Making waves, with Nick Hounsfield

In our conversation, Nick

• Explains what The Wave is all about – a lake in Bristol as big as three or four Olympic-sized swimming pools.

• Describes the logistics behind creating waves, and how The Wave has been designed to be suitable for all ages and skill levels.

• Expands on how surfers use the lake – one hour of surfing time equates to four or five hours in the ocean.

• Talks through The Wave’s business model.

• Outlines the cash flow challenges of running a seasonal business.

• Details how they’ve made efforts to widen their demographic and ensure that everyone feels comfortable.

• Delves into where it all began and how he raised the eye-watering £30m set-up costs.

• Focuses on the importance of laying the right foundations and building strong connections when structuring the business.

• Discusses planning permission issues they faced.

• Enthuses about the day ‘the tap was finally turned on’.

• Shares his thoughts about possible expansion and being driven by the concept of ‘Blue Health’.

• Passes on to new entrepreneurs his most fundamental key learning.