Meet The World Wave Project
This December will mark six years since Kelly Slater unveiled his wavepool to a public who sat agog as that first, faultless wave zippered towards the camera. Slater’s was the first pool that matched the promise of man-made perfection. Since then, wavepools have become an industry with ten pools currently operating around the world and almost fifty more in construction. There’s also a publication dedicated solely to wavepools, and a global conference showcasing the ever-expanding technologies.
So it's fair to say the industry is booming.
However, in the twenty years leading up to 2015 the field of fake waves - or artificially created waves, or engineered waves, choose your term - was dominated, not by wavepools, but by artificial reefs. And in turn that industry was dominated by one company, Amalgamated Solutions and Research - simply known as ASR. ASR was a New Zealand company headed up by three surfers, two of whom, Dr Kerry Black and Dr Shaw Mead, met at the University of Waikato while Mead was doing his thesis studying the architecture of high performance surf breaks and their potential for replication.
ASR sold a vision of surfonomics based on the ‘build it and they will come’ mold. Flagging regional councils saw visions of Snapper Rocks appearing on their grim, marginal, and mostly closed-out beaches, and they bought into the concept that good waves attract surfers and that interest converts into dollars. See Bali, or Hawaii, or the Gold Coast, for instances of regional economies built on the back of good waves.
However, despite a rash of projects, none delivered on that promise. The website for Raised Water Research tracks all artificial surfing reefs and its history makes for dire reading for proponents of the technology:
Kovalam, India, a failed artificial surfing reef.
Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, a failed artificial surfing reef.
Opunake, New Zealand, a failed artificial surfing reef.
Boscombe Surf Reef, England, a failed artificial surfing reef.
The list includes Narrowneck on the Gold Coast, designed by ASR but built by another company, primarily as coastal protection, but also as a surfing reef, and in this respect could be considered moderately successful in that waves now break where they never used to.
Boscombe was the most notable one for ASR, a big budget (3.25 million pounds) reef happening on the international stage. For various reasons, mostly covered here, the reef never worked and it left a black mark against both ASR and the artificial reef industry.
Boscombe Reef under typical swell conditions
Speaking to Bournemouth Echo in 2019, Boscombe Councillor Jane Kelly said: “People have this idea that they [ASR] were con men, but they weren’t. They were nice men, they were ambitious, forward thinking and radical.”
In 2011, Boscombe Reef was closed, while in 2012 ASR went into liquidation. Their great hope of coastal engineering deemed a failure, while all the energy in the room shifted to that other ersatz solution, wavepools.
However, it’s not the end of the story.
The two directors of ASR, Dr Kerry Black and Dr Shaw Mead split up, though both went on to establish tropical surf resorts. Dr Black opened Heaven On A Planet at Ekas, Lombok, on 10 acres of land he bought in 2000, and his part in the story effectively ends here.
Meanwhile, in 2009 Dr Shaw became a shareholder in Maqai Beach Eco Resort in Fiji, with access to a good if wind-affected righthander offshore and a handful of C-grade waves. Dr Shaw kept his professional hand in the field of marine research, founding eCoast in 2011, a New Zealand marine consultancy company, yet it’s Maqai where Mead kept alive his ambition, first articulated in his 1995 thesis, of transforming nondescript coast into A-grade waves.
Almost immediately after purchasing Maqai, Dr Mead set to work. In 2013 he co-wrote a paper titled ‘Development of a Multi-Purpose Breakwater Reef at Maqai Eco Surf Resort’ that detailed the three-stage construction of a feature that would both allow access to the resort at high tide and provide a learner-grade surfing wave.
In the subsequent years little progress was made with Mead’s big ideas, however his role as owner of Maqai brought him into contact with Anthony Marcotti. Marcotti started both Kandui Resort in the Mentawais and also World Wave Expeditions, a surf travel agency selling packages for surf resorts, including Maqai.
By 2018, Mead’s gospel of reef augmentation was starting to appear in some of Marcotti’s thinking. In an interview with Magic Seaweed, Marcotti, after waxing lyrical about the magic of perfect surf, signed off with an auspicious quote:
“I think, the real future of surf exploration is developing the technology to create our own waves in the ocean and using the ocean’s energy to our benefit. To alter waves that are close to being good into waves that are actually good and to find a harmonious balance between the environment and the science and techniques behind creating those waves; the next twenty years should be interesting.”
In Marcotti, Mead had picked up a running mate who, through his travel agency, took the dream of engineered waves from half-baked regional beachbreaks, funded by desperate councils and tourism bureaus, to the coral reef frontiers. Any surfer who’s spent time on an Indonesian charter boat understands how abundant coral reefs are, and also how few of them actually create good waves. Rare is the surfer who hasn’t daydreamed about improving a wave with some down home engineering: a night raid with a barge full of boulders, or maybe a well-placed stick of semtex.
For most, those thoughts remained in the province of dreams, yet Marcotti and Mead sought to turn them into reality. In 2019, they created the World Wave Project, launching the initiative with a website that laid bare their plans:
“Our goal is to create new surf breaks. These breaks will range from beginner’s waves through to high performance surf breaks that are comparable to world-class waves in world class locations. This will be achieved by selecting a location that has clean consistent swell and favorable winds but an unfavorable seabed for good surfing conditions. The site will be enhanced by altering the profile, depth, angle, and orientation of the sea floor to form a surf break.”
Marcotti and Mead invited the public to invest in the World Wave Project via a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. Set a goal of raising $342,137, the amount wasn’t reached. It’s unclear how much money, if any, was raised as Indiegogo has since removed the fund from its website. And in fact, World Wave Project’s own website is now also removed from the web, it’s only evidence of existence visible through The Wayback Machine.
It’s easy to think that the reason they didn’t reach their target was because the idea remains too far-fetched for Joe Public. It’s not an easy idea to believe in, especially considering ASR's litany of failures, yet it’s with good reason that Mead was described as “ambitious, forward thinking and radical.” To that it might be added, “good networker”.
In March this year, World Wave Project Limited registered itself as a company in New Zealand. The records show that seven people are shareholders: Mead and Marcotti, plus Ed Atkin - Mead’s colleague at eCoast - Michael Lucas, a co-owner of Vunabaka resort, and two Fijians, Rasnil Kalyan and Mohini Deo. The last shareholder is an American named Scott Nolan.
The latter name is the reason the surfing world will soon hear much more about Mead and Marcotti’s vision. Scott Nolan is a partner in the Founders Fund, the investment firm started by PayPal’s Peter Thiel, and which has famously invested in adventurous start ups such as Facebook, Spotify, Airbnb, and SpaceX. Nolan has a kink for the Kiwis. In 2011 he invested in 8i, a Wellington-based virtual reality company, then in 2014 visited Auckland for the Startup and Tech Meetup, while in 2017 he made clear he was focussing his attention on Kiwi companies, telling website Idealog:
“New Zealand is punching well above its weight in the startup world with a number of things happening there relative to the population size. I see huge potential, generally speaking...I hope to plug into New Zealand’s ecosystem, to the startup environment and support even more great companies with investment and advice.”
Nolan’s bio page on the Founder’s Fund website, describes him as someone who “focuses on companies rearchitecting industries, usually with hard engineering at the foundation”, all of which makes him an ideal investment partner for two guys aiming to ‘rearchitect’ dormant coral reefs.
Moreover, Nolan has summed up his aggressive investing technique, telling Business Insider that he doesn’t look for companies that are profitable, but rather companies that are unprofitable. That is, he backs companies who believe wholeheartedly in their idea to the extent they’ll burn through their own cash to succeed.
It makes for exciting copy in the finance pages, however World Wave Project’s first foray into the world of rearchitecting coral reefs is creating unwanted press elsewhere. Shortly after registering the company, they began work to clear bureaucratic hurdles and build waves at Dr Mead’s Maqai Beach Eco Resort. They planned to create “3-5 waves” around the resort by modifying the depth and contours. The techniques would include reef scraping to reduce height and rock compounds to create it.
Three of the proposed locations near Maqai that would be re-engineered (FBC News)
Dr Mead told FBC News he, “believes several world-class waves in the region will attract additional investment in new resorts in the area creating employment opportunities for locals,” and that, “they can reinvent surf tourism while promoting Fiji as the world’s preeminent surf destination.”
This week, however, Taveuni Tourism Association, an organisation of fifty resorts on Taveuni, Qamea, and Matagi islands, formally opposed the work saying, “the proposed project will remove healthy coral, change the eco-system, impact adjoining reefs and threaten the livelihoods of tourism in the Northern Division.” They also pointed to “a huge amount of supporting evidence showing that many of these projects have failed around the world.”
Having shifted his focus from marginal beachbreaks to tropical reefbreaks, and his benefactors from regional councils to Silicon Valley, Dr Mead still needs a working proof of concept. His Big Idea requires its own ‘Kelly Slater wavepool’ moment. At present he’s mired in local politics, yet even if he resolves the dispute and is allowed to continue engineering the reefs, the project is still a veritable moonshot.
The Kelly Slater Wave Company, or indeed Wavegarden, or any of the wavepool companies, are dealing with a static environment; a settled pool plus a displacement object...and that’s it. It’s a cordoned off facsimile of nature. Whereas real world settings are infinitely more complex, with elaborate relationships between swell direction, size, and period, (and sometimes many swells all at once), interacting with tide, and the unseen X-factor of bathymetry. When you parse the data it becomes obvious why, with ten million coral reefs in the world, there’s only one Cloudbreak. As a business model it's not replicable or scalable.
