robc Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:15 pm
Bay of Plenty Times November 10, 2009
DEAD ZONE
We reported last week that Bournemouth was celebrating the successful construction of its new surf reef by the company that built Mount Maunganui's reef. But as soon as our report went online a Bournemouth councillor and local surfers contacted the Bay of Plenty Times to raise fears their reef may have the same "pathetic" impact as ours. Ellen Irvine
reports
The New Zealand company that built Mount Maunganui's artificial surf reef has been copping criticism for its new reef in Britain.
Raglan-based reef design company Amalgamates Solutions and Research (ASR) was enlisted to help improve surfing conditions at Bournemouth by creating Europe's first artificial surf reef.
But feedback from the project is that it has fallen flat - a familiar scenario to Mount Maunganui surfers who say the reef at Tay St has been an expensive flop.
Bournemouth councillor Basil Ratcliffe contacted the Bay of Plenty Times with his reservations after reading online our latest reef story.
"I think the very first time there has been anything resembling a wave was for a day and a bit earlier this week. Until then we were advised that either the sea was 'not rough enough' or it was 'too rough'."
Mr Ratcliffe hoped the reef would improve over their coming winter.
"Personally, as an engineer myself, I am very sceptical about the whole thing, but only time will tell who is right," Mr Ratcliffe said.
The budget was originally estimated at 600,000 ($1.35m), but blew out over a decade to more than 3 million ($6.8 million).
Another Bournemouth resident who contacted the Bay of Plenty Times said the reef had been a disappointment.
"As it stands, the wave is a short, steep and shallow barrel on a take-off which soon pinches and fattens out.
"It's okay for bodyboarders wanting a fun drop, but other than that it's not good for much."
Contacted for comment, Shaw Mead of ASR pointed the Bay of Plenty Times to articles in The Sunday Times and The Independent in which local surfers praise the reef, and the Bournemouth Council.
"They are totally independent views of the reef. I'd much rather it came from that crew and the people we have done the job for."
Dr Mead said he did not know if the critics had an "awareness of what's going on".
ASR had received positive feedback, including from surfer Dan Hunter, who thanked the company for "creating a sick wave for all us long-suffering locals to ride".
The reef was built for a council project to turn Bournemouth into a surfers' paradise and help generate $27 million a year for the local economy.
ASR said the new reef would provide a "substantial benefit" to the Bournemouth community and increase tourism.
The project was originally due to be finished by December 2008 but construction was delayed until April this year due to bad weather.
The reef in England was created to improve surfing conditions by using 55 sand-filled "geotextile bags", weighing 2500 tonnes, which were anchored 225m out to sea. Its cost to the Bournemouth council doubled as short days, cold sea temperatures and stronger currents than expected cut down the time New Zealand divers could spend underwater.
Mount Maunganui's more modest $1.5 million reef off Tay St was completed in June 2008.
Local surfing personalities say the Tay St reef is a "dead zone" where a lack of surf means no one goes there to ride a wave.
Derek Winter, who has been surfing in Mount Maunganui since the 1970s, said the Mount Maunganui surf reef had been a huge disappointment for surfers.
Mr Winter, who owned surf shops in Tauranga for more than 20 years, said he had seen "rideable" surf just three or four times since the surf reef was completed in June last year.
"It's pretty pathetic. My main gripe is I believe the young people and the surfers in this area were sold a con or a lemon.
Dr Mead said yesterday there was "a lot of negative feeling" towards the Mount reef.
Earlier this year, Dr Mead told the Bay of Plenty Times the Mount reef had been over-sold and under-delivered. It provided heavy fast waves in the right conditions but it was not a wave-making machine.
Dr Mead said it was a fickle break, in which the swell had to be just right and conditions needed to come together for the reef to produce nice waves.
Footnote by Robc:
There is also an interview with Derek Winter under this one on the front page, but it doesnt appear on-line, so you will have to get your hands on a local rag to read it - Robc[b]
I think you've just voiced what many of us were probably thinking
