Written by Hayley Lawrence
Wave pools are fast-tracking surf progression, building confidence beyond the ocean, and opening up the sport to more women. Here’s why we’re inviting you to a women’s only session at The Wave in Bristol.
The Burning Question: Wave Pools – Love Them or Hate Them?
The Question
The Results
The Community Verdict
We put it to the Women + Waves community, and the verdict? Almost perfectly split. Just over half of you said you love them. Nearly half said you don’t. Whichever camp you’re in, it’s a debate that many of you feel strongly about.
I’ll be honest. At first I was a wave pool sceptic: the concrete, the chlorine, the pay-to-play format. I’ve driven 100 miles to The Wave in Bristol and flown to Scotland for the perfect peelers of the Lost Shore Surf Resort. I’ve had mixed results, a few wipeouts, and moments when I wondered, ‘why am I here when I live by the sea?’ But each time, something clicked. In that same-wave-on-repeat format that no ocean session can deliver, I’ve made changes in my take off and my surfing that I couldn’t have made in an hour in the sea.
Here’s the thing. In the ocean you can have good and bad sessions – which can be down to skill and mindset, but it can also depend on the tides, the crowds, shifting peaks and the conditions. In a wave pool, all those excuses dissolve. The same wave rolls in again and again – so progress isn’t down to luck; it’s about timing, your pop-up, your positioning and how you manoeuvre your board. The wave doesn’t change, but you can. The ocean will never deliver you 10-15 identical waves to hone your technique. But a wave pool will. And that changes everything.
“I learned how to do cutbacks in a wave pool by just trying them over and over again,” says Jasmine, from the Witterings. “I’d been trying for four years in the sea and not managed it, but when I was in the pool it took two days and cost me £180!”.
Wave Pools as Training Tools: How They Fast-Track Your Surfing
The ocean is an incredible, but inconsistent – and at times chaotic – training ground. Peaks swing and shift with the tides, sandbanks and wind direction. You might paddle into position for the perfect wave, only to have another surfer drop in. You might not even make it out back when it’s big and messy. It’s beautiful, yes, but it can be a beast.
Wave pools are the opposite. They’re predictable. You choose your setting and the same wave comes again, and again, and again. And it’s all yours.
That consistency is a game changer. Whether you’re nailing your pop-up or next manoeuvre, you get to try it, adjust it, and repeat it – time and time again. Repetition builds muscle memory. Identical waves speed up the learning loop. And the immediate feedback speeds up your progression faster than years of variable ocean sessions.
Whatever level you’re at, that same principle works. Which is why the world’s best surfers train in wave pools. Whether they’re working on a hack, an air, or a new combination, they drill manoeuvres with the kind of repetition you can never get at the beach. Think of the wave pool as a practice room. Everything you learn there can be taken back to enhance and improve your experience in the ocean.
Wave Pools and Women: Confidence Before the Ocean
Another factor that hinders progress in the ocean – especially for women – is confidence. Anyone who’s paddled out at a busy break will understand the unspoken hierarchy that makes you feel like you don’t belong. It’s intimidating out there – earning your place in the lineup and knowing which waves to paddle for. For women learning to surf, it can be enough to put you off altogether.
Wave pools have changed this dynamic by creating lineups based on skill level and turn-taking – not on ego. When your turn comes that wave is yours – and you know exactly what it’s going to do. There’s no jostling for position, no getting snaked, no sitting nervously on the shoulder wondering if you should go. Plus, the paddle back out is easy, and current-assisted.
This controlled, predictable environment removes so much of the anxiety that comes with ocean surfing. So what’s left is just you, your board, and the wave. Which is where real confidence is built.
What’s more, with the Women + Waves X The Wave Event Days, you can join a supportive, all-women lineup. With in-water instructors at the beginning and end of every ride, like-minded surfing allies to cheer you on, and a photographer and videographer to track your progression, there are no limits to the improvements – and the fun – you can pack into a single session. We’ve designed every element to take the anxiety out of the experience, make the most of every wave, and boost your skills and confidence to another level.
