However, before long, we arrived and it
was pitch black.
We were too late to see the waves in action, but we could still just about make out the surf
lagoon, glassy as a mill pond, reflecting lights from the pods and the few surrounding
bui ldings. The site isn’t massive, so after parking the van we soon stumbled upon the main
building and reception desk. Here we checked into our pod and picked up the key (which
was actually a rubber wristband). Situated conveniently close to reception was the bar, so
just in time for last orders we glugged a well-deserved beer and soaked up the remaining
chilled, late night atmosphere.
A beer (or two) in and the tiredness hit hard. It was time to go check out our accommodation
for the night. The pods are located on the other side of the lagoon, so just a short walk and we
arrived at Pod 2. Their modern vibe, although minimalistic, meant up to date with technology
– the rubber wrist band was the key to our pod. The bands are fully waterproof, low-profile and
comfy to wear. All we had to do is swipe our wrist over the door lock to gain access to our pod.
After a swipe, we entered. The inside of the pod was warm and comfy. It consisted of two
raised single beds and one double bed at floor level, easily accommodating up to 4 adults.
Now we were settled in, the anticipation and excitement followed. So instead of going
straight to sleep we took a few night snaps of our boards and the pod. Then it was 1:30 am,
so it was definitely time for shut eye.
Today’s the day! We woke up feeling refreshed and super excited. Breakfast is included when
you hire a pod for the night, so we headed back over to the main hub where we sat and inhaled
a hearty full English breaky (or is it a full Welsh breaky?). At this point the wavegarden was
waveless, however after a few sips of coffee and a natter about what the day ahead involved,
the buzzer sounded and the first wave of the day began to roll in; either side of the pier.
Quite frankly we were in disbelief… The wave was bigger and faster than we imagined. The
drop looked pretty gnarly and even some of the instructors took a bit of time to nail it. Once
they did, there was a harmonious roar from spectators dotted all around the lagoon. The
nerves had now kicked in, as before long we knew it would be our time to ride this futuristic
wave! We headed back to our pod to prepare our SUP’s, wetsuits and mentally compose
ourselves, ready for our slot.
Board? Check! Paddle? Check! Leash? Check! Wetsuit? Check! Our chosen rides were the
Fatstick 8’6 Fish and the Fatstick 10’6 Red Ripper, both boards using US boxes with a thruster
fin set up and the six-inch Fatstick centre fin. All set, excited and ready to go, we paced over to
the academy for our introduction and safety briefing. After that, we were just itching to ride
that wave. We waited for the guys from the previous slot to exit the lagoon, we put on their
black jerseys to indicate we were on the ‘advanced’ section of the wave and we FINALLY entered
the water. The possible future of surfing was now just moments away. On our half, the
advanced take off was shared between us and one other surfer, the intermediate section was
occupied by two surfers and the beginner section being tackled by, well, beginners.
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