SURFING coach, Eddie Cole of Wroxall, founder of Eddie’s Surf Academy, took his talented troupe of surfers to Bristol to try a hand at riding the artificial waves.

The Wave, the new inland surfing lagoon, offers consistent, safe waves all year round, perfect for beginners and budding surfers.

Eddie’s Grom Squad ­— surfing parlance for junior surfers ­— became one of the first from the Island to try out the new facility, which manufactures more than 1,000 waves an hour.

“It was fantastic,” said Eddie.

“I took my more advanced group to see what it was all about and they had a blast.

“From a couching perspective, it gives you a similar wave every time, so once you get used to how the wave breaks, it really helps you learn new manoeuvres and perfect your technique.

“The learning curve for surfing is quite a bit steeper than a lot of other sports.

“You get very short bursts ­— just seconds to prove your technique, so to get such consistent numbers of waves is really beneficial.

“I filmed them on the waves, so at our next session, we’ll watch the footage together and analyse their technique.

“The idea of this group is to help people who can surf to keep improving, and get them to a competitive level.

“Jago Tasker has already won a competition ­— the Boscombe Open in Bournemouth last year, which Boe Howell also competed in as the only girl in the competition, finishing 5th overall.

“As an Olympic sport, there’s a lot of career opportunities in the industry now, and a lot of different avenues.”

Eddie’s Grom Squad meet every two to three weeks, and is comprised of a number of different groups of varying age and ability.

To find out more, and get involved, visit the Eddie’s Surf Academy Facebook page.

“It was unforgettable ­— my birthday present sorted for the next few years,” said Max Spence, 14.

“On the advanced left and right we caught on average 20 waves per hour,” said Jago, 11.

“It was so much fun. I’d like to go there again.”