“Where else would you share a space, connection and advice with over 100 female surfers on a February day in Britain?” Asks Sarah, a regular attendee at The Wave in Bristol. “Nowhere. That’s the magic of this place.”
Waves of Change
“While women still make up a minority in the ocean lineup, structured environments like wave pools are rapidly shifting the balance – some reporting female participation rising to over a third of all surfers.”
Take away the intimidation of the ocean, and the lineup starts to change fast. While women still make up a minority at most breaks, structured environments like The Wave are rapidly shifting the balance — with female participation rising to over a third of all surfers at some venues.
And it doesn’t stop there. As well as quietly flipping the gender balance – wave pools are creating a more diverse surfing community by removing traditional barriers and making the sport more accessible to everyone.
The Wave in Bristol runs surf therapy courses with The Wave Project, provides support and equipment for adaptive surfing, and has partnered with groups including Black2Nature and Bristol’s Muslim community, offering adapted wetsuits and optional hijabs so that no one is excluded by kit. These initiatives are opening the doors to people for whom the ocean – with all its costs, distances, hierarchies, and unwritten rules – has never been accessible.
“Through waves of change, growth and support, we’re growing a diverse surfing community and space for future wave chasers to discover their passion,” says The Wave’s Abby Richardson.
And this community and inclusivity goes beyond the water. Wave pools are creating inland surfing communities – giving people who’ve never had access to the coast a genuine slice of the surfing lifestyle. “It’s not all about the wave riding,” says Tanya from Bristol. “I like to go to The Wave and use the pump track on my surf skate. It’s also a little slice of surf when you live inland.”
So… Do Wave Pools Replace the Ocean?
No. Wave pools don’t replace the ocean – they prepare you for it.
The ocean is magic – unpredictable and powerful. It teaches resilience, patience, humility. It puts you at the mercy of nature, and in the way of beauty. But it’s also intimidating, requires years of knowledge and expertise to hit the peaks, and it’s expensive to reach for many.
The Wave gives you something the ocean can’t: a controlled, supportive environment to build skills and confidence you can take back to the sea. You’ll surf it better for it. You’ll feel more confident in your ability. And you’ll become part of a wider surfing community with new friends to surf with – whether that’s at the beach or back at the wave pool.
Try it for yourself: Women +Waves Event Day at The Wave
We’ve listened to your feedback about how you’d want the perfect all-women’s surf session to look – and we’ve created an experience you don’t usually get at The Wave.
If you’ve never been, or if you’ve been before and found it overwhelming, these sessions are designed specifically to make you feel safe, supported, and set up to progress.
What makes these days different?
We’ve gone further than women-only sessions, skill-based lineups on left and right hand waves, and expert female instructors. We’ve designed every element to take the worry out of the experience and maximise the fun, the camaraderie, and the improvements – so you get the absolute most out of every wave and the whole day.
There will be an in-water instructor with you at the takeoff point, helping you into waves. A second instructor is waiting at the end of your ride – taking photos, keeping you safe, and offering personalised feedback after every single wave, so you can build confidence and improve faster. On the pier, our land photographer and videographer is capturing it all from above. So there will be plenty of footage for detailed video analysis.
There are sessions for beginners through to intermediates (board and wetsuit hire included), plus an optional surf skate intro if you want to warm up on dry land first.
What to expect
A warm welcome, personal goal-setting, and an hour-long coached water session at your level. Followed by in-depth video analysis of your surfing, a surf-inspired yoga session, and an evening social with the W+W community.
What you’ll take home
A personal surf progression logbook, professional photo and video footage. and new surfing friends.
Enjoyed this? Share it with a woman who needs to read it. And sign up to the Women + Waves newsletter for more stories, surf tips, and coastal inspiration – straight to your inbox.
