board very quickly whilst just laying down. I didn't know what I was doing wrong and no advice was given. There were 4 children in our group who couldn't stand up at the depth needed so were taking up a lot of the instructors time and they were paying little attention to how the adults were doing. Also being 16 people in a group I felt was too many. I can see why they can't give advice with that many people to look at. It also meant I didn't get many goes. I didn't count, but know it wasn't more than 10, probably less.
My friend I went with is more natural at this sort of thing and was able to get up to standing a couple of times, although he said he struggled. And he remembered later on something he should be doing that he was forgetting. Why didn't the instructors notice at the time and give advice? Or if it isn't possible to see, perhaps give out reminders to people?
I found the waves stronger than I have experienced in the sea and found the crash of the wave around me a bit much. Perhaps it would be a good idea to start of shallower to get used to it? That would have helped also with the children who were out of depth. But they should probably not be in the same lesson at all when they do become out of depth and not strong enough to deal with the current. At the deeper depth I was struggling with controlling my surf board while I was meant to be waiting, no advice was given on this whilst in the water.
This was a very disappointing experience, and has left me wondering if I even want to surf again in the sea. And to be honest I was quite upset.

The jewelry that I bought was really pretty until it broke after ably two uses. I bought two bracelets and and both of them are now broken. Oh and neither of them have a stamp on the back indicating they there are not real silver, which is a big scam for the price they sell them for. Do not recommend go to another store. Do not buy jewelry from this boutique!

I used to love surfing until I came to the wave. It really ruined the experience for me.

Sickest place ever! Waves sick, people sick, overall sick love it

The Wave has been a great experience every time I’ve visited. It’s massively helped my surfing progress, and the staff and the whole environment make it quite a unique place. There will be plenty more surfs here!

Love the wave!! Great staff, cool shop, food and coffee is really nice

Always have a great time at the wave. The surfing is obviously the best bit, but the staff are friendly and knowledgeable and the cafe serves tasty food and coffee. All around good vibes and a fun day out.

Always have a great time visiting the wave. The wave itself is a tonne of fun. The staff are all super friendly, good food and drink on offer. Would 100% recommend.

Great customer experience, good flow from arrival to Wave. Excellent on site facilities. Food and coffee top notch too!

It's a truly unique experience, great people, so glad it is up and running again, looks like much better than before. Can't wait for it to get warm again....

I had an absolutely fantastic time at The Wave! From the moment we arrived, the staff were friendly, welcoming, and really made us feel at ease. The facilities are top-notch, clean, and well-organised, and the whole experience was smooth from start to finish.

I especially loved the surf session, the instructors were professional, encouraging, and really made it fun!

I would highly recommend The Wave to anyone looking for a fun and safe water-based experience. Can’t wait to come back!

As a typical customer new to the sport of surfing, I decided to give it a go this past summer. It was especially appealing as I noticed the prices had come down quite a lot since new ownership took over compared to when I last went 2 years ago.

I started with a beginner lesson and then a few surf practise sessions on my own and have now progressed such that I can move to intermediate.

Everytime I booked, the booking experience online was easy and seamless. The actual process for signing in when you arrive is also quick and painless. Wetsuits are free if you require one and there are plenty of changing rooms and a hot outdoor shower for afterwards.

It's a lot of fun, and almost even more so when the water is chilly and you get that cold rush when you first enter the water.

The restaurant food is stunning and packed with flavour and I can see that the head chef puts a lot of time and effort into the menu and cares about good food, which is always great to see.

Overall I'd most certainly recommend for adults and children alike. Even now as its getting colder, I'd still recommend the adrenaline lovers to go challenge themselves!

Awful customer experience. I bought my brother a voucher for The Wave — he travelled five hours to attend his booking, but a major accident caused standstill traffic and he arrived two hours late. He tried to call ahead but was told there’s no phone number available because they don’t have enough staff to answer calls.

On arrival, he was told the voucher couldn’t be used or rebooked. Considering the circumstances and lack of any way to contact them, that’s completely unacceptable.

After reading recent reviews, it’s clear this is a recurring issue — customers unable to reach anyone, no flexibility, and vouchers being wasted. For a business that markets itself around wellbeing and inclusivity, this kind of treatment is really disappointing.

Wouldn’t recommend until they improve their communication and customer care.

I visited The Wave in Bristol recently and had an amazing time. The whole place has such a welcoming, positive atmosphere — whether you're an experienced surfer or a complete beginner, everyone’s encouraged to just have a go and enjoy it. The instructors were brilliant: patient, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about helping people improve.

The setup itself is really impressive. The water quality is great, the waves are consistent, and there’s a good balance between challenge and fun. It’s also much more peaceful than I expected - surrounded by nature, with plenty of space to relax before and after your session.

Had a great day out with grandchildren, lots of fun in the water, staff were polite and helpful. The cafe overlooks the water and has a good choice of food and drinks for everyone.
This was out second visit and and after their hiccup earlier in the year we thought it had improved and was good value for money.

Ripping off loyal customers who purchases bundles.

They cancelled several pre-booked sessions before the ownership issue started due to schedule issues, after that they have refused to provide new booking or refund.

The rest of my bundles where frozen during the summer and they gave 1 extra mth to use them but this is not acceptable as I am unable to use during the winter. Additionally I still cannot book using bundles due to an error. Total waste of space and rip off.
They claim it's a favour to honour bundles, they however inherited the exiting bookings and are legally obligated to honour them.

Not happy surfed there since they opened doubt I will again.

A few months ago, I went there to celebrate my mate’s birthday with his dad and brother. We had two surf sessions booked. After the first one, we were relaxing at the snack bar, grabbed a few snacks, and my mate’s brother and I decided to have a pint each.

Moments later, a staff member came over and told us we couldn’t go for our second session because the contract stated no alcohol before surfing, and that everything was recorded on camera. Honestly, that was frustrating, no one mentioned this rule when we booked, and there were no signs near the bar warning customers. We explained that we’d only had one pint and didn’t know it wasn’t allowed, but the staff member was completely inflexible and wouldn’t let us back in. To make things worse, we noticed other people who’d also had beers and were allowed to surf again. It felt unfair and inconsistent.

We later spoke with the manager on the phone, who was quite rude and unwilling to hear us out. In the end, they did refund us, but it really soured the day, we’d come all the way from London and had planned the whole day around this. Overall, it was a disappointing experience that could’ve easily been handled better with clearer communication and a bit of understanding.

Since the new owners took over, the vibe is transformed - great service, happy and talented staff, lower and simpler prices - now great value. It is an amazing facility, the family (different surf ability) had three great days there over the last month...