CTA 025 - Nick Hounsfield, founder of The Wave, stroke survivor and Blue Health advocate

Explicit content warning

04/03/22 • 47 min

Wavemaker’ Nick Hounsfield was introduced to surfing by his father in the 1970s and soon developed a passion for it. He started to see surfing as a tool for having conversations around wellbeing, which led to him founding The Wave – an inland surfing destination for people of all abilities and backgrounds. Nick’s idea was to create a space where people could connect with each other, themselves, and with nature. He champions ‘blue health’ – the physical and mental health benefits of being in and around water.

The Wave opened in Bristol in 2019 using ground-breaking technology, and Nick is planning on expanding the concept across the UK.

Nick has been involved with supporting and growing the para-surfing community, and The Wave hosted the English Adaptive Surf Championships in 2020 and 2021. Nick experienced first-hand the role surfing can play in overcoming health issues when he suffered a series of strokes in February 2020. Luckily he has made a good recovery but recognises that things could have been so much worse. The experience has made him more determined than ever to create a safe, sustainable space to promote health in body and mind.

Listen as we get into the details of how Nick was inspired to create The Wave and the lessons he’s learned from his own health challenges.

The Wave opened in Bristol in 2019 using ground-breaking technology, and Nick is planning on expanding the concept across the UK.

Listen as we get into the details of how Nick was inspired to create The Wave and the lessons he’s learned from his own health challenges.

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undefined - CTA 024 - Keen climbers Charlie and Dale from Nohma (prev. Climbingvan) talk about living and travelling full time in Ringo, their self-built van

CTA 024 - Keen climbers Charlie and Dale from Nohma (prev. Climbingvan) talk about living and travelling full time in Ringo, their self-built van

Meet Charlie and Dale of Nohma, currently travelling Europe and living full time in their self-built camper van.

Fed up with living for evenings and weekends, Charlie and Dale gave up their secure 9-5 office jobs for a life on the road – working remotely from wherever their fancy takes them and waking up to gorgeous mountain views.

They started building Ringo, their bright yellow Sprinter van, in January 2019, fully intending to go exploring when they were done. Ringo was finished in March 2020 – just before the first UK lockdown!

Undeterred, Charlie and Dale turned their hands to helping others with their van conversions, becoming Instagram stars in the process. They used their backgrounds in science and engineering to write the Van Conversion Bible, which fast became the bestselling van conversion book of all time.

They've also launched their electric design service for campervans

When they’re not chilling and working in their van, they’re out climbing. Join us as we dig into all things van conversion, nomadic living and their passion for climbing.

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undefined - CTA 026 - Instructor, author and Search and Rescue expert Moose Mutlow talks about a career in the outdoors and the emotional impact of being a First Aid Responder

CTA 026 - Instructor, author and Search and Rescue expert Moose Mutlow talks about a career in the outdoors and the emotional impact of being a First Aid Responder

From instructing, teaching, Search and Rescue to family liaison with a smattering of street entertaining along the way, Action Man Moose Mutlow has definitely been there and done that!

Born in Birmingham, Moose spent some years living in Australia, South Africa and Europe before settling in the United States. Like many future adventurers most of his childhood was spent outdoors in nature exploring and building dens, but it was a trip to Scotland to take part in a survival course that changed the course of his life. Watching the instructors at work was a lightbulb moment as he realised he could actually make the outdoors his career.

Since then he’s directed Outward Bound training courses in Appalachia and been a deputy Headmaster in the Kalahari Desert, taking middle school students on expeditions through the Australian rain forests and beyond. He’s also worked as a ski instructor and has recently returned from teaching a canoe program to Veterans in the Gulf of Mexico.

Moose has been a senior trainer for Search and Rescue at Yosemite National Park for more than a decade. And if that’s not enough he’s also Lead Trainer for Family Liaison Officers for the National Park teaching services – phew!

Amongst that little lot he’s also found the time to write a couple of books based on Search and Rescue and his work as a Family Liaison Officer. Listen in to hear more about Moose’s amazing and diverse career.