Episode 23: Meet Nigel McBride, Founder and Managing Director of Wave Chaser

The Oceanriders Podcast

Today, I got to sit down for a chat with Nigel McBride. Nigel is from Australia and grew up along the shores of the Pacific Ocean between Sydney and Queensland. He was invited to join the elite surfers of the Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club at the ripe age of 12 growing up in a competitive surfing environment. But fate had an other path for him, leading him through the military and out the other end as a fierce entrepreneur in the automotive industry.
He's founded and managed successful companies such as [www.DriveMyCar.com.au] and www.Right2Drive.com.au but you could say that today, Nigel has returned to his passion for the ocean and created a hi-tech range of water craft such as SUPs, foils and the Hydraero, a sort of hobie-cat that invites you to "go faster, go further" as he would put it. His company is called Wave Chaser.He's founded and managed successful companies such as [www.DriveMyCar.com.au] and www.Right2Drive.com.au but you could say that today, Nigel has returned to his passion for the ocean and created a hi-tech range of water craft such as SUPs, foils and the Hydraero, a sort of hobie-cat that invites you to "go faster, go further" as he would put it. His company is called Wave Chaser.
In our conversation, we go through Nigel's childhood at the Snapper Rocks Surfriders Club, enrolling in the Australian Defence Force and climbing the military ladder. After serving 10 years, jumping out of aircraft, leading platoons and being nominated as an officer, he eventually moved into the civil world. His passion for cars lead him down the automotive path. In fact, among others, you may recognize Nigel's company Right2Drive.com.au, an accident replacement vehicle business that proposes car accident victims a replacement vehicle (when they are not at fault).
Nigel has been working on his Wave Chaser project for many years now, and has finally gone past the development stage. His high-end carbon fibre products are now on the market for everybody to try out and purchase. I'll let Nigel introduce them to you, but put it this way, you go faster and further on the water than with any other SUP or foil combined.
In the article on Medium.com, you will be able to see some of his teamriders enjoying flying above the sea on the products he has developed.
In this conversation you will discover the benefits of having a military training when you want to start a business. In fact, what transpires from my encounter with Nigel is the importance of leadership. He is constantly focusing on his team's talent and this is key when running a business.
I love the way Nigel has a technique to envision the end-user experience and focus on that above everything else. I think it's really good advice for any business owner. Sometimes, you can get caught up in your thoughts, your stress and whatnot and forget the end user. In fact, I'm off to apply that to my business right now.
To get more details on Wave Chaser, you can visit their website www.wavechaser.com.au or visit their Facebook page or instagram profile.

Links
Wave Chaser : www.wavechaser.com.au
Drive My Car Rentals: www.drivemycar.com.au
Right2Drive: www.right2drive.com
Snapper Rocks Surfrider Club : http://www.snapperrockssurfridersclub.com/
Australian Defence Force : https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/

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