Yet when the bull-headed ambition of Dr Shaw Mead meets the fuck you money of Scott Nolan, giving up simply isn’t an option.
You’ve not heard the last of the World Wave Project.
POSTSCRIPT: The original version of this article noted Dr Shaw Mead as the founder of Maqai Beach Eco Resort, however he only bought into the resort in 2007 as a shareholder. In 2013, he assumed co-ownership of the resort. It also implied that construction work at Maqai had begun, when at this stage it's 'paperwork'. An EIS is currently being prepared.
Comments
"The list includes Narrowneck on the Gold Coast, also built by ASR, primarily as coastal protection, but also as a surfing reef, and in this respect could be considered moderately successful in that waves now break where they never used to."
Seriously? Narrowneck was/is a very popular north end wave that the reef pretty much ruined. Never been the same.
Dead right sim.
Better waves in either direction, but it has created a reasonable spot to check the waves from on your way past.
I can't yet really describe why, but everything about this makes me feel nauseous. A gross mix of everything that we should be turning our backs on rather than celebrating given the times we are living in. Please someone make it stop.
Second that Dan.
“believes several world-class waves in the region will attract additional investment in new resorts in the area creating employment opportunities for locals,”
This old trope ring a few bells?
Third that dandandan. Great simple CORRECT post. Thank You
i agree and fiji is way to inconsistent even cloudbreak is inconsistent..sounds dodgy as messing with the reef.
when its finished let me know..
Allan Bond of the surfing world.
Yes concrete pumped in and helicopter to drop some rocks strategically in some holes down our way would create some good setups....and shed loads of surfers.
There's a swell magnet spot in NSW that I used to surf in NE- NW wind days and south to east swells but the reef had gutters and inconsistencies which made the breaking wave go fat or shut down etc.after a perfect slabby barrel and one of the only spots offshore in a NE wind.
I made plans to fill in the gaps in the reef and remove one nasty piece of reef. The swells would wrap around the headland perfectly just not break well and shutdown etc.
I was taking a lot of acid and MDMA at the time and as soon as i gave that away i soon realized what a kooky idea it was.
When that right is on it's a cracking wave (as pictured/P02), healthy barrel section up top and needs no re-engineering. The left is fun too, gets this crazy re-form at the end bigger than the main part of the wave, random. Craaazy water moving through that channel (P02) on a big moon and tide.
The best 'cabbage patch' coral I've seen diving/snorkelling on those reefs to the right of P02 in the pic. Swimming off the beach to the close fringe reef drop off was fantastic too, the coral wall disappears into the abyss, schools of fish everywhere, beautiful.
Stayed in one of the safari tents by the water - I live at the beach, can hear the ocean from my house etc. swell wasn't even making it over that inside reef and fuck me the ripples hitting the shore are loud! Kept me awake so much at night. If you go there get the hut away from the edge.
...now I've got that damned papaya song stuck in my head...
Back OT, seems the worst spot swell consistency wise to build anything like this. They can get fucked about destroying anything to make low tide access to their resort. Walking in from the boat around the corner is half the fun, a beautiful way to arrive and the tracks area already worn. I wonder if the Silicon Valley investors have a place at Laucala and just want more breaks in the area.
Well said Sprout. Obviously speaking from experience. You probably know the reef out front of the resort has pretty well been devastated by the sand bags failing????
I didn't, that's a damn shame, not very 'eco' of them is it? When I was there the resort was a bit of a shithole TBH, looks like they've completely rebuilt the bures since then. Enjoyed my time there but had waaay better and just as empty stays in the more common Fiji spots.
Re: Laucala - "Red Bull co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz bought Laucala from late publisher Malcolm Forbes' family in 2003."
How many surf breaks globally have been fucked due to people disturbing sand, reefs, removed sand dunes, developments, river mouth flows, surfers walking on reefs.
More waves have probably been lost than gained over the years.
If waves could be created at that scale,yes it would be great but sounds like you would need highly skilled people or something like Artificial intelligence to do it.
Snake Oil Salesmen can't sell snake oil forever. The artificial reef thing never worked for them, so they have a new product and new buddies to spruik.
As a Mount local during the reef's construction there, and subsequent short run of barely surfable/dangerous 10m long slab rides (picture dry sandbags covered in razor sharp mussels exposing themselves under the lip of a two foot wave, anything bigger closing out 50m out the back and washing through, new rips and sand movements that affected established sandbanks for km each side of the reef, and all of it lasting but 3/4 swells before the bag's started to deteriorate), I would love for ASR and the founders to never get another inch of media or attention, until they show some contrition and rectification of the areas they temporarily ruined. I surfed the bags about 6 times at the best they ever broke, and never saw a real wave. Any so called expert of oceanography and bathymetry should have known better than to sink bus sized sandbags onto a sand bottom with an extremely tapered and extended bottom profile (70m deep 20km off shore).
Our reef was mostly funded by ratepayers and public donations, and the removal of the reef was on the ratepayers as well. Wouldn't it be nice if Mr Ekas and Mr Fiji sent some of their profits back to the communities they fleeced, and demonstrated some class by keeping their hands off of areas with less environmental/corruption protections than the places that already know better than to work with them. Black and Mead are nothing short of con men.
Well said, great input. You did not mention consulting to Sand Mining Co. around Raglan. That's pretty popular with the locals there!!
This is really interesting and something I've wondered about for a few years, since the wavepools. I get Stu's comment:
"Whereas real world settings are infinitely more complex, with elaborate relationships between swell direction, size, and period, (and sometimes many swells all at once), interacting with tide, and the unseen X-factor of bathymetry. When you parse the data it becomes obvious why, with ten million coral reefs in the world, there’s only one Cloudbreak."
I'm totally happy to be set upon and blasted as naive and stupid, but I just don't see how, given the success that they've been having with wavepools, most (well all) of the artificial reefs to date have been failures at producing decent waves. I would have thought that it wouldn't be too much more difficult to design, engineer and produce a good artificial reef compared to a good wavepool...
Maybe this comment of Stu's has a lot to do with it:
"As a business model it's not replicable or scalable."
Wavepools are evidently valid business models which are able to be profited from, so it makes commercial sense to invest significant R&D money into the design and engineering of a successful pool. However, due to the economics and "public good" nature of artificial reefs and the challenge of charging people to surf them and in general making money out of them, maybe the level of R&D investment into them just hasn't been there?
Anyway, from an ethical perspective I'm not sure about the idea of modifying pristine, tropical coral reefs to make them into better waves... Doesn't seem to sit too well with me.
@GSCO,
It's my opinion that most surfers, oceanographers and meteorologists excluded, underestimate how complex swell is. What Kelly Slater creates in his pool isn't a swell, it's a manicured line of displacement, arriving in solitary, moving at a fixed angle, on a settled body of water.
Even Wavegarden, which has 'sets', retain this lab-like minimalism, yet if you've surfed it you'd see what happens to waves when water starts moving around trying to find equilibrium. Weird things begin to occur.
Ocean swells are vastly more complex. Even lone swell trains are created by fluctuating wind fields that create signatures that can't yet be quantified. The 'height x period x direction' equation a crude explanation that only describes a certain % of the swell.
For instance, even when those three variables are exactly the same you'll see a different end result on the coast.
Taking the experiment to the tropics, where there's usually longer period, and hence more groomed, swell will improve the data, as more of the between swell 'noise' is removed. Yet still those swell windows look out to vast bodies of water that are usually receiving more than one swell at a time.
More importantly, longer period swells reach deeper into the water column and bring bathymetry into play a long way from shore, all of which influences the final breaking shape of waves.
I'm not sure about you, but the guys I work with (Ben and Craig) can identify almost any halfway popular wave on Earth just from seeing a photo of it. Think about that: there are thousands of breaks, yet each one has a distinctive shape owing to the underlying seafloor.
So it's not like there's a template for replicating good waves, each is different, and the influencing factors start kilometres offshore and spread in an array around the wave zone.
Just as each existing wave is different, so too is the site of each potential wave - hence why it's not scalable.
They may have Silicon Valley money, but I still believe the scope of mimicking a good wave is beyond our ability. At some point this re-engineering will happen but I'm fairly pessimistic about the outcome.
As an aside: I'm more confident in the capacity of altering blemishes in existing waves - filling a channel that causes a barrel to clamp, or removing a coral head that causes a wave to section.
The ethics of such works are something else entirely.
Makes sense, thanks for the detailed and informed response.
I quick google search finds plenty of academic research into the area, particularly starting with the paper you mentioned in below comments, "Bombora Controlled Beachbreaks" by Pitt, and its references:
- https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.475.8736&rep=r...
> "I'm not sure about you, but the guys I work with (Ben and Craig) can identify almost any halfway popular wave on Earth just from seeing a photo of it."
I know what you mean here, similar to being able to immediately identify a surfer in the lineup after previously (days or weeks ago) seeing them surf on only a handful of waves.
The challenge of creating a decent artificial wave seems really interesting.
Adding on here for simplification; the perfect breaks dont work most of the time!
