The Wave Bristol closed for business
The Wave has run into financial problems, leading to the immediate termination of all bookings and its website going offline. Signs outside cited “circumstances beyond our control” .
The root of the issue lies in a financial crisis triggered by the bankruptcy of a director connected to funding partner JAR Wave, The company’s founder, Nick Hounsfield, had stepped down in April and the administrators released a report in May explaining how The Wave had been struggling financially with its outstanding debt.
Investors Sullivan Street Partners, who had pumped £27 million into the park in 2023, are now exploring refinancing options, aiming to repay creditors in full and potentially reopen the facility. They stressed the issue was financial and technical, not due to a lack of demand. The park had welcomed around 400,000 visitors since opening in 2019, offering up to 1,000 waves per hour powered entirely by renewable energy
Local surfers and the surf industry were caught off guard. One insider described the closure as “unannounced,” leaving staff and users in the dark. Surfers who arrived today found gates locked and sessions cancelled.
This announcement comes as a surprise as just a few months ago The Wave celebrated its B Corp certification highlighting its sustainability goals, community outreach programs, and plans to host para-surfing events and women’s-only sessions
