this looks pretty interesting. the fact that it can be taken out if its messing up the environment or not working is pretty cool. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2050416678/surfing-airwave-inflatable-eco-friendly-surf-reef
I think if they do it in an area where the pop. of surfers is high, then they won't have a problem passing it. Although, jettys just do this naturally anyway...
In Australia, no less. Australia has already been *very* successful with fabricating an excellent man-made surfing break with Superbank. Yet, the US has yet to do so on any coastline. Maybe Superbank is so successful because of its close proximity to Snapper Rocks. Sure would like to see something like this on our shores, though. Anything to thin out the herd.
Highly doubt many American cities will allow that to be placed offshore. If they do and anyone drowns while it is out there, regardless of if the ballon played a part, then the city is liable since they altered the environment where the accident happened. Same reason a lot of beaches do not use guards, if you staff a beach, alter a beach or set up anything to attract visitors to the beach/ocean then you have a greater liability than if you just say "hey it's here, swim/surf at your own risk. Neat idea but no way in hell it gets made by this guy. If it really worked and was feasible, then a big surf Co. like Quicksilver or Hurley would have bought the tech and done it them selves.
Hey Carter, you have some good points. Have you ever heard of Chevron Reef (aka Platte's Reef)? It was approved back in the 80's IIRC, near El Segundo. Pretty much a total failure, although it was underfunded and poorly engineered. At least they tried.
this guy's a putz. he has no data no design plans other than what he's shown on his kitchen table. there's been tons of research on these artificial reefs and none that were considered a successful build over potentially 8 tries? across New Zealand, India, Australia, UK and the US, with countless others that have been designed and tried to build but never having come up with the money. I don't suspect this guy to be any different. Best of luck i hope it works out, but i'm not holding my breath. I mean lets take a minute and look at what he's trying to do... put a balloon underwater nail it to the ground and hope it doesn't pop.
well....yes....but, well.....before it was the SB it was the gold coast...and it worked just fine. thankuverymuch. its cove-like coast combined with its juxtaposition with respect to the prevalent southerlies also defines it.
question: do the big surf companies actually do this sort of thing? i mean, is there evidence of anything more than talk?
I'd say the "Risks and Challenges" section pretty much sums it up: Risks and challenges The unique challenge is the unknown factors the ocean brings to the installation and testing, such as erosion of the sand around the anchors, corrosive effects on the chosen sail material, effects of sand movement at the site and the advent of storm occurrences on the installation. Only I'd argue the factors ARE known. Inflatable material, pinned to the sandy ocean bottom, will become compromised/torn to shreds/buried in sand/washed up on the beach in ribbons the first time 10 foot storm chop hits it.
Yeah def points for thinking outside the box but with all we can do if artificial reefs worked and could be done cost effectivley then they would have been done already/ No I don't think they actually do go in for the artificial reef thing. that's what I'm saying is it is not going to work.
maybe they should. has to be money in it.. or not...? guess you can't plop it in the big 'O' and say 50 bucks please...
i think its interesting and overdue for more investigation, towns cities and army corps of engineers can haul and pump millions of feet of sand to protect homes and give people sand to lay on meanhwile messing up many surf beahbreaks, i see no reason why somewhere someday there cant be a little help given to the flat bottom sand to make a slightly better wave. fence it off make it a nominal pay area with % proceeds going to coastline research etc sign a waiver before heading out...most beaches here you pay 2-10$ just to park,id much rather pay $5 or so to have decent waves..face it on the east coast everyone basically sits and waits for something to come along and create waves,,naturally, most the summer here is fairly flat
Instead of inflating it with air, maybe the should inflate it with water. that way there wouldnt be forces pulling it up from the surface and you'd still be able to empty it if you needed to remove it.
Won't happen because those homes and tourist make the beach town a lot of money in the form of taxes and out of town revenue in the vacation months. The nominal amount they would collect form a few surfers at even $10 a head would not be enough to recoop the cost and cover the insurance/staffing/fence, etc becasue now they would be running an "amusment operation" by definition. I hate it too but man cities and town do not give a crap about helping us make an artifical reef. If you really want good reef/point break waves move to somewhere that has them.
My opinion, without seeing any models (which are usually BS anyway) of how it will work other than his hand going wooop woop wooop, over the table and a container of Jiffy Pop, is what a tool! It will be hard on the environment, wrecking the bottom, and possibly fouling the beach with plastic debris for ages. Fish and marine birds and turtles will swallow the pieces of the pinata and die. Australia has a dearth of waves? I don't get it.