Due to them needing the aforementioned swell qualities/tides/wind. Artificial reefs are encumbered by the same constraints.
I also thought about smashing and filling in that same NSW reef point when I was camping there with lots of booze and mushies! One of my earliest childhood memories was camping there in dad's combi on the black sand river, watching men bonnet surfing along the low tide beach behind beatles! But I digress
Ben was studying meteorology at the same time as I was a young surfer studying marine science, synoptic charts, and learning from the DeeWhy? og surf reporter Don. I've loved to see him build this into the world's foremost resource for surfing in Australia!!!!! He's the brains behind this operation, and Craig too. Sometime in the future they might have articles written about them, or maybe not because surfers keep our secrets
White men talking with FORK tongue, not to be trusted in any endeavour they are involved in.
Well Said....enuff said!!
Good post gsco, i 100% agree.
Even with all the variables, surely now with computers and tech and increased understanding from wave pools we have the ability to create decent artificial reefs, especially when woking with something that is already there and just needs some adjusting.
Then there is the offshore bombie thing that breaks up swell to create A frames, surely we have the know how to do this if current set ups were studied enough.
Id imagine it more about getting around the not in my backyard aspect and funding, there needs to be an $$$ incentive which is much harder when not privately owned like a wave pool.
https://www.swellnet.com/comment/770607#comment-770607
Yeah i.d, the mistake they often seem to make is building surf reefs on top of sand which moves, or make them too deep that they need super low tides (cables) or too shallow where they are ledgey (nz).
There are ideas out there that look promising but they dont get funding. one is to have outside reefs which focus in the swell into an apex like lakey peak or pipeline or shark island. Then granite boulders cut to size and placed on top of reef and fixed into place. Sand moves away from those other reefs or builds up. Just doesnt seem like a good place to have a surfing reef on top of sand.
However on top of sand could be a way to make the inside beachy a grade even if the reef isnt a good wave, making peaks up and down the beach could be a good way to fix Perth and Noosa etc beachies where there's miles of closeouts.
It's hard to keep things in place where there's vigorous wave action.
A decommissioned frigate was sunk as a diving reef off the Wellington South coast in 2005. It sits in 21m of water, and not long after it was scuttled, big chunks of it came ashore in a big swell.
Bloody hell, I was in Welly for 9 months and all I saw was a car washed off the breakwall! And I was stuck at work fml
Yeah, screw bulldozing coral reefs.
But gee, I hope one day they can create some kind of structure, cheap and scalable that converts the miles and miles of close-out beach break into surfable spots.
doesn't need to be anything world class, B-grade is fine.
I can't see any other solution to over-crowding.
See Andrew Pitt's 'Bombora Controlled Beachbreak' theory.
judging by the photo above of the bascombe reef, it looks like the lack of design was its downfall......3.25 million?..........kidding right.......
I surfed a beautifully set up Sydney reef today that just needs a few cubic metres of granite blocks to make it an epic, world class break. I think about this stuff a lot. He'll do it. It'll work. And in 50 years, it'll be standard procedure.
....and why do you think ???? (seeing you think about this stuff a lot) He is not trying his destruction in NZ , NSW , VIC , WA , or another precinct that would ensure the environment involved would not be damaged in His experiment. It's no wonder the earth is buckling under our selfishness
Fuck no for screwing with reefs thant hang on for dear life while we cook the planet.
Now if you can make those Perth beachies surfable then I'm all ears. Yes I know about Cables. I even saw it break once.
A frames instead on close outs would be nice in Perth.
Much like Steve said if it's wasted closed out beaches then worth a go, but for waves that are already good like that right in Fiji, not worth the risk.
Cables another failure
I got a laugh out of Stu’s Boscombe Reef photo caption.
and Stu’s caption
“Boscombe Reef under typical swell conditions”
Miaow! Ha ha!
Greedy, selfish pricks in my book. Can’t these people just enjoy the ocean, surfing, nature etc without friggen comodifying it?
The oceans, reefs and surrounds are not theirs to abuse.
Get a real job, be helpful to society.
Amen.
Double Amen
We used to do a lot of scuba diving and it always amazed me how quickly a dumped car, car engine, boat, or pile of boulders, etc left in the ocean would attract marine life and then become a whole little ecosystem. I recall a cruiser about 14m long that was scuttled on a barren sandy bottom in about 20m deep water years ago. Prior to the wreck, fish and marine life were never around there but it quickly attracted marine life and after three days there were fish everywhere. After a few months there was an abundance of marine life and it was great. Then it was removed because it was illegally dumped and the marine life disappeared as well. I’ve always thought that from a diving and fishing perspective that old sunken boat was definitely a plus. So at the risk of pissing a few people off I think it would be great if a few well positioned artificial reefs were made because if done correctly not only could they provide good waves, they could also become great tourism destinations for scuba diving and fishing. A starting point could be Stockton Beach NSW because an artificial reef could stop the beach erosion and benefit tourism.
Agreed
Even the plastic/paint/oil waste into the ocean doesn't phase the marine life. Compared to the millions of dollars of oil used by the people and their houses to pull it out
At the risk of pissing a few people off you think it would be great. Charming.
Well those few pissed off people are the beautiful indigenous Fijians of Qamea and Taveuni. They have lived in harmony WITH nature (at times some of the harshest you could imagine) for generations and plan to do so for generations to come. They have NOT destroyed their environment, which they intrinsically depend on for their survival, and they want to keep it that way. It is vital, healthy and teeming with life. Their land, reefs and ocean is their soul and they are connected to it in ways you (obviously) do not consider important. It connection is however, one of the many valuable lessons I have learnt from them over my many visits. Please consider their position.
I think you misunderstand, morgs is talking about adding structure to barren sandy areas on the east coast of Australia. All sorts of corals and plants grow on these structures, essentially creating new reefs. No damaging of any existing reefs involved. Not talking about Fiji. I say leave coral reefs alone
Yes @tony-shirtfront you’re spot on. I was talking about adding structures to barren barren sandy areas on east coast of Australia. I first surfed and dived in Fiji in the mid 1970’s and have seen the changes over the years. Their reefs should be left alone and preserved.
Apologies morg, I misunderstood your first comment.......as tonys-shirtfront correctly pointed out. You never intended supporting reef damage in Fiji or pissing off those local folks. My mistake. Thousand Pardons. Peace.
I think it's a fascinating area for further research and education about coastal processes, ecology and non-market economic benefit.
People don't seem to understand that when you modify an environment for whatever purpose there are generally a range of unintended consequences. Very few of them are ever fixed up by the perpetrators and most become the liability of the public purse. The offshore reef that might create a good A-frame on the shoreward banks might also affect wave energy and longshore sediment transport patterns and completely stuff up the banks. The filling in of the gap in the rock platform might change the hydrodynamics of the reef, making it difficult for certain species to live there and so they go and relocate to a more suitable reef somewhere else. Whatever you do to the environment will result in some form of response, some of which might be immediately obvious to the observer and most of which will only manifest in time.
I think we need to work towards understanding this on a far more sophisticated level and really unpack the values to be lost or gained. I think it's inevitable that there will be significant modification of the coast around the world as sea levels rise - Collaroy/Narrabeen, anyone? - and the best thing that can be done is to figure out the best options and the information we need to make the best decisions. The good old boys still have a stranglehold on decision-making and they have great trouble seeing past the red flags of property rights, land value, infrastructure and jobs. If our decision-making systems to address the future coastal problems arising from population growth and climate are limited to inputs that deal with the comfort zone of those old-schoolers we're going to see a lot more inappropriate interventions.
So many waves that need low tides are going to be stuffed with sea level rise
What about Airwave that's having another go in Bunbury?
Less impact but will it work
I used, to work with an old Bondi clubbie and local who as a kid knew south Bondi before the pool was extended to 50m. Apparently there was a high class right that broke in the predominant south swells, all the way from the point to the sand. Then the geniuses in council blew up the rock platform to extend the Iceberg's pool, which was once a natural pool. Messing with the intertidal zone has a long and unhappy history. But imagine the crowds if council had left it alone!
My theory is the only time it's acceptable to try to engineer a surf spot is when there's already planned works for something else involved: ie building a breakwall for a marina for example. (The break wall could be tweaked to improve surf conditions)
The rest of the time, no matter how temping, I reckon don't mess with nature. Be thankful for the natural set ups we have.
I'd probably throw on top - do it where you live, in a place where you are accountable. Seeing all these plans to travel to developing countries, re-engineer their ecologies and communities primarily for the benefit of rich foreign surfers, build a business model that demands non-stop carbon-intensive international travel for it to survive, and giving those who'll benefit the most an easy out of just fleeing back home when it all falls apart is gross.
PLEASE........Read these two posts above.
These two posts by Spuddups and DanX3 are the most succinct answers to Stu's informative article. Thanks.
Yep. And for the unplanned bonus ones we do get from time to time.
I think since cyclone seroja Geraldtons best man made wave is destroyed. The sands not building up around the rocks/groyne any more and waves dont jack up on the shallow sandbar anymore which would turn 2ft swells into 3-4ft mini macaronis pits.(need 6-8metre swell for that though before Seroja)
Seroja was only in April, though, wasn't it GS? You'd think it would re-establish in time.
