Confronting: British wave pool to test “expert” bona fides of guests before allowing ‘em to surf three-foot “Beast”!

Shredders must now pass test before being allowed near Wavegarden Cove's "advanced" settings.

In a move that has sent shock-waves through post-Brexit/Megxit England, surfers will be now be assessed before being allowed to ride Wavegarden Cove’s Beast setting at The Wave in Bristol.

As anyone who’s ridden the joint will tell ya, its two-foot intermediate setting  (“like a gentle day at Snapper”) has gotten real old, real quick.

But what are you gonna do when your clientele are, essentially, kooks?

As The Wave’s Founder Nick Hounsfield told Jamie Tierney, who visited the place for BeachGrit, it isn’t technology holding the place back, it’s the surfing level of its customers.

“Quite a few people are struggling to be honest what their ability might be,” he said.

“My session was marred by a handful of beginners who struggled to make the drop every time and didn’t get out of way of the surfer behind them quickly enough,” wrote Jamie. “It seems like a pretty easy solution to this would be to require surfers to prove they can handle a mellow setting before graduating to one that’s more advanced.”

You mean, a license?

A License to Ride?

Well, here it is.

Over the course of January and February, The Wave will be running “assessment days” where surfers will be pass or fail their Licence to Ride exam.

Those who pass will get to ride the pool on its advanced settings, which includes the three-foot “Beast”, a short slabbing barrel.

To get your Licence to Ride you should be able to:

• Comfortably ride waves above 2.0m
• Paddle in large waves and strong currents
• Duckdive
• Take-off consistently
• Generate speed
• Perform turns
• Negotiate sections
• Demonstrate respectful surf etiquette

Ask yourself, and ask honestly, would you pass?

Are you really the shredder you think you are?

I’m good for about two of the above, surf etiquette and duckdiving, not sure about the rest.

Sign up here.