The Surfing population on the Gold Coast is soaring and with all the Surf Schools popping up plus SUP becoming popular and the international Surfing population expanding every year with direct flights to the Gold Coast from countries such as Japan who love their surfing, Is it not time for not only State Government,Council and Tourist industries but espeacially big name Surf companies to begin to look toward the future to unite and develope technology and build ecco friendly Artificial Reefs? (for Surfing)
This would be really putting something back into surfing and would have positive bearings in the future for everyone.
With modern technology and the amount of money that is generated through the Surfing and tourist industry on the Gold Coast and throughout the world they must be able construct a purpose built surfing reef that will make use of some of the open spaces up and down the coast where when we do get a decent swell its wasted.
Most beachbreaks on the Gold coast can only handle up to a four feet of swell, any bigger then they close out and the sweep is horrendous so everybody heads to the points or D'bah.
Ok so they did build a Artifical Reef at Narrow Neck ??? Gee what a fizzer! and why there? well it has improved a little bit over the years but all in all it failed IMO and doesn't offer a very convincing reef break type wave . beside its totally in the wrong place as any decent clean swell we get is from the South pushed in by south to south east winds which make the existing reef out of control and dead onshore.
I think Bilinga/Tugun would be a good place to start as it is quite shallow and still gets good clean swell from the south.
Could the Gold Coast really pioneer this type of surfing reef?
What are your thoughts are there better places? can it be done and should it be done? I ask this with an open mind and to see if anyone else has any ideas.
Am I dreaming or could this really happen??
Jono
Jono - check these guys out http://www.asrltd.co.nz/innovation_reef.htm
They build artificial reefs around the world, some for the purposes you outlined.
Some good results and some bad results.
I thought the reef at Narrowneck was built mainly to reduce beach erosion, due to proximity of beach-road-river and major erosion events???
If you could find a location where an artificial reef produced lots of economic benefits and beach protection... and would be multi-use, i.e. surfers aren't the only people on/in/under the water...maybe someone will support it
i was on the commitee for the reef that was to be built at noosa main beach,this was to be a dual purpose reef to prevent sand erosion and for a coulpe of extra point style waves as a bonus,the kiwis that were the designers did the narrowneck design and all was going along just fine till the 2.5 million turned into 5.5 million then they had problems with the depth,it seems that too shallow causes dumping type waves and opens council up to litigation,a surfer/swimmer going over the falls,breaking their neck and suing council for injury on a man made structure,the design of this reef was a pisser,professor greg black,the designer is a surfer as is into making good waves,council however took the chicken way and just pumps sand now from one end of the beach back to the corner which then over time or during a swell event just washes away,btw the points of noosa havent been the same since pumping started.
stuartp your dead right narrowneck was only for erosion.
If I'm elected PM I will instruct council to stop pumpimg sand onto the kirra desert, I would make them pump a ridiculous amount of sand about 2 km off Tugun beach. Keep pumping until the sand is about 5m above sea level so there is a bit of wind protection, throw a few old tyres around it to stabilize the sand a bit and I'll be happy as larry. Perfect for the SUPs, and no kooks are going to paddle 2km to crowd it up.
The track record of man against Sand on the Gold/Tweed coast is absolutely hopeless show me one project that has been even remotely successful ????? there is none. I was up at Jumpinpin last weekend and some people asked what’s that washed up , it was part of the Narrowneck artificial reef ,the fabric that formed the casing for the sand is just falling apart and drifting North.
The only thing that man can really change is to stop killing Kirra with sand , that will re-open a world class point break.
We have 18 miles of unbroken beach line you can always find a spot with just a handful of guys or maybe to yourself it may not be cranking like the points but at least you're not getting snaked (especially on a Sup 
)
Leave nature be and just surf the banks as they form and disappear , no matter how scientific they get if they do manage to build and maintain an artificial reef break it will have an adverse effect further down the Coastline.
Interesting thoughts Jono.