I hope so, i think it was april or may, not sure..we have had a lot of north winds this winter though, some really strong like 50 knot northerlies. Maybe la nina, not sure. But i think as far as i can tell constant SW to south winds stack the sandbar there. So October onwards we usually get those winds a lot.
the spot im talking about is offshore in south to SE or very protected from south to sw winds.
Yeah, a local wave here went dormant for 3 or 4 years after a major ECL/storm in 2009.
Just to put in a counter-vailing view.
In a sense the problem of creating man made waves on the coast has already been solved.
Anyone who visits the Gold Coast or any of the trained river mouths in NSW, or any of the rock groynes on the East Coast USA or Europe can see that.
Sand bypasses are particularly effective. Rock groynes break up sand flow and create discontinuities and irregular shapes which make waves break at surfable peel angles.
Problem is those structures aren't environmentally or aesthetically acceptable.
There has to be a way to create structures that are.
But does there ‘have’ to be a way?
Hi Freeride,
"There has to be a way to create structures that are"
I have been around long enough to put some well considered thought into this, as well as my own research$. I've looked at all the attempts to date to create surf breaks, and I consider that my Offshore Surf Reefs concept is the solution. Every issue, including those mentioned in other's comments, can be overcome. There are engineering solutions for structures on a mobile sandy seabed in a high energy environment.
The only problem to overcome is finding investors to build a trial reef.
'Bombora Controlled Beachbreaks' (Andrew Pitt). Build up a bombora beyond the wave zone, and also beyond where it could negatively effect longshore drift, so it interferes with wave energy on the leeward side. See 13th Beach or any number of beaches with outside bommies and inside wedges.
Also effective in creating a salient and increasing beach width if proponents wish to piggyback erosion into the debate.
Problem is the amount of material needed, however as it only influences wave shape and no-one surfs on top of it, boulders can be large and placed at random - no need for fine tuning as per Palm Beach Reef.
The greater problem, of course, is who'll pay and until recreational surfers can wrest themselves free of Surfing Australia and somehow form a rec. surfing organisation that mimics boaters and fishoes it's a pipe dream.
Point being, the govt money going towards SA supports a minuscule % of surfers when it would be better spent on solutions that favour the majority - i.e recreational surfers.
Now there's a very interesting point for further discussion, Stu.
As far as I can see, the various surfing organisations are mainly funded by industry and focus on the competitive and participation side of surfing which has a direct correlation to market. The government funds appear to tick the box on health/participation but at least in Vic the lions share would appear to be directed towards the Bells comp and the direct/indirect tourism dollars. Happy to stand corrected.
I think wave attenuation devices/installations are likely to become far more common as they can promote deposition of sediments in their lee, though they can still be difficult and expensive to instal due to the specialist equipment needed and sea conditions. The other thing to consider is that although the sand resource is significant, there are different types of sand within the full sand budget, and if you deposit it somewhere with something that reduces energy it means that there isn't as much to travel to other parts of the coast. It might not be obvious for several years, but then there's another problem to fix. A bit of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
But that's got to be far more preferable to the Collaroy/Narrabeen walls that have recently been built. Poor buggers there seem about to wave goodbye to their beach. I'd love to see the legal advice supporting the state government's consent to those walls.
Doing the work on an holistic set of numbers would be interesting to inform a business case and see if it stacks up.
I've always thought that this would be the easiest way to 'improve' a beach. It could be classed as an artificial reef for fishing purposes (as FR mentions below). Sourcing material could be a problem, but shouldn't be. Plenty of hard-rock quarries on land, or use concrete tetrapods (reef's underwater so the visual aspect isn't an issue. and they make great underwater habitats). If designed and constructed properly on a solid bedrock base (ie not on sand) settlement and movement shouldn't be an issue. Funding should be easier too if it's classed as primarily a fishing structure, with the added benefits of beach protection. If engineered correctly (depth, distance offshore) should produce good waves too.
You think tetra pods aren't going to move around.
What about the 235 ton rock that washed up on Ben Buckler Point,Bondi in 1912.
Bula Stu, Thanks again for your great article. I am concerned though that, as good as the article is, the main point of the piece has been evidently lost. Yes, clearly artificial (man-made) waves makes up part of the story. The main outrage here is that NONE of the locals want this experiment to go ahead. NOBODY. I continually read in your forums how local folks around the surfing world care for their local breaks, one of surfing's finest attributes. Here we have entire local Fijian communities (who are not wealthy - or lucky - enough to enjoy the indulgence of surfing) ALL saying we do not want this risky threat to our pristine environment. I do hope this part of the discussion gets more oxygen. Cheers. GS
Andrew's deep outside bommie idea would refract and focus incoming swells into peakier waves inshore-there are many naturally occurring examples of this, however as you mentioned, the problem with this approach is the vast size/volume of material required to form such a structure, and the cost. It would be much more cost effective to create smaller perfectly shaped structures for waves to break directly over, which is my proposed approach. The thing to remember is -"perfect bottom shape=perfect wave shape", so using any construction material/method where you can't guarantee perfect bathymetry and a perfect reef crest level in relation to sea level, is not going to deliver perfect waves e.g. sand bags or rocks. As for funding, surf reefs should be treated the same as any other public recreation facility, e.g. the free-to-use skateparks Freeride76 takes his kids to, or artificial diving and fishing reefs, if there is a demand then the authorities should budget to provide them. A Gold Coast coastal adviser once told me "there isn't a week goes by with out us getting a request from the public for an artificial surfing reef to be built on the Gold Coast". The thing is that public authorities are very wary of trying anything new, so until someone can find the private funding to demonstrate a new reef technology that works I don't think there will be any public funding coming to the surfing community. I am looking for an interested private investor to construct a trial surfing reef- any takers?
Groyne's could look better if they made the effort...
You could shape them and fill them in and plant vegetation on the them and so much more to make them look good and the space more utilised for the public.Governments again have very little vision. Just dump some rocks, job done.
Putting some large diameter pipes through the groyne's might help too to allow some sand flow and mixing where groyne's have stuffed up sand flow i.e Perth metro
Maybe changing the shape(more curved and better on the eye),angles and gradients could help instead of the old dead 90 degrees to the ocean and piled to a certain flat height.
Theres a beach in Perth i used to surf that is a bit smaller than triggs usually but often much better shape, like 50 metre tubes. only ever about 3 others out there...i was often too scared to surf there when no one was there. The beach has an angle to the swell direction which is why its a bit sheltered from the swell but i was pretty happy surfing there. North Perth like two rocks and yanchep spots are almost as crowded as triggs..Things seemed ugly last time i was there.
I'm sure everyone is aware that as far as artificial reefs go, it's now commonplace for artificial reefs to be deployed for fishing purposes, and those are highly successful.
Shopping trolleys are good for this haha
I've always had the idea that coastal councils should build beach car parks with the gradient and peel angle of a perfect point break.Just sit back & wait a few decades or however long for the sea levels to rise , look at it as a gift to future generations of surfers .
That's genius.
What I don't understand is how world-class waves have been created from ocean engineering projects that has no surfing input whatsoever - waves like the beachbreak at South Stradbroke Island, Sandspit in Santa Barbara next to the yacht harbour, Ala Moana Bowls on the dredged channel to the Ala Wai Yacht harbour, Sebastian and Manasquan inlets on the east coast of the US - all 100% artificial waves, yet not a single decent artificial wave has ever been engineered to date?
Can anyone explain that?
Luck of the draw I suppose. It's a very small percentage of good surf breaks, when compared to the total number of coastal engineering project in the surf zone. So, it's inevitable that some projects not actually designed to improve the surf amenity, will indirectly create great waves.
I wonder if there’s any research out there investigating these “success stories” and pinpointing the reasons for why they worked
Well, it's not data analysis 'research', but Stu did a bloody good article on Straddie here:
https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-analysis/2020/10/06/south-straddi...
Yep,, that South Stradbroke feature was really good, Exactly what I am banging on about.
A world-class beach break created with no input from surfers and no intention to produce quality waves at all.
Agree.
Gave the whole picture and history.
Excellent article
Yes, perhaps some of their research budget should be directed at investigating these "happy accidents" and how; in quite a few cases, ocean engineering projects produced world-class waves heavily surfed by nearby communities with zero surfing intentions at all.
There are many - Varazze in Liguria in Italy, Kaifu on Shikoku Island in Japan, Newport Jetties in Southern California, the Durban Piers in South Africa - all 100% artificial waves, created by ocean engineering projects.
And of course, the phenomenal waves of the Snapper / Greenmount / Rainbow Bay section of the Gold Coast, created by the sand pumping bypass of the Tweed River groynes.
High quality natural surfing waves are an anomaly - the swell, tides and local winds are already there, many more high-quality surfing waves could be created by applied engineering of already existing natural geophysical forms, at a far lower cost than building and maintaining wave pools.
Agree with Stu's point on swell direction - rarely/never just from one direction
Puzzles me why the government isn’t trialing more of those beach/Bommy systems. Old Bar where the beach is being ripped out could have a lot of potential.
I talked to Kerry Black at Ekkas around 2010 and he put the failure of many of the artificial reefs at the feet of the sponsors, often deciding to cut corners and get some cowboys in to build the reef from his design specs. They didn’t have a clue and that was the cause of the narrow neck stuff up. One reef down south the sponsors insisted that they built it in front of their resort and not 100 metres down the beach where it would have been a success. He told them it would only work a couple of days a year but that’s where they wanted it.
