View from the deep (From Bournemouth Echo)

just remind us what this cost will you ... i am trying to get my head around it

How are the 10000 local surfers (acording to the council), the (perhaps) 50 students from the university's surfing course and the 1000's of visiting surfers (that the council hopes to attract) fit on a reef that's only about 30 meters wide?
To limit the numbers how about charging say £20 / hour to use it? The income could help pay for 'surf police' that paddle out into the bay to collect the money from the surfers.

Another fiasco - if it works it'll be too crowded and will probably be washed away in a couple of years.

A.Surfer

simonhumbly,

I think you have it right and all the reading and listening I have been doing on these things has lead me to a similar conclusion to yours -but increasing the size of the reef perhaps doubling it or building another two or three would answer most of your points .

The most important thing of course is the cost.
If it attracts (creates a demand)
Surfers then obviously in a user pays world should finance the increases in size and quantity.

That will be the real test -will it be enough to pay for itself and if it becomes crowded will the an increase in charges to lower the crowds be enough to build another ?

This is a real test for a new product and the results may yet be good if the surfers vote by their money to use the reefs waves.

I know that many are interested to see if the surfers will pay for the privilege of having better waves in greater quantity.

Its being built for them and they will determine the end judgement.

Its an interesting experiment and I feel sure many will follow its progress to what may be a suprise conclusion.

tnT

I don't think that I imagined it , but were there not reports that a second reef would be built should the first prove successful. Also isn't it a fact that this is far from the first of these Reefs to have been built and they have proved to be very successful, I know that members of my Family in NZ enjoy using one, though far too old to use it myself I am all for new facilities for others to enjoy.