Anyone familier with this project (http://www.spacecoastreef.com) and the practicality of it considering how the Florida beaches can change overnight with one hurricane?
Supposedly ASR built an artificial surfing reef in New Zealand…Mount Manganui I think.Locals have said the reef remains unfinished and the sand bags are all torn up now,it’s a real mess.It also ruined a perfectly good beach break and hardly ever works.I’m in favor of stabilizing the shoreline in Florida and possibly creating a good surf break in the process,I just dont think giant sandbags will last and will eventually fall apart becoming an environmental nuisance…or even a disaster.The shape of the spacecoast reef is all wrong,its supposed to catch a swell from what direction?It looks to me that if the swell doesnt align perfectly the reef will not produce a good wave.If they make the reef as they have designed it,I will be surprised if it breaks good 1 day out of the year.It needs to be more of a dome shaped,so it will work on any swell direction.With Floridas shallow water just off the beach it wouldn’t have to be very tall either.They need to be made of concrete also and placed a 100 yards or so east of the outside sandbar,maybe have an exterior texture of a reef ball to accomodate marine life. JMO
yeah sand bags seem like a whole waste of time since they can desolve. be ripped apart and the such.
concrete or something that can support life would be a good choice. a reef that can catch any swell direction would be awsome!
they should do that all along the east coast tho. we all want good swells and not have to fly to florida
I imagine this will never happen…the army core of eng have performed beach restoration twice in the recent past(costing millions) and both times the ocean won QUICKLY…hands down. Ponce inlet (new smyrna) on the other hand, has a unique situation with some nice peaks, BUT there are no highrise condos at the inlet so nature does her job without interferance. Alot of the kids think they are k slater with an attitude here in Cocoa so a consistant break would nicely keep all the badass 12 yr olds in one place!
yeah i heard new smyrna is pretty consistent. was thinking of coming down that way for my spring break in march.
but air fare is way to much also no one wants to drive instead.