Bula, I am part of a group in Fiji who is opposing this stupid Idea. Here is a link to underwater site#7 that Mr Mead want to destroy with excavators on barges, jackhammers and toxic cracking agents.
These are perfectly healthy reefs. Mr Mead should change the name of his resort to Maqai Reef Smasher Resort. I have another great idea for him, maybe he could put chlorox in the lagoon so his guests could have better visibility during their snorkeling sessions.Link doesn't work, please repost?
How about this.
Why is it "stupid"?
No different in concept than landscape gardening, which is sculpting plants and nature to a plan.
No one complains about that or calls it "stupid".
This reef concept is doing the same thing, but underwater to create prime surfing conditions.
Because reefs are not like grass. It just does not grow back easily. They want to lower by about 1 meter the reefs by shaving them... thus removing the live part on top. You are then left with a very alkali substrate that does not accept new growth very well. It then gets covered with a black algae (Gamberinus Toxicus) that create fish poisoning (ciguatera). Local coomunities depend on these fish for their protein intake. No shops here. This is not Bondi beach. Then, there is the new coastal erosion created bu the new waves... and on and on and on. These are some of the reasons we know plus all the other reasons we do not know about.
The wave breaks are fine here and nobody is surfing them. Why this new risk?
If this kind of thing has never been done previously - not in Fiji, not anywhere - then how do you know what will happen and that "a layer of black algae" will form on the exposed part of the reef?
You don't - just anecdotal speculation, not science.
Ciguatera is present worldwide in all tropical seas - in areas with damaged reefs and in areas with perfectly healthy reefs. It has been documented for centuries by western physicians and even further back by native peoples. Ciguatera isn't new and is not caused by altering coral reefs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciguatera_fish_poisoning
If you can't prove with irrefutable scientific evidence shaving a meter or more of live coral off the top of a coral reef WILL produce an algae bloom and consequent ciguatera poisoning, than it is mere speculation and posturing. Not fact.
Bula Pearl Farmer, Thanks for jumping on the forum. Your input brings true local validity to this discussion. I have visited your over reef operation and retail shop. Amazing work!!!! Living and working in harmony with nature. I can't believe you have battled through Winston and all the cyclone hits since. Congratulations. Thank you for highlighting the local viewpoint, especially the Local Villagers dependence on their pristine, healthy and 'protein producing reefs'. The word from Chiefs and Elders affected is, they want NOTHING to do with this risk to their natural environment. They have sent a letter to the Prime Minister stating their opposition. Cheers, and all the best with your 'good fight'.
are you trying to be funny or are you seriously that stupid?
are you trying to be funny or are you seriously that stupid? (just in case you missed the first one)
Pearlfarmer, do you think the new president elect Ratu Williams will stand for this sort of environmental meddling? Seems a pro-reef man himself. or is the deal already done for this mob to go ahead with their project. Does your group need any support from this side of the world, I know a few high profile Fiji politicians to raise this with from my medical work in Fiji.
Bula, and nice work DrChris. Lets hope the new President of Fiji Ratu Wiliame Katonivere can be a force for good on issues like this. Thanks for your thoughtful and sincere input to this topic. All help is welcomed. Vina'a.
Hey Claude! is that you? You operate a 40 hectare pearl farm and never even bothered to get one of those pesky EIA’s I understand? At least Shaw does things sustainably, does is research first, and oh, did I mention he has saved over a dozen significant natural surf breaks in New Zealand? Nah, you and your mate Melanie Reid would never want to give a balanced account, would you?
How's your form!? Personal attacks in a public forum in response to a pearl farmer's concern for the health of the reef ecosystems and water quality... You must be financially involved. I doubt you are who you say you are if you claim to save waves and yet are an aggressive proponent of a project that plans to kill reefs to create a surf resort. You might be Shaw actually, now that I think about it. It's pretty easy to steal a name and create a profile...
Thanks for the shout out for RaisedWaterResearch.com! Cheers -
Reckon I've brought this up twice in these forums already but no-one seemed interested; is it true that the construction of the Beach Volleyball stadium for the Sydney Olympics on Bondi Beach in 2000 inadvertantly created the best southern bank seen there in 20years? Accidently& just by using bulldozers to shift sand around?! Building groynes,blasting rocks,drilling reef ......just sounds like a total headfuck if this can be achieved quickly&with little longterm impact. Sure,it'll disappear....and who will care. Picture the 100s of miles of glassy, C grade beaches in Indonesia...destitute villagers idly sitting around with potential gold in front of them....no environmental constraints...
Oh I think it's a great idea! Not sure how it'd be approached from a Council POV (and how it'd impact sand budgets), but it's worth investigation.
On the flip side, decent banks routinely get rooted at the local due to council's weekly once-over of the beach with that bloody sand churning tractor thingo - all the fluffed up loose sand gradually fills in any channels and leaves a straight bottom devoid of contour.
Yeah stuff moves around.
What about the 235 ton rock that washed up on Ben Buckler Point,Bondi in 1912.
Please consider the scenario below.
A foreign company wants to come to Ningaloo Reef and try an experiment. They will blast away coral heads, bulldoze off the top few metres of pristine reef and pump chemicals into reef crevices to assist in them breaking off so a 50 metre surfing wave can be created. MAYBE. They wish to do this in 5 separate locations. The local community strenuously opposes the project. That wave will not be available for Australians to surf , unless they happen to have the few jobs they offer as surf guides (at minimum wage) That same foreign company was to hire all foreign staff for the senior positions and hire Australians (on minimum wage) for the unskilled portions of the work.......the REAL work that creates the nice memories guests will have. The foreign company will then use the generous taxation lurks to pay as little as legally possible in Australia, while sending all the rest of the profits off shore.
What would the comments on this forum be like then?? Lets be better world citizens.
Lovely analogy greenrumour.
It’s hard to imagine these narcissistic, ‘surf’ colonialists are given the time of day by any place at any time.
Would be nice to have people with such means (knowledge, wealth, freedom, privilege) working in harmony with coastal communities for a more sustainable and healthy future.
Would be nice to have people with such means (knowledge, wealth, freedom, privilege) working in harmony with coastal communities for a more sustainable and healthy future.
Here, Here!!.......what a wonderful thought.....thanks for putting that out there!
Great Analogy. Exactly it.
Except that you forgot to add something about the long track record of the head designer of poor results in Boscombe (UK), Kovalam (India), Bay of Islands (NZ) on previous designs. You probably forgot to mention also about the silt/sedimentation during construction that would affect nearby reefs. How does silt barriers work in breaking waves conditions???
Ouch.....thanks for that, you are correct on improving my analogy.....and I thought mine was dark enough :(........i also forgot to add to the analogy that the Local Aboriginal tribes depend on the continuing health of the Ningaloo Reefs for their survival. A very dismal picture indeed......that should never see the light of day.
Good luck with your endeavours.
I see so many similarities between artifical waves and sex toys.
She's a blow up doll that has everything your looking for. Except reality.
The real thing is almost impossible to duplicate.
Jean-Michel Cousteau - son of Jacques Cousteau - "calls for rejection of surf wave project".
https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/ocean-futures-calls-for-rejection-of-sur...
There's a lot more science here than the speculation and outright BS put forward by a few negative posters - maybe you should read it first before giving your uneducated and amateur opinions.
Thanks.
http://www.worldwaveproject.com/overview/
For someone that doesn't have a 'financial interest' you push this shit hard. You and Shaw Mead can fuck right off.
A smarter man than all of us said " every action has an equal and opposite reaction" .
Sir Isaac Newton - what a genius!
Before Newton, there was God and there was "magic".
After Newton, God was (mostly) vanquished and there was order and logic to the universe. One of the greatest minds of the millennium.
Sent -
Name: JOHN SEATON CALLAHAN
Email: thesurfexploregroup@gmail.com
Message: Hello WWP –
Excited to read of your project in Fiji, we at The surfEXPLORE® Group have been thinking along these lines for many years.
How it would be ideal to be able to contour a living coral reef or other geophysical formation into one that has ideal waves for surfing – everything from gentle sloping longboard waves to steep and hollow barrelling waves.
This kind of approach is infinitely better than the wholly artificial wave pool, with the need for large tracts of land, high construction costs and enormous amounts of electricity to run the facilities.
The swell, wind and tides are already there – we just have to figure out how to contour the reef to make ideal waves.
Let us know if there is any contributions we can make to your projects, in Fiji and elsewhere.
Thank You and Best Regards,
John Seaton Callahan, Creative Director surfEXPLORE
G’day John. You mentioned responsible travel / tourism in your comments in response to some criticism.
Could you please explain what responsible travel is and how your company aligns to those principles?
Thanks
Sure - we have been asked and I have answered this same question many times, but I certainly do not mind explaining again for someone who asks a polite and respectful question.
The surfEXPLORE Group, with our vast international travel experience of more than 40 completed projects in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, believes strongly in community empowerment.
In many of the places where we have done our projects, there is a near-complete lack of any visitors at all. No surfers, no visitors, no one goes to places like Comoros, São Tomé, Angola, Liberia, Sierra Leone, most of The Philippines, much of Eastern Indonesia, all of Haiti, Andhra Pradesh and Diu Island in India, etc.
