BBC NEWS: Bournemouth's First Surf Reef Warning for "Beginners"

ORIGINAL LINK

Lifeguards patrolling Europe's first artificial surf reef in Dorset are appealing for inexperienced surfers to talk to them before trying it out.

The lifeguards want surfers to speak to them before trying out the reef. RNLI lifeguards Andy Reakes, 23, Mike Winter, 27, and Justin White, 23, prepared for Boscombe's reef training on other South West surf beaches. Mr Reakes, on duty on Christmas Day, said the reef was not for beginners because "the wave is pretty steep".

The all-year-round team are being funded by Bournemouth Borough Council.

"You cannot beat a Christmas day surf and we are all hoping that a good swell will mean the reef is working well and people can get in the water and try out their new boards or wetsuits," added Mr Reakes.

"It is not really for beginners, as there is a fairly long paddle out and the wave is pretty steep." It is understood beginners will able to practise on a small wave on the east of the pier. "Although I will be missing Christmas lunch with my family, I am expecting everyone to be in a happy festive mood so I think it will be a nice day," he added.

Paul Clarke, from the Bournemouth Surfing Centre, said: "Traditionally Christmas Day and Boxing Day is a really good time to surf. "The season has kicked-off already and there has been amazing surfing through the whole of November and December.

"The main thing is you need a solid ground swell from the Atlantic."

The surf reef - built by New Zealand-based ASR to enhance waves - is predicted to bring £10m into Bournemouth every year. It was created to improve surfing conditions using 55 sand-filled "geotextile bags" which are 225m (740ft) out to sea and and is part of an £11m regeneration of the seafront. By the time the reef opened on 2 November, it had more than doubled in cost.

Sports planned at Boscombe beach following surf reef opening

ORIGINAL LINK

A RANGE of sports-related activities are being lined up for Boscombe sea front following the opening of the artificial surf reef, a meeting heard.

Cabinet member for leisure and tourism, Cllr Anne Filer, said that a government-funded council sports development officer will be organising an activity programme of events and competitions including paddle boarding and volleyball as well as surfing.

The council is also hoping to get permanent volleyball facilities on Boscombe beach and is talking to Volleyball England, the Bournemouth council meeting heard on Tuesday.

Cllr Filer said that on a recent visit to Boscombe beach she noticed that it was “absolutely packed with young people enjoying sports and all sorts of people walking along the beach”.

She added: “The reef has completely revitalised the beach and regenerated the area.”

Cllr Filer added that the reef was unlikely to play a part in the 2012 Olympics as surfing is not an Olympic sport.

Boscombe surf reef and Spa Village project up for award

ORIGINAL LINK

THE multi-million pound Boscombe Spa Village project has been shortlisted as one of the UK’s best regeneration schemes.

The surf reef and revamped seafront could earn Bournemouth a Local Government Chronicle Award.

The scheme, which cost around £11.07million for the reef and seafront elements and a further £1.2m for Boscombe Gardens, has made it to the final six.

The awards will be announced next spring and will go to councils that have showed vision, imagination and enthusiasm.

Although the scheme ended up late and over-budget, it is credited with generating 55 new jobs, bringing £850,000 of private sector money to the area and boosting the local economy by £41.5million.

Previously declining visitor numbers have been reversed with a 32 per cent increase during summer 2009 compared to the previous year.

Cllr Stephen MacLoughlin, leader of Bournemouth council, said: “I am delighted Bournemouth has been shortlisted for the Boscombe Spa Village regeneration. This is an outstanding regeneration scheme which has turned an under-utilised site into a modern multi-purpose leisure amenity located on one of Bournemouth’s best beaches.

“As well as the vision and dedication of members and officers, I am particularly thrilled the council has worked together with local private businesses to invest in this redevelopment project and we can share the credit for the success with them.”

Next month, representatives of the council and local traders will give presentations to a panel of judges. The winner will be announced on March 24.



Treehugger.com & The Hindu Report: Work on Kovalam Artificial reef set to begin

By: S. Anil Radhakrishnan

Project be completed by first quarter of 2010

---

Artificial reef work likely to begin on December 12/ Aim is to promote marine ecology, curb erosion

---

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: All arrangements are in place for the beginning of the work on a multi-purpose reef being set up off the coast of Kovalam at a cost of Rs.7.8 crore.

Experts from the New Zealand-based Amalgamate Solutions and Research (ASR), which is executing the project, have reached the capital. Construction equipment has been brought to the project site set up on the premises of the Department of Harbour Engineering in Vizhinjam. A barge from New Mumbai has reached the coast.

If weather permits and the official approval comes through, the work will begin on December 12 or 13. The project is to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2010.

The only hitch now is the apprehension among local fisherfolk. District Collector Sanjay M. Kaul has convened a meeting of all concerned on Monday to clear fishworkers’ doubts regarding their livelihood.

The work got stalled following the delay in getting sanction for the revised estimate of the project, being taken up under the Centre’s tsunami rehabilitation programme by Kerala Tourism. Rough sea and inclement weather caused further postponement.

“The multi-purpose reefs are designed to be sustainable and safe for the environment, while providing solutions to beaches and shorelines that have seen the effects of erosion,” Nick Behunin, managing partner, ASR, said in an e-mail communication to The Hindu.

Proposed site

The artificial reef, 110 metres long and 38 metres wide, is to come up 150 metres from the Lighthouse beach and 110 metres from the landmark Lighthouse. The reef is in ‘V’ shape and the apex will be facing the sea. The reef is to be constructed using sand-filled geotextile mega containers (geobags). Geomats, imported from Germany, will be anchored to the seabed to prevent differential sinking of the bags and sand erosion.

Empty geobags will be attached to geomats. The geobags will be inflated with water first and later sand in slurry form will be filled through four inlets. Each geobag will weigh 200-300 tonnes when filled with sand.

In a day, 200 cubic metres of sand can be filled. The three-inch thick geobags, made from non-woven staple fibre and needle-punched geotextile, have been imported from Australia.

The geobags are ultra-violet and puncture resistant and will promote marine ecology. The reef will be placed below half a metre of the low tide level and one metre below the high tide level. Around 4,000 cubic metres of sand will be needed for filling the geobags.

Purpose

The reef acts as a ramp that changes the way the waves break. It harnesses wave energy, which causes erosion, and channels it to break on the offshore reef instead. As a result, Mr. Behunin said the beach is protected, ecology is enhanced and improved conditions are created for surfers, divers and fishermen.