Description
Boscombe Surf Reef
Boscombe Reef – Your questions answered
The surf reef – what is it?
Bournemouth Borough Council is proud to have built Europe’s first artificial surf reef at Boscombe, Bournemouth. The reef is 220m offshore and just east of Boscombe Pier. The reef is made up of 55 giant sandbags and is the size of a football pitch.
The reef is not a wave machine. It doesn’t create waves from nothing, but acts as a ramp, pushing existing waves upwards and shaping them into better quality surfing waves.
This means more surfable days, more surfable waves and a better quality, consistent break.
The waves at Boscombe are generally small and break close to the beach and so on days with good swell, decent-sized waves will peel down the right of the reef, creating a longer-ride of around 50m for surfers. An occasional swell from the east may also generate a short left-hand breaker with a ride length of around 15m.
It’s free to surf the reef, and changing facilities and warm showers are located in the Overstrand building.
The RNLI will provide safety cover on the reef 364 days of the year.
Now that the reef is in place there is an extra surf break in Boscombe and waves are more powerful than those on the beach.
Because of the prevailing wind conditions in Boscombe, the reef has been designed for waves peeling (the breaking section of the wave runs along the length of the wave, instead of breaking in one go) from left to right (a right-hand break).
On days with good swell, decent-sized waves will peel down the right of the reef, creating a longer-ride of around 50m for surfers. An occasional swell from the east may also generate a short left-hand breaker with a ride length of around 15m.
Surfer in Boscombe
Who is it for?
The surf reef is not for beginners. The reef is 220 metres out to sea, and so you need to be physically fit and competent to paddle out to it. Just getting out to the reef will be tiring! You will be out of your depth and the waves may be challenging.
Beginners are recommended to learn to surf before attempting to surf the reef. Why not take the advice of regulated surf schools to find out the best places to surf?
It is suitable for competent, confident surfers who are beginning to initiate and execute standard surfing manoeuvres on at least one occasion, as well as surfers who can do standard manoeuvres consecutively on a single wave.
How does it work?
The reef does not create waves like a swimming pool wave machine would. Instead, the large sand bags are laid on the seabed and act as a giant ramp, pushing the natural waves upwards as they crest over the reef, shaping them into good quality surfing waves.
Because the breaking section of the wave will run down the reef (peeling) instead of a wave breaking in one go (or “closing out”), the waves on the reef are better for surfing. Therefore, the surf reef will see waves peeling down the reef and breaking with more power than on the beach.
The prevailing swell means the wave can begin peeling at the start of the reef and continue peeling until the end of the reef. The angles that waves break across the reef are in the range 53º to 66º on the right hand wave and approximately 70º for the left hander. The lower the angle, the more challenging the break is to surf.
Aerial shot of the reef
I’m on the beach and I can’t see it working? Why?
As the reef doesn’t actually create waves, it will only make a difference on days when there is already good sized swell occurring naturally. If the sea is calm and flat, it will remain so. You will mostly see the reef working in the surf season; September through to April.
How will I know it is working?
Plymouth University have reviewed the design of the reef, and found it to be well-designed and well-positioned.
For one year from completion of the reef, Plymouth University will monitor:
• The shape of breaking waves – are they now peeling instead of closing out, and within the stated angles? Are the waves breaking with more power than on the beach? They’ll do this through site visits and by monitoring data collected from on-site cameras.
• The number of surfable days, compared to previous years.
• The number of surfers, at both the Pier and the reef areas, compared to previous years.
Design specifics
Boscombe’s reef design takes into account a number of key factors to obtain the optimum solution for this specific location. These are:
• Wave Climate - The waves at Boscombe are generally small and so the reef has been designed to increase the breaking wave height as much as possible and maximise the number of surfing days.
• Wind Climate – a large number of surfable days at Boscombe are accompanied by winds from the south west, which cause choppy sea conditions. One of the major design criteria for the Boscombe reef was that it should provide some protection from wind-chop.
• Crest Height – The level of the reef crest determines the frequency that waves break on the reef. Due to tidal factors, it is necessary for the crest height of the Boscombe reef to be relatively high so that better quality breaks waves are achieved more often.
Boscombe already has a thriving surfing community
Why build it?
The reef is an environmentally friendly, free to use sports facility that only uses natural energy to work.
Boscombe already has good surfing conditions for beginner to intermediate level surfers. These will continue to attract novices, particularly with the added benefit of an on-site surf school. The reef works with existing waves to create conditions more suited to competent, intermediate surfers.
Bournemouth already has an established surfing community, and the reef will draw more visitors to the area, making surfing in the UK far more accessible – under two hours’ drive time from London.
It will enhance the water sports on offer in the area, which already include kite-surfing, windsurfing, wake-boarding, kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, SCUBA-diving, sailing and skim-boarding.
The reef provides a good surfing break, in a cosmopolitan, thriving resort alongside great facilities, accommodation and award-winning beaches.
How will the reef be managed?
The Council will regularly inspect and maintain the reef and provide year-round lifeguard cover in partnership with the RNLI. The reef area will be marked out by buoys to help control motorised watercraft.
What about the environment?
The reef is designed for surfing, using only sustainable power of nature to make it work. Research suggests the reef will also protect the coast from erosion. Already divers have seen a variety of marine life making the reef their new home, including cuttlefish, spider crabs and a variety of fish.
Surf safety
Always
· Follow the advice of lifeguards
· Check your board for damage before use
· Wear your leash
· Stay with your board and shout for help if in difficulty
· Surf between the black and white flags
Never
· Go alone
· Ditch your board as it will help keep you afloat
· Drop in on another surfer
If you get into difficulties, stick your hand up and shout for help – but never abandon your board.
If you see someone else in difficulties, tell a lifeguard or dial 999/ 112 and ask for the Coastguard
Bournemouth Seafront Office T: 01202 451 781
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