Many of these places would very much like to see more visitors and their money as they struggle at a subsistence level of existence. No one in the local or national government is doing anything for them.
While we do our own research and don't rely on word of mouth or any other tips from anyone, if other surfers wish to travel to these areas, surf the available waves and make an economic contribution to these communities with payment for accommodation, food, beverages, etc why shouldn't they?
Siargao Island is a prime example. When we first visited in 1992, Siargao had a population of 100 000 people and one of the highest out-migration rates of any province in The Philippines, meaning people left to find a paying job in Cebu City Manila, or overseas, in their thousands as it was impossible to earn a cash income at home.
Sordid trades like organ sales and child pornography flourished as the people who did not mirate off-island did whatever was necessary to make money, like selling a kidney or prostituting their own children for kiddie porn flicks. Sad but true.
With the publication of several features on Siargao in various international surfing magazines, things started to change. Entrepreneurs built accommodations, a few restaurants sprang up and over the next few years locals found jobs in this new surf tourism sector near General Luna and were able to live at home with their families for the first time.
Surfers said this was bad, that a secret wave had been "blown up" and ruined. Not true. What happened, and what is still happening on the island of Siargao is an influx of prosperity, the likes of which have never been seen in this area.
Thousands of people found jobs in the pre-pandemic tourism sector as every visitor who comes to Siargao brings money - and spends it on-island on accommodation, services, food and beverages, etc. That money makes a huge difference between being desperately poor and becoming middle income for communities like General Luna.
Australians are rich. Very rich indeed, from selling coal and other natural resources to China and other countries, so rich that many Australians have no idea how poor people are in other places where there is no such thing as social welfare and no one particularly cares if someone starves to death on the street.
With the way surfers react to new spots being discovered by people like The surfEXPLORE® Group, you would think they are some of the most selfish, richest, dumbest people on earth, that they WANT poor brown people to stay poor so they can continue to enjoy their cheap holidays and uncrowded waves. Unbelievable really - it's all about them and what they want and no consideration whatsoever for the local people that live there at all, that they might WANT more visitors to come so they can make a living from providing accommodations, food and services.
Balinese do this very well and have done so for decades, to their benefit. It may well be that communities in the north of Fiji, where there is little tourism of any kind and few facilities for visitors may want to emulate the wealthy Fijians of Tavarua, who got very rich from the revenue from the resort on Tavarua Island and have enthusiastically welcomed each and every paying surfer visitor to Tavarua since the resort was established in the late 1980's.
Surfing made the Tavarua Fijians rich. Will contoured reefs and an influx of paying surf guests do the same for North Fiji? We shall see, but in any case these ideas about contoured reefs are not going away and The surfEXPLORE Group enthusiastically supports these type of community empowerment initiatives - we always have and we always will.
Thank You
Thanks for responding in detail John.
Your welcome - I and my fellow travellers in The surfEXPLORE® Group have had ample opportunity to draw our conclusions and we back up our philosophies in everything we do under the surfEXPLORE banner.
The odious and outdated philosophy of "localism" dates from 1970's California and the desire of US surfers to escape overcrowding at famous waves like Malibu - and avoid conscription into the US Army and a one-way ticket to Vietnam.
Waves like Petacalco in mainland Mexico were colonised by escaping US surfers and in all the features I have read about this legendary wave and the strong localism enforced by US citizens on Mexican national territory (?) I have never read a single word about how the local Mexican citizens felt about hosting American surfers and draft-dodgers and how their contributions benefitted the town in an economic sense. Not a single word.
Only a lot of drivel about how they didn't want it "exposed" so it wouldn't get "crowded" with more American surfers just like themselves. Contradictory and stupid, yet this philosophy has continued for decades in many places around the world, including Australia.
Bula John,
I have tried hard to abstain but alas another failure for me.....Ha Ha.
I would love to know......With respect, have you visited the area proposed to be 're-countoured'??......although I prefer to call it, experimented on, I feel that is a more accurate description of what we are talking about here.
Do you stand behind your comments..... "....It may well be that communities in the north of Fiji, where there is little tourism of any kind and few facilities for visitors may want to emulate the wealthy Fijians of Tavarua,..." Below I have listed some, NOT ALL, of the possible humble facilities for tourist amenity in the very close proximity. Please check the nightly costs for each, beginning with the 7 star Laucala Resort.
https://www.laucala.com/
https://matangiisland.com/
https://www.qamea.com/
https://www.taveunipalms.com/
https://www.taveuniislandresort.com/
https://maqai.com/
http://www.taveunidiveresort.com/
I have visited the area many times and lived with the locals in the village. Make no mistake , they already ARE RICH. Not in a material sense (even with the preceding list of fine establishments around for decades to enhance their economy.......surprise, surprise!!).... they still eke a subsistence life from the natural environment around them, including the reefs to be experimented on. A few are lucky to get a job at one of these resorts, minimum wage of course. But yes, they possess a WEALTH alright, one we can only wish to attain.
I can not speak for everyone on this forum but, I do not care what your actual name is. I see the idea of forums like these is NOT to focus on peoples names, that seems irrelevant. The point of this discussion is to focus on the BIG question here.
The BIG question to answer here is.......should foreign companies be allowed to impact the pristine natural environment of Fiji when absolutely NOBODY from the local businesses, tourism operators (except one) or indigenous folks who reside there want the project to go ahead?? Would you still put forward, in this case......."surfEXPLORE Group enthusiastically supports these type of community empowerment initiatives - we always have and we always will." Although, I do not agree in this case we are discussing the project is a community empowerment initiative. If so, WWP would have quietly walked away after their meeting with the local Chiefs and Elders gave them the no support. This would have acknowledged and respected Fijian community empowerment.
Vinaka.
Do you have any scientific/engineering/coral reef ecology background or expertise John which would qualify you to give an informed opinion on this process of creating artificial waves?
I couldn't see anything on that Linktree "link" you put up.
Sounds like you are a surf photographer who has monetised surf trips.
I am not a coral reef scientist, no - I never claimed any academic credentials in this field. Perhaps I am so articulate it sounds like I have a PhD in coral reef ecology?
I was a Design major in the College of Fine Arts at UCLA - hence the interest in "contouring" coral reefs to produce better waves, it's a form of design.
I'm a lot more than a "surf photographer" but thanks for not insulting me straight away -
I've just logged on and read the above exchange between Blowin and JSC. Gonna leave it up there, but can we tone down the intensity and cut out the personal attacks?
Thanks, Stu - that's what I asked also.
I don't comment under a pseudonym, I use my real legal name and I don't launch personal attacks on anyone, on swellnet or anywhere else..
Thank You
.
OK, I've started deleting comments here.
Stay on point or hold your fire.
What are the chances we can get his spam link removed? He posted a link tree link at 6:04PM. Plus another email link later.
Peddle that shit somewhere I’m not a subscriber. It goes against the entire ethos of this site. Particularly as it’s a commercial operation.
He is promoting his business. That has nothing to do with the article.
Stu for what it’s worth, I think Blowin speaks for many of us on here with regards to what this John character is dribbling and the absolute spin that is the world wave project.
I’m not sure this company was worth giving any air time to. Some of their comments claiming they would improve the reefs / ecosystems etc are so far beyond laughable.
Agreed.
What we have here is a clash of cultural values.
Australia is not known for producing individual or original thinkers.
Far from it.
Australia is known for producing mediocre thinkers.
Have you heard of the "Tall Poppy Syndrome"?
Yeah, exactly - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tall_poppy_syndrome
You can read all about it in "The Fatal Shore" by Robert Hughes, an exceptional Australian who like many exceptional Australians, left the country to prosper overseas where original thinking is at least tolerated if not encouraged. It isn't in Australia, hence the national mediocrity.
That's why everyone give the same response - it's a bad idea to contour reefs, the locals don't want it, fuck off and stop blowing up secret spots, etc. So tiresome and predictable.
If you don't raise your own flag in America, you will never be noticed. Self-promotion is part of the American character.
That may make Australians nauseous, but too bad - the US is definitely not a working-class culture, it is a culture where the accomplished and exceptional are celebrated and venerated.
If most Australians migrated to the US, the UK, or even Canada where people are nice and polite and parlez français, they would vanish into obscurity immediately - ha ha.
What a tool
Hey John, instead of bagging out Australia, you should look for opportunity here. The current Australian government loves people like you. They would probably pay for it too.
As you may know, there are severe coastal erosion issues in many places up and down the east coast. There is much ongoing debate as to the best solution. And look at the article on the abomination they're building on Collaroy beach.
You could pitch a plan to the government (or local councils) involving perfect reef breaks offshore from threatened beaches. Just focus on the beach protection benefits in your plans. And don't destroy anything, build the reefs up from the seafloor
Actually I forgot past failures, please don't
Hey John do-da Callihan.. most Aussies are more than happy with our lifestyle and slightly understated attitude, thanks. Not exactly chomping at the bit to migrate to the US or UK either.
Can you please spout on about how incredible you are somewhere else?
And FWIW I think your ideas suck. For a range of reasons which I can't be arsed elaborating on. Praise be to Allah or whoever that you don't live or surf anywhere near me at least.
