Closed - but Boscombe bodyboarders still love the surf reef (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Closed - but Boscombe bodyboarders still love the surf reef
11:30am Monday 30th April 2012 in News By Stephen Bailey
Bodyboarders Clive Stopper, James Blackwell and Paul Middlewick are still using the reef at Boscombe despite it being officially closed
A GROUP of bodyboarders love using the Boscombe Surf Reef despite it being officially closed on safety grounds.
They say around 20 bodyboarders – and a handful of stand-up surfers – still use the reef, which they claim is far less dangerous than a natural reef.
But Bournemouth council has repeated its advice that people should not use the reef.
Paul Middlewick, 29, an aerospace engineer from Southbourne, said: “We know we are in the minority of those who do actually think it’s alright.
“It’s faster and more difficult than the waves at the beach.
“We have been around the world and all completed at national level and we know what we are talking about.
“The longboarders wanted waves where they could stand up for 200 metres. They hate it because it’s a dumpy, difficult ride, and they haven’t got the long, perfect wave they were promised.
“The quality is quite unpredictable but there’s no issue over safety at all. We’ve all been in a lot more dangerous positions than on the Boscombe Surf Reef.
“If you go in, the RNLI warn you, but they can’t stop you.”
He added: “This was a run-down area before and no one came down.
“£3million for the regeneration of this area is peanuts, really.”
The reef was opened in November 2009 but closed in spring 2011 after the council discovered two damaged bags had partially deflated, following a reported boat strike.
Clive Stopper, 28, from Southbourne, said: “The power of the reef waves is tenfold that on the beaches.
“I paddle out knowing even a small wave will pack a punch, something that will never happen on the beach.
“I don’t think you will find many surfers travelling up from Cornwall because the variety and quality there will always be that much greater.
“But I have been using the reef consistently and it has provided some of the best surfing I’ve had in Bourn-emouth.
“And you cannot have a safer alternative.
“If you get slammed on the bags, all you do is bounce!”
James Blackwell, 23, from Southbourne, an aerospace engineer, and former national bodyboarding champion, said: “It’s a really good wave for bodyboarders, really powerful – you can go a lot faster than you can by the beach.
“Any reef in the world is a lot more dangerous than this.”
A Bournemouth council spokesman said: “The reef has been closed for safety reasons and therefore we would advise people not to use it.”
Comments(22)
tapeworm
says...
11:50am Mon 30 Apr 12
Exactly what I've been saying all along.
MikeFrench
says...
11:51am Mon 30 Apr 12
Is it really??
I see the 'reef' every day from the clifftop and it is very rare that I see anyone bothering with it - anyone with any local knowledge would know that the West side of Boscombe pier is far better for surfing.
MrPitiful
says...
11:51am Mon 30 Apr 12
Hold on to your hats!!
John T
says...
11:56am Mon 30 Apr 12
MrPitiful wrote:It's Bob49 actually...perhaps you should lay off that VAT69 for a bit!
Oh my Lord, wait until that old Bob79 bloke & all the others who hang on to his every word see this! Hold on to your hats!!
Bob49
says...
12:10pm Mon 30 Apr 12
Mind you I think we can guess where this ridiculous, last desperate puff is coming from -
"£3million for the regeneration of this area is peanuts, really.”
£3m ?
The known figure is closer to £13m, with over £2m having to be taken from the capital reserves to bail out the losses. This figure does not include the costs of repairing the crumbling pier and it's broken lights, or the unknown costs of the final removal of this beach hazard.
As to regeneration, what is actually meant is exclusivity for the Barratt flats as the beach is almost empty in the summer. Anyone visiting the area will see what was left has been mostly washed away leaving a horrible pebble strewen mess. Even the volley ball courts are now in danger of of being washed away.
So what next ?
The Imax and "how we all still watch films there and what a great earner this has been for the council" ?
John T
says...
12:21pm Mon 30 Apr 12
MrPitiful wrote:Ahoy, ye and avast, ye scoundrel!
Oh my Lord, wait until that old Bob79 bloke & all the others who hang on to his every word see this! Hold on to your hats!!
I hear word that Capt. Ahab (retd) has been spotted hereabouts.
thevisitor
says...
12:29pm Mon 30 Apr 12
paulhumber123
says...
12:54pm Mon 30 Apr 12
it seems the regeneration is to blame for all the bad weather we've had recently washing away the sand!
nice on bob!
paulhumber123
says...
1:02pm Mon 30 Apr 12
stopps
says...
1:13pm Mon 30 Apr 12
Bob49
says...
1:20pm Mon 30 Apr 12
As to the regeneration that has been a failure, as admitted by the council. That's why it is never refered to as such.
The discussion amongst a certain number now is when will the remains of the reef be removed, how much will it cost and from where will the money come from ?
'Heroic' last efforts to save it are doomed. That was why the there was no surf festival this year and why the surf pods have been renamed beach pods.
Perhaps Canute like, you might want to round up a few more to cling onto the volleyball posts before they are washed away, that's if you can remove all the volleyball players who have been playing there all winter - mostly at night, we are told.
paulhumber123
says...
1:30pm Mon 30 Apr 12
good one bob!
stopps
says...
4:31pm Mon 30 Apr 12
Bob49
says...
5:38pm Mon 30 Apr 12
Now perhaps you could tell us how good the films are at the Imax, and why it is still worth keeping.
Dr Strangelove
says...
10:00pm Mon 30 Apr 12
MikeFrench
says...
3:12am Tue 1 May 12
penhale
says...
9:16am Tue 1 May 12
stopps wrote:Here we go another school teacher.
Perhaps that £3 m (£13m accoRding to gob49 ) Would be bettEr spent on eduCating pAuLhumber123 how to spell.
Bob49
says...
1:05pm Tue 1 May 12
MikeFrench wrote:Could this be the same Paul Humber whose 'enhanced' photos are on an ASR blog and being used to demonstrate that the reef works ? Perhaps an undeclared interest.
Another 'enhanced' photo required to show how wonderful the reef is me thinks.........
As to the reasons behind this last desperate attempt to stop what's left of the reef from finally being dredged out, I should imagine that the consequent fall out might be a bit uncomfortable for some.
Much needed answers might be pushed for and the true level of losses and future liabilities could also be revealed. It could then be seen for what is was - no more than a multi million pound marketing ploy for the Moneycome development, paid for by us the taxpayer.
anonymoussurf
says...
3:42pm Tue 1 May 12
et.com/albums/b354/b
leh5150/tellmemore.j
pg
Ultrarunner
says...
6:35pm Fri 4 May 12
Bob49
says...
9:14pm Tue 8 May 12
NOBODY envisaged anything other than what has happened. Check past posts when this was predicted over 5 years ago.
Carry on with your delusions and the 'Brigadoon' style surfing and boat strikes. None of which happen as well we all know and you do as well.
The real point is who is going to pay to have this rotting, safety hazard finally dredged up - as it cannot continue to slowly disintegrate leaving the beach virtually closed off to visitors for yet another summer season.
John T says...
11:48am Mon 30 Apr 12
If you, the Council Taxpayer, pay peanuts, you can expect monkeys like this.