It looks like you boys maybe getting a few new toys to play on. Wave Pools (about time) and artificial reefs are apparently at the top of the wish list. Might help free up the SUP issues at the Alley

Whats the go CMC - are you standing for this task force?

http://www.businessgc.com.au/GCSITF

The Gold Coast Surf Industry Taskforce (GCSITF) is an industry-led initiative to help grow and support the multi-billion dollar surf industry on the Gold Coast. The taskforce was established in February 2011 by the Gold Coast City Council to act as a single, collective, co-ordinated voice on behalf of the surf industry. The mission of the taskforce is to promote the continued growth and vitality of the Gold Coast surf cluster as a "global industry leader" and position surf businesses to capitalise on emerging opportunities.

Yeah Ted, I have been an official observer with this team for the past year. I have been asked to join officially this year. I am unsure if I can as I have family and a couple of new business projects on the go that may limit my time somewhat.

There are some very influential people and brains involved, I am hoping that they achieve some of these goals.

yeah it looks interesting and its probably about time something like this got underway. Has Surfrider been involved?

Has the taskforce identified specific locations for the artificial reef(s) yet CMC

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doggie said...

Shut up Doggie.

The reefs etc are really just talk at this stage to be honest.

The task force exists more on the business side to foster educational projects and make alliances with other surf central cities to benefit the Gold Coast Industry. It contributes about 3.3 Billion yearly to our economy.

One of the current projects is at the moment developing formal trade qualifications for surfboard manufacturing in conjuction with the Australian Surf Craft Industry Association.

This is exciting news for the GC and the rest of the world. Hopefully this task force will be able to help improve the surf industry business and at the same time come up with some great initiatives to improve respect and stoke in the line up.

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Adapt said...

This is exciting news for the GC and the rest of the world. Hopefully this task force will be able to help improve the surf industry business and at the same time come up with some great initiatives to improve respect and stoke in the line up.

you dont need that..you made your first steps towards being more stoked,by posting in the beer garden

hope they really, really have these artificial reefs etc worked out.

generally, when you put something in one place you affect somewhere else.

sand pumping into snapper comes to mind

Did the artifical reef at Narrow neck have an effect on the area around it anywhere?

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laceys lane said...

hope they really, really have these artificial reefs etc worked out.

generally, when you put something in one place you affect somewhere else.

sand pumping into snapper comes to mind

Yes un-intended consequences are a major cause for concern. As would be the possible builders of the reefs. I shall not name names but one mob imparticular comes to mind that has failed repeatedly to deliver on promises that it has made to local communities across the globe to produce nice surfable waves. Its a shame that these have never worked but I can never understand why they are repeatedly given more money at different locations to try and make it work.

Sorry guys , but is this just another association with its hand out $

Hope not

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Adapt said...

Did the artifical reef at Narrow neck have an effect on the area around it anywhere?

So has it really achieved its goal of being a surfing reef???????? I have never surfed this area before or after the reef was done.


Here is an abstract from a paper titled "Narrowneck Reef: Review of Seven Years of Monitoring"

The Narrowneck Artificial Reef is a large submerged structure constructed in 1999-2000 as a key component of the Northern Gold Coast Beach Protection Strategy (NGCBPS) implemented by Gold Coast City Council (GCCC). While primarily a coastal protection structure, its secondary objective was to improve surfing. Since its construction, comprehensive monitoring has been undertaken. To date, the reef has been a success in terms of retaining the wider nourished beach. The structural performance has been satisfactory, with ongoing improvements, and the geotextile has provided a surprisingly good substrate for development of a diverse marine community. In terms of surfing, the reef has achieved its goal and provides improved surfing conditions for a wide range of surf craft. Evaluation of the incidence of wave breaking shows that breaking is initiated on the reef for wave heights over 0.7 m to 2.0 m, depending on the tide. For an average year, waves break on the reef approximately 50% of the time. While waves tend to be more spilling than plunging in average conditions, larger swells, lower tides, and offshore winds have the potential to produce hollow, plunging breakers. The reef needs long period, clean swell to replicate the modeling. As Gold Coast wave conditions are usually bi-modal and often short-crested, there have only been a few examples where this has been the case. Bar formations around the salient also provide favorable conditions on the shore-break and the reef break often merges with the adjacent bar break to
extend ride lengths. GPS data shows that recorded rides average 150 to 200 m, but have reached up to 260 to 270 m. Similarly, recorded ride times have reached up to 60 seconds. Despite being home to a number of regular and one-off surfing
events, Narrowneck reef has not gained a widespread reputation as a great surf spot. Part of the reason for this appears to be that it is surrounded by world-class surfing breaks and typically these locations work in similar conditions as the reef.
The fact that the takeoff area is 300 m offshore also seems to make the reef break less attractive to surfers. Media hype prior to reef construction led to unrealistically high expectations that the reef would perform in all conditions and press statements
criticizing the reef before completion has also negatively impacted public perception of its success. While the objective of improved surfing has definitely been achieved, it was not well quantified. While the design has progressively evolved during maintenance works to improve surfing and safety, further improvements specifically improve surfing are not considered warranted.

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weiry said...

Sorry guys , but is this just another association with its hand out $

Hope not

Hey Weiry,

That's a great question mate. If you look at the people involved they are all professional people either from Universities, Surfing QLD, Surfing Australia, Business development in Tourism or the Gold Coast City Council or respected Surf Industry executives. There is no money paid and all positions are voluntary.

The task force exists to ensure that the surf industry a major industry here on the Gold Coast is able to maintain its valuable contribution to the local economy.

As I said above, I have been at many of these meetings as I was invited due to my manufacturing supply background and also qualifications in education. I have been part of the team helping to establish formal recognition of the trade of manufacturing surfboards.

I am still considering my further involvement for 2012, I have a lot on my plate right now.

Cheers mate, your question has been one of the first questions most people who are rightfully sceptical ask.

Thanks CMC,
i know its a prickly one, but one that must be asked and answered and with that you have informed us all,
cheers mate and good luck

i heard they want to put a reef in front of snapper so they don't have to keep pumping sand.

500 m directly in front of lm

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laceys lane said...

i heard they want to put a reef in front of snapper so they don't have to keep pumping sand.

500 m directly in front of lm

if that happens I'm moving south

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62mac said...

laceys lane said...

i heard they want to put a reef in front of snapper so they don't have to keep pumping sand.

500 m directly in front of lm

if that happens I'm moving south

haha,it had to be you

cheers