Sincerely
Winston Hironeous Greeble. Woof.
All stirred up by a sensational bullshit article, suckers!
The pearlfarmers name is Claude; Claude the Fraud, thinks he’s an expert in everything. Claude is one of the more selfish and arrogant people you could ever meet, he is also extremely racist and being incredibly selfish trying to block this initiative for our area. Hypocrit; his 40 ha pearl farm has killed the coral and seabed underneath it, permanently, and does nothing for one of the poorest areas in Fiji. Farmer = a person that fucks the environment for $$. The letter from the 5 Yavusas was a set up with the assistance of Claude’s pearl farm partners, the colonial racists that treat their dogs better than local Fijians, these are the people you are supporting, probably offered them a bag of pearls each?
People are already ‘rich’ up here – were you here 15 years ago when Laucala gave Dreketi a 28-footer and it sat and rotted cause they couldn’t afford the fuel little lone the maintenance? The resorts that have been developed since then have allowed us to enter the 21st century, or would you rather we were kept in the dark so you can visit us like animals in a zoo? Dickhead.
Cousteau (aka the Charlie Sheen of Savusavu) is a disgrace leveraging his father’s name and a total hypocrite; he was completely silent 2 years back when >30 ha of mangrove and coral was cut down in his own backyard. Why, because the marina, resort and private properties will mean more guests for his 5-star hotel; turned the blind-eye for more money, more money. Some rational people on this, but so many of you muppets being sucked in by bullshit. Learn the facts and use your brains!
Have none of you prattling fools seen this? http://www.worldwaveproject.com/
Bula Facts man,
By the sound of your input you live in the area to be impacted thus I will reply with respect and comment to your input.
I think I am the "Dickhead" mentioned above. I apologise for not being more clear when I spoke about the richness of Fijian village life. I 100% agree with you. The local Fijian villagers in the area concerned are materially/monetarily extremely poor. The wealth, the richness, I was referring to is that of cultural integrity, awesome friendliness, deep family, friend and village connections, strong community bonds, deep connection to the natural environment, sustainable living in challenging circumstances and a Resilience in adversity that I have not witnessed anywhere else. So sorry, I was obviously NOT clear enough in my input on richness. Poverty is clearly common for the Fijians in the area and is a scourge that belongs in a era long past. To your assertions, The resorts in your area (there are many, they are high end holiday experiences, they are successful, and they have been there for decades), but particularly the business model they operate under, have NOT "allowed us to enter the 21st century". It is not comfortable to say but, No local Fijian villages in the area, as the poverty mentioned above demonstrates, remotely resembles 21st century living. That is the fact. I sincerely wish it was different. I feel there will be no change to this cycle of poverty, for the local Fijians, until they enter into more substantial, partnership operations with resorts in the area, where they can extract a more equitable outcome from the success of tourism businesses. If new business now wants to come to your area, step up, have them do their business in partnership with you, on your terms. I strongly disagree that visitors see the locals like animals in a zoo. I have only witnessed empathy, compassion and generosity from visitors directed to the locals. As for your other personal assertions I have no input, although the disrespect for the considered response, rejecting the proposal, from the most senior members of the 5 Villages involved in consultation is disappointing. Not your opposing opinion, that you are welcome to, but your disrespect, not a good look.
Yes, I have read the WWP spiel. Appears like a bag of pearls......sorry.
My reason for commenting on this forum is to make clear, the most senior representatives (Chiefs/Elders/etc) of the local communities affected by this proposal do NOT wish it to proceed, at this time. As a facts person can you please clarify the accuracy of this. Vina'a.
Villagers worldwide, not only in the affected area of North Fiji, are traditional and conservative people.
For the most part, they don't like change and they don't like the "unknown". They do things the way they have always been done, the way their fathers did it and the way their grandfathers did it.
Fijians are already well-insulated from significant disruptions to their traditional lifestyle. Indigenous Fijians own 80% of Fiji's land; 12% is state-owned; the balance is freehold or only 8% of all land in Fiji. Those percentages can't change without constitutional reform. Native-born Indians are forced to lease land from ethnic Fijians as are ethnic Chinese and Causasians.
This gives ethnic Fijians a significant buffer from disruptive change and has contributed to the stasis of the rural areas, including the area affected by the WWP project.
The only way to bring prosperous change to traditional villages in areas like North Fiji is to gazette projects like this WWP initiative as in the NATIONAL interest - not only local interest, but the interest of the nation.
Let progressive government action override conservative village instincts in the name of national progress.
That sounds quite a dictatorial approach.
You don't think the local villagers concerned are capable of making decisions on the developments that affect them directly?
Especially on something so experimental with such a track record of failure?
Of course the local villagers are capable of providing input and of making their own decisions regarding projects that affect their area.
But this WWP project isn't a series of wells for drinking water or a new tower for improved mobile telephony.
The fact that foreigners like ourselves are discussing it extensively is proof enough it is different and on another level of importance. We couldn't care less how many wells locals want to dig or cell towers they want to install, it is none of our business.
This project, to sculpt existing reefs to provide quality surfing waves where now there are none, is of international interest and importance because it has never been done previously; anywhere and the end result of the project is designed to attract foreigners to Fiji: Surfers.
Therefore it is of national interest and not solely of local North Fiji interest.
It is analogous to a situation whereby the governments of NSW and Victoria wanted to build a high-speed rail (HSR) line between Sydney and Melbourne. The route passes through five rural communities in NSW, who have lodged objections, saying "If the HSR doesn't stop here. we don't want it".
Is the project stopped dead because of local community objections? No - the Federal government steps in so the project can go forward. That's the benefit of a Federal system, so the nation is not held hostage to a myopic tyranny of smallholders and projects of national importance can proceed.
This WWP project is of national importance to Fiji and should go forward over the objections of local stakeholders.
wow.
I thought your entire ethic was about empowering local communities.
But you are prepared, no demanding, that their expressed interests should be overridden so foreigners can go surfing .
A surfing reef is in the national interest? Analagous to critical transport infrastructure ?
More important in your eyes than drinking water and communications?
Using an untested technology that impacts reefs from a team that can only boast of a litany of failed experiments?
I'll leave others to comment on that logic, and those ethics.
I'll address your concerts one by one, like I'm talking to a child. Ok?
I thought your entire ethic was about empowering local communities.
Ummmmm- yes, the local communities that are currently objecting to the WWP proposal will be the eventual beneficiaries of the project. Obviously.
But you are prepared, no demanding, that their expressed interests should be overridden so foreigners can go surfing .
No, it is a project of NATIONAL interest, not solely local interest as each of the foreign visitors including surfers who come to this area spends money in the local community. That's called "economic development" -
A surfing reef is in the national interest? Analagous to critical transport infrastructure ?
If it attracts foreigners who spend money in the area, it is - it's a matter of scale. A project like this in an area of cultural and economic stasis like North Fiji can have the same or greater economic benefit as a multimillion dollar project in a far more prosperous area.
More important in your eyes than drinking water and communications?
Of course not - that is an example of local development concerns of little or no interest to foreign observers. Are you sure you speakee Ingerish?
Using an untested technology that impacts reefs from a team that can only boast of a litany of failed experiments?
Ummm - what failed experiments? The team behind the WWP are not the same people who have effected artificial reef projects elsewhere. Those projects were a failure, used entirely different technology and have nothing at all to do with the WWP group (?)
I'll leave others to comment on that logic, and those ethics.
My statement is perfectly in keeping with our previously stated surfEXPLORE philosophy of empowering local communities - the local villages of the area will be the eventual beneficiaries, if the WWP project is successful.
Will they be as rich after 20 years as the Tavarua Fijians are now after 40 years of surf resort operations in the Mamanuca Group? Maybe, we shall see.
So you are a surf photographer with no background in Science, Engineering, Coral Reef Ecology who is now qualified to determine projects of national significance and override community wishes?
Economics professor maybe?
Isn't Dr Mead the brains behind this operation and his resume of failed artificial reefs is long.
Kovalam, India, a failed artificial surfing reef.
Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, a failed artificial surfing reef.
Opunake, New Zealand, a failed artificial surfing reef.
Boscombe Surf Reef, England, a failed artificial surfing reef.
Can you point to any proof of concept reef sculpting by Dr Mead or anyone that has created surfable waves?
As I stated previously, I'm a lot more than a "Surf Photographer"
"Tyranny of myopic smallholders" - that is good. You can borrow the phrase, if you want : )
Unless you are keeping something from us, you've no qualifications or expertise to comment whatsoever, as far as I can see.
I'll ask again: Can you point to any proof of concept reef sculpting by Dr Mead or anyone that has created surfable waves?
And - neither do you, have any expertise; academic or otherwise, to comment on this project.
I don't work for the WWP - my opinions are my own, which I have the cojones to post under my own legal name; unlike yourself, hiding behind a juvenile pseudonym.
Perhaps you can address your questions to and about Dr Mead to the WWP people - I'm sure they would be happy to answer them.
Thank You John, you have made your position explicitly clear. It does, however, seem at odds with your earlier post stating....."The surfEXPLORE Group enthusiastically supports these type of community empowerment initiatives - we always have and we always will."