I think the first place to start is as Clarky said...stop pumping all that sand into Kirra. Kirra had a lot of sand in the very old days, old photo from the 30's etc show cars parked on a huge beach but it still wasn't as much as it is now, it occurred naturally. Then the Tweed River bar crossing was built and the natural northern flow of sand was destroyed. I lived on the beach front at North Kirra in the mid 80's and can remember when there was no beach at all just north of the North Kirra surf club. Over time groins were built up and down the coast in an attempt to stop the flow of sand and they were a total waste of time.
My opinion, don't mess with nature. It only stuff up the way the beaches should all work and makes a mess of everything.
Thanks for all the replies and thanks 'stuartp' for that link very interesting.
I was in Kirra Boardriders back in the late seventies, club junior champion in seventy seven, So I have a affinity with Kirra and hate the fact that they keep pumping sand out there and are causing an environmental nightmare they should stop immediately!!! but they won't because the company that are doing the pumping have the contract until, I'm pretty sure 2024!!?? Geez
I used to snorkel out at the reef at Kirra amongst Turtles,Leopard sharks, Wobbies, Eagle Rays and lots of different fish and I even swam with a Dugong one time now they are all gone. Disgracful human intervention 
As for the Artifical Reefs I think they need to start thinking about it now for the future.
Like yourself 'Spiros' Im all for letting nature take it course but the future is looking bleak with all the people who are coming here, I read somewhere that there is over 70.000 surfers on the Coast NOW! and in five years ?? what 100.000? I dont want to whinge about the people and I dont want to move anywhere as this is my home for over thirty years and I love the Gold Coast.
The Reef at Narrowneck must be 'old technology' by now but even though they built it to stop sand errosion, I remember everyone talking up what a great surfing wave it was going to be.
'Clarky' mate if it was that easy huh! 
But I woudn't go for anything that was not environmentaly sound and that was'nt just going to drift away with the next cyclone.
Surely it can be done!!
How much money is to much? for something that may sustain huge industies Surfing , Diving and Fishing all tied in with tourism, I was told that the New Kirra Surf shop turned over $9.000000 in the first two weeks of trading, hearsay I know but still believable ! Gcal the Airport owners make $55.000 over a normal w/end in parking alone I can confirm this I work there.
I don't think money would be an issue for all the industrie that would benifit from such a project.
As for litigation if I go and surf Kirra now and bump my head on the sand and become a parapliegic can I sue the council or the pumping contractor for pumping to much sand out there? well I dont think so!!??
Jono
jono,litigation was a major concern of noosa council during the committee for the reef,i dont know about pumped sand being a man made structure but sand bag reefs are and apparently legal advise to the then council caused doubts,it all sucks the only beneficiary at noosa are the shop owners at the southern corner but as soon as we get another good swell it will go to the river mouth and then to fraser where all good sand particles go on our east coast,kirra is a joke,to have one of the best waves in the world turned into a desert,well some one needs f...ing and burning,the geotextile bag technology for reefs is valid until a fisherman drops an anchor and rips it like what happened at narrowneck,in the beginning there it was like surfing down a flight of stairs but it was only ever a erosion barrier and i believe it worked pretty well for that purpose.
You are a greedy bunch. You have a wide choice of points and beaches up and down the southern Queensland stretch and now you want an artificial reef as well, actually a second one. I would have you slops over our typical metro summer conditions.
and don't even look like your going to fall off cause you'll have ten shoulder hopper dropping in to say hello and goodbye, haha!! not my idea of fun , Oh and then there are all the pros !!
if the north kirra sausage groyne was still around it would be covered by by lidders anyway. reckon thats what would happen anyway with a new reef of any description ... lidders every where!
Sorry P co, The reason we are fired up about Kirra is simple,it will help to spread the traffic in the water at Snapper!Toadwhispera is spot on But we are made to be GREEDY,why simple,just not enough breaks for the volume of surfers and everyday you see another group starting!
