Bournemouth's Artificial Surf Reef

[jesusbuiltmycar]

Does anyone know if it actually works?

I have heard that it is complete and is a failure:

• At low tide it sticks up out of the water
• I have heard that a windsurfer broke a skeg on it

Last week I was kitesurfing between the piers and the swell was quite large out back. I noticied that the surfers were all riding to the left of the pier, not on the side where the reef is.

It sounds like very expensive weapons grade f**k up!

Edited by jesusbuiltmycar on Monday 7th September 13:30

[prand]

I'd heard the designer had built one in NZ and that hadn't worked either.

[Nat_H]

I live about 5 mins walk from the reef.... (aka large sand mound)

Yes, it does break the surface at low tide, and to me to far from the pier to make an effect on the surf. Fun to swim out to and stand on though.

I believe it was only meant to amplify the swell, but requires decent waves to work. (pretty rare in Bournemouth).

The week before last (wed or thur) when we had some pretty strong wind and larger swell, there were about 40 surfers out, but mainly around the pier, with 3 or 4 trying on the reef. It seems that the waves are breaking at the reef, and dying out quickly.

Here's a link to the webcam clicky to show you how great it is

Edited by Nat_H on Monday 7th September 13:25

[bga]

I know a couple of guys who live there & surf it regularly. According to them you can surf for more days, but the quality of the surf is not so good.
I was chatting to my brother about it a while back & he reckons that it wasn't aligned particularly well, hence not being as good as it should be. He could be talking rubbish though, it wouldn't be the first time.

[Gedon]

Kimmeridge Ledges? Broad Bench? Chapman's Pool?

Why waste money at somewhere that's facing the wrong way?

[Nat_H]

Gedon said:

Kimmeridge Ledges? Broad Bench? Chapman's Pool?

Why waste money at somewhere that's facing the wrong way?

As now they can name 400,000 shops/bars/hotels Surf this, and Reef that......