Hello John, you comment as if only surfing alone can save the Northern Fijian communities. AS it currently stands, more people travel to Fiji to dive than surf, and in the Northern Division, that number is an order of difference (approx 5% surf, 65% dive).
You are the one with blinkers on (and with more than a touch of Bwana). There is already an income revenue, far greater than anything surfing could generate, and it depends on untouched reefs, and that's before you even get to the issue of unproven technology.
This article comes across as a bit of a slate from the get go - so no surprises with the wise guy comments. Wow, sounds like there are some "real" experts here.
@greenrumour some serious player haters. @pearlfarmer what a doosh. Key board warriors.........Trolls of the surf web world. - Do you guys actually surf?
Can I suggest that you actually look at the project with eyes wide open and you might just learn something? These are "exactly" the guys you want creating a project like this - not some pumped up chumps who think they are the Gods of the surf world - all balls no brawn.
This will work with the right team and funding which these guys have. Good luck World Wave Project. Go nuts.
Bula Webthang,
I need to show more lurve......but I am no expert there either.....Ha Ha.
The reason I am posting here is to give oxygen to the fact , The most senior members (Fijian Chiefs and Elders) representing the 5 local villages most affected by this proposal do not wish the project to proceed in their waters.
What say Ye. Peace and Love.
"Thank You John, you have made your position explicitly clear"
Does that mean I should shut up now? : ) Ha ha.
Yes, On this point we can agree!!.......both of us have made our different views quite clear. Cheers.
Cheers, mate - thanks for your thoughtful opinions
I’m no coastal engineer and economic empowerment is not my niche, but jeez you’re a hard man to warm to Mr Callahan. You come across as overbearing, entitled and patronizing. You’ve got something to sell, why can’t you engage with people respectfully and address their questions in good faith? Can you take your prospectus elsewhere? You lost this audience.
Probably worth shedding some light on what's happening behind the scenes since we posted this article.
World Wave Projects has gone on the front foot with a PR campaign, the latest email - 'World Wave Project Response #3' - includes this paragraph:
"Like these update emails, the Swellnet article is littered with inaccuracies and is largely based on opinion. This has been addressed directly with the Swellnet author and defamation lawyers are being consulted."
In response to correspondence with Dr Shaw Mead, I added a postscript to the article correcting the factual errors, noting that Dr Mead wasn't a founder of Maqai Beach Eco Resort but only assumed ownership in 2013, and that construction work at Maqai hasn't yet begun, only 'paper' work.
Swellnet also sought legal advice.
Thanks, Stu -
Wow, the situation has certainly escalated!
Both sides lawyering-up, American style.
Hello Stu,
Sorry to hear about the response from WWP. Pretty disappointing.
Thanks for the inaccuracies you have corrected.
Another slight inaccuracy surrounds the mentioned "......‘Development of a Multi-Purpose Breakwater Reef at Maqai Eco Surf Resort’ that detailed the three-stage construction of a feature that would both allow access to the resort at high tide and provide a learner-grade surfing wave."
Well it is not really accurate to say, little progress has been made on this particular idea. As detailed in the said paper, and quite clearly to any visitor to the resort, work has not only begun, but has completed (stage 1), stalled and apparently been abandoned. This experiment has not delivered anything of real value, as per the stated goals. This work has removed massive volumes of sand from the Maqai beach and ruined most of the (once) pristine fringe reef in front of the resort.......on which the sand bags now lay. Sigh.
Anyone seen the recent test footage from Occy's plunger wave park at Yepoon?
Haven't been excited about a man made wave since first seeing the KS pool many many moons ago....
Damn son.....
...Occys plunger wave, FFS. Firstly, this is an insult to those who designed and built the wave. Do you really think Occy did any of this or is it more likely that he rolled in a few times, did some turns and ran his mouth with some feedback? Secondly, Occy's wave is not the slab, it's the longer, softer left beside this thing.
The EIA for Maqai still hasn't been lodged, however news such as the following would indicate there's a lot of interest in the project:
https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/no-approval-given-for-world-wave-project/
When the first line of the article is:
"The Department of Environment has not approved any plans or projects to demolish reefs"
It is apparent the reporter doesn't understand the WWP project nor its intentions..
I had this idea years ago. Strategically built breakwalls and submerged clusters of aggregates. Don't need a fucken PHD but it will help with the cock worshipping. Environmental impacts need to be considered. For example structures can promote marine and foreshore habitat, and can also interfere with sand distribution in long shore drift.
After a bout of silence, this story flared up overnight with New Zealand journalist Mel Reid publishing two stories on Shaw Mead and the World Wave Project.
The Kiwi scientist and the failed surf breaks
Horror at new plan to excavate pristine Fiji reef
We were aware of much of the findings now exposed - such as Shaw's connection with Chinese developer Freesoul - and many of the people interviewed in the articles also contacted Swellnet after our initial story, however we've been unable to follow up as, via his lawyers, Shaw Mead initiated defamation proceedings against myself and Swellnet.
Fair to say things have now escalated.
Whoa, from Cory Scott (esteemed NZ surf photog), re: Narrowneck Reef:
"When we arrived we couldn’t find any reef, and asked a local clubby, who laughed and said ‘See that flashing light out there, that’s the reef!’ There were no waves breaking on the reef at all. Two days later we had an amazing swell and ended up doing a photo shoot about 300 metres south of the reef, and made out in the communications that it was Narrowneck reef, as directed by those paying for the shoot."
And re: Mount Maunganui Reef:
"At the time I lived on the beachfront 400 m down the beach from the Mount Maunganui Reef so could see it from my kitchen window. Not once in those years did I see any quality or even average wave break.
I am aware of a certain surf media platform that photoshopped a surfer into an empty wave shot for a story on the artificial wave's success."
You’re being sued personally?
Mind if I ask what’s at stake? I’m imagining it’s a bit more than a retraction and apology?
That's disturbing news, Stu.
Are you able to share the grounds for the action, or the offending content?
If you read the article above then you've read the 'offending content'.
The grounds for the action are still being worked through.
It would be very interesting to see Shaw Mead answer questions about all his 'successful' past projects in a court of law?
Wow the detail that Shaw's connection with Freesoul is massive news.
Freesoul Limited was found guilty in April for the unauthorised development of its multi-million-dollar resort on Malolo Island . The company's directors face fines of up to US$345,000 or a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both. Its now in the High court awaiting sentencing
Mel Reid and Mark Jennings of newsroom broke that story. There's a quick summary article here for the the time poor on the ABC.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-09/freesoul-court-decision-on-enviro...
And a full article with a link at the bottom to 3 part doco here.
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/02/07/429704/massive-resort-desecrates-f...
Mel Reid is an award winning journalist and will unleash hell
Wow, impressive resume: "Journalist Of The Year" at the 2012 New Zealand Television Awards, "Best Current Affairs Programme" and "Story of the Year" in 2019, and "Investigation Of The Year" in 2012, 2007, 2005, plus three awards back in 1993.
https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/melanie-reid/biography
Fiji's 'Permanent Secretary for Environment' Joshua Wycliffe says the government is "waiting for them (WWP) to submit their Environmental Impact Assessment Report", and that "they are not sure when the World Wave Project team would submit their report."
"No form of approvals at any stage of the project has been given by the Department of Environment for the proposed World Wave Project in Qamea, Taveuni, and proper consultations and independent assessments will be carried out by the Department before any decision is made."
https://www.fijivillage.com/news/No-approvals-have-been-given-for-the-pr...
Not too mention the actual site is in SW swell shadow and only gets enough swell to break 10 days a year
The 'Official Facebook page of the Ministry of Agriculture Fiji' issued a press statement yesterday, regarding the WWP project.
"I want to reiterate that no one will touch that reef, no one will be allowed to touch that reef, simple as that."
Local Fiji media and NZ's Newsroom now covering the Minister's release:
No developments at Qamea reef; ‘maybe diving and exploration’ – Minister
https://www.fijitimes.com/no-developments-at-qamea-reef-maybe-diving-and...
Qamea Reef project hangs in limbo
https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/qamea-reef-project-hangs-in-limbo/
Fiji government addresses plan to rip up reef
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/fiji-government-addresses-plan-to-rip-up-reef
Vanity Fair has just published a big story on Fiji, covering the World Wave Project and also Freesoul's unauthorised development on Malolo.
"The Surf Bros, the Villagers, the Wave Doctor, the Tech Money, and the Fight for Fiji’s Soul"
https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2023/05/fiji-surf-wars
Terrible sentence construction from Vanity Fair. Would never allow it on Swellnet:
"But Malolo also attracts another crowd: surfers like Fox and Jack who come to ride *the wave—*the one Kelly Slater has called his favorite—Cloudbreak"
If the VF article wasn't enough, a studio has now promised a documentary adaptation of the Fijian carry on:
"Helen Estabrook, Global Head of Film & Television, Condé Nast Entertainment, said, “On its surface, this is a thrilling David vs. Goliath tale centered on a five-acre patch of coastline in Fiji. Thanks to David Kushner’s cinematic storytelling, we’re introduced to those whose livelihoods depend on that slice of shoreline and suddenly the stakes become much higher. It’s a classic Vanity Fair examination of power, and what’s possible when people have the courage to challenge it.”
https://deadline.com/2023/05/vanity-fair-surf-paradise-story-being-adapt...
wonder what Nav and woody think of this....?