Today, yep its Tuesday,there were 5 SUP'ers out at Snapper with 30 odd surfers.One SUP'er guy and a big lump of a lad got sworn at for bugger all.I got abused by a sh-t longboarder and get this ,he dropped in on me and we hit,he sticks his head out the water and starts giving me curry! I told him to pull his head in and he just wouldn't let up.Because I am a kook on SUP he must of throught I was a newbie.So that's about the time I changed to my longboard and teach this wally how to surf! Game over after just one wave,He said sorry for giving you a hard time,my reply was F--k off mate,Now you have to deal with this crap and be GREEDY,if not sit on the beach and that's not for me! Sorry for the rant,but I've got the dirts we need KIRRA and NOW we need more breaks.It's the same thing as the traffic on the roads today but only with the roads our parents drove on 40 years ago
mac
and man it pumped! at one stage for months on end it was on day after day.
just google artificial surfing reef and watch the switchboard "light up" with places and people these "frankensteins" are screwing over.
its a reall bull**** thing that uses the basic motivation we all have to get into everyones wallets -sort of like a "trojen horse"
if the people pushing them did not believe their own "drivel" they could be sent tp jail for "confidence trickster" -even as clever as peter foster - but proving that they know they are lieing is another thing and meanwhile people waste time and effort "loving to listen" to this new place in the ocean that fulfills all our dreams .
these "geeks bearing gifts" need to be told again and again to F.. off and leave our kids and beaches alone.
in fact national surfing reserves have as part of the "hush hush" agenda to ban these f..wits from even thinking about it.
in kiwi every good beach is getting bans on them even going there as well.
so much monetry waste and environment damage they are doing that its a crime against surfers and nature that all surfers there are rebelling big time over the meades mount reef (google mountreef) and blacks opanke reef and the same thing is happening all over again in bournemouth UK (they keep tripping on their own shoelaces there as well .. total screwballs) the town there wants them tar and feathered .. but to be fair are paying them $6m to give them the evidence to heat up the tar.
then there's mount mangabui and meades mount reef - what a cock up -even from the first day meade coudnt read a weather map and the barge got washed into shore -wel it went on from there to be a total finacial and environmental disaster with rips calving aperfectly good beach to pieces -even a unnescessary drowning thta was preventable and the hounds are baying on the designers for that one.
people who think they "know it all" are just plain cockheads , thos ethat think know more than that again are delusional -check out ABC catalyst, artificial surfing reef and listen to one of the designers say that the meades mount reef surfers are all "stoked" about the reef and then get on some of the blogs and ask for your self how stocked they are .
peter foster and artificial surfing designer -reef builders just all have that funny association in achievements it seems -i cant help thinking he is a silent partner in all that (they were in fiji at the same time trying the locals on)
Very Funny Red Dragon
Geekyreefs you made some great points.
While I'm all for the sand to be stopped to let Kirra live again , the down side will be the Tweed Bar it will fill with sand and be constantly closing out and turning it back into one of Australia's most deadliest Bars.
So it's not as simple as flicking the switch.Maybe pump the sand 100 miles out to sea but no doubt that will come back and bite us some how.
Interesting thread, I thought I'd chime in with my 2c as I have a bit or experience on the political side of constructing an artificial reef. Back in the mid 90s I was the project manager on behalf of the state gov for the worlds first artificial surfing reef at Cables at Cottelsoe WA. I was working in policy in the Minster for Sports office and was the only surfer there so got the gig. Go figure.
Now before some people start baying for my blood, let me explain the context in which this reef at $2m of taxpayers dollars was built. During the 96 state election both sides of politics said if elected they would construct a reef. So it was going to happen regardless. Importantly, for the first time surfers were seen as constituents by political parties... I surf I vote!
The location was chosen as being the most favourable in terms of
surfing
amentities
access
transport nodes
polictical will and expediency.
Does Cables work? IMO yes. It was never meant to be a wave making machine as some kooks thought would happen. What it does is augment any swell that is there from the appropriate swell direction and focus it on the reef. Remember Perth has an average wave climate of about .9m
One of the positives that came out was that we had to monitor the reefs performance, so we set up webcams along the coast in WA. I suggested we make them available to the public live on the internet and they are now very popular.
Do we need more reefs? IMO no, this one on the west coast demonstrated (to me anyway) the issues of coastal management are very complex and driven in part by political will and self interest groups. No surprises there, its like everything else....now wheres my $900 Kev?
Artificial Reefs ???? i dunno, But you are all welcome to share what we have up here in the north. No lidders or stressed out short board riders for miles.
MIKO
