Point break
Can the latest surfing technology help our writer build more confidence on the board and advance to riding gnarlier waves?
AS SURF SNOWDONIA’S TWO-MEGAWATT DRIVE SYSTEM KICKS INTO GEAR, MY NERVES JUMP TO OVERDRIVE
Honestly, UK surfing is no sunny walk in the park. Epic waves are usually bookended by months of howling onshore winds, ice-cold seas or summer flat spells. During times like these, it’s tough for improvers such as myself (I’m more than a beginner, but far from pro) to truly progress. But before packing my bags and shipping off to the perfect surf of Hawaii, I wanted to see if surfing tech could boost my game right here in the UK, so that I’m ready for when conditions start picking up.
ROAD TRIP
I’m in luck: the first inland wave facility opened to the public in 2015. Surf Snowdonia ( surfsnowdonia.com) features a 300-metre lagoon and a large, central pier that houses the Wavefoil, a snowplough-style hydrodynamic blade that travels underwater at a liquid-shifting six metres per second. The moving water interacts with the contoured lagoon bed, creating consistent waves for beginner to advanced surfers up to 36 times per hour. If I can’t improve my game here then I should probably hang up my wetsuit for good, right?
With a few sessions booked, and my bag brimming with surfing gadgets, it’s time to hit the road. Traditionally, wave-hungry surfers would pile into a rusty VW Camper and head for the coast. But this is T3, so I’ve opted for Volkswagen’s California Ocean series camper instead… Because nothing screams ‘get back to nature’ like a £65k motor with a touchscreen DAB radio, Bluetooth receiver and sat-nav built into the gleaming dash.
There’s plenty of space inside the California for surfboards and overnight gear, and the four-hour trek to North Wales is rather painless thanks to the camper’s 2.0 litre TDI turbocharged four-cylinder engine and slick, sevenspeed automatic transmission. ParkPilot parking assistance and driver alert and emergency braking systems are all welcome safety features, too.
SURF AND TURF
Witnessing Surf Snowdonia’s waves in action for the first time is as bizarre as it is impressive – although I’m surrounded by Welsh mountains and trees, I’m looking at perfectly formed, surfable waves. These waves are graded according to experience: there’s Yellow for beginners, Blue and Green for intermediate levels one and two, and Black for the scary advanced wave. I’m no hero, so Blue it is.
Before I get in the water, I strap on Nixon’s burly, 100-metre waterproof Mission Wear OS smartwatch and load up the Trace surf app to track my session. Nixon’s Corning Gorilla Glass touchscreen works wonders, even with wet fingers, although visibility suffers in direct sunlight.
As Surf Snowdonia’s two-megawatt drive system kicks into gear and the Wavefoil starts moving, my nerves jump to overdrive. But there’s no time to think. A deluge of white water rears up behind me, I paddle hard and the wave picks me up. I pop to my feet and start shifting. The ride is short and surreal, but a total buzz.
I’m straight back in for a second wave. My take-off is better this time but I end up on a weaker section of the wave and it’s quickly game over. Third time lucky and I execute the perfect pop-up, carve a small left turn along the clean face of the wave and end up in the shallows with a huge grin on my face. Textbook!
As my first session draws to a close, I check in with the Nixon. In one hour I’ve covered 2.5 miles, burned 246 calories and topped out at 16.6mph. Not bad for my first experience in Surf Snowdonia’s wave pool.
CALIFORNIA DREAMING
Even on a man-made wave, all this paddling is exhausting. Time to fuel up, grab a cold beer from the VW’s 42-litre fridge and settle in for a cosy night under the stars. Well, the roof.
However, I need to deal with my wetsuit first, because climbing into a suit that’s cold and damp from a previous session isn’t exactly fun. I have a UV-protected Dry Bag Pro that ensures maximum airflow around
PADDLING FRANTICALLY, I FEEL THE TAIL OF MY BOARD LIFT AND I SHOOT DOWN THE STEEP WAVE
my wetsuit to speed up the drying process, whilst safeguarding it from sun damage, something that can prematurely age and weaken the suit’s neoprene material. Does it work? Guess I’ll find out in the morning.
In addition to the VW’s folding two-seat/bed setup, popping the electronic aluminium roof reveals an additional double foam mattress up top, with soft interior lighting casting a welcoming glow. With the camper’s parking heater control set to ‘sleep like a log’, I drift off, dreaming of clean waves and, er, Keanu Reeves.
SHOOT TO THRILL
I wake up refreshed in my B&B on wheels. Even better, the wetsuit is practically bone dry thanks to the Dry Bag Pro. I’m ready to hit the water again. To get a true picture of my performance today, I’ve mounted GoPro’s Fusion 360-degree action camera to the nose of my board. The waterproof camera’s dual fisheye lenses will pick up every angle of my wave riding and should help me figure out where I’m going right or wrong. The Fusion lacks a touchscreen like its Hero brethren, but it’s simple to operate using the GoPro app or integrated voice control.
For playback, the footage from the two cameras is stitched together within the GoPro app. I’m able to explore every corner of the spherical, 5.2k clip by dragging my finger around my iPhone’s screen, assessing and tweaking my stance, board position and takeoff angle. It’s like having my own digital surf instructor.
HAVING A SWELL TIME
With Surf Snowdonia’s Blue wave conquered, it’s time to face the bigger, gnarlier Green wave. I need to get in the right headspace for this, so I fire up Spotify and plug my ears with Plantronics’ BackBeat FIT Bluetooth earphones. I’m drenched from my first surf session of the day, but that’s no problem for the IP57-rated, one-metre waterproof ’phones. Despite water still sloshing in my ears, Frank Sinatra’s Beyond the Sea sounds crystal clear.
Feeling confident, I paddle out to the Green wave takeoff by the pier. Over my shoulder the Wavefoil springs to life and I have just a few seconds to shout, “GoPro, start recording!” before a wave lurches up behind me. Paddling frantically, I feel the tail of my board lift and I’m soon shooting down the steep wave face. Miraculously I make it to my feet and slice through the water to the edge of the lagoon.
The GoPro footage reveals my ride would have been smoother had I been further forward on the surfboard at takeoff. So I make tweaks over the next few waves with varying degrees of success, but regardless it’s great to be able to ride, reflect and retry. Since my first session I’ve refined my stance, advanced to a bigger wave, and the Nixon Mission tells me I’ve almost doubled yesterday’s top speed. Sounds like progress to me.
There’s a lot of debate in the surfing world about whether riding wave pools is cheating. While nothing will truly beat the exhilaration of riding waves dished up by Mother Nature, practising on a consistent wave and using a few gadgets to review my performance has been the ideal training ground to help me make the most of what I’ll find in the wild. And heck, if the summer is a dud for waves, a road trip to Snowdonia is a solid plan