Though it's already been ridable for a few months, today the ribbon was cut at Albany's artificial reef.

Politicians gathered to expound the virtues of said reef, and it's fair to say, the reef performs far better than expectations.

Swellnet will shortly run an interview with one of the engineers to explain how, to date, artificial reefs have underperformed and fallen apart, and yet now are creating the waves we were promised three decades ago.

Surfers of a certain vintage may recall the excitement generated by the initial burst of artificial reef research. Way back in the nineties, coastal scientists provided a response to problems such as increasing crowds or surf spot destruction: just build more reefs.

A lot of energy went into both the design of said reefs and clearing the many policy hurdles, yet despite good intentions every example either failed (Boscombe, Kovala, Mount Maunganui) or was underwhelming (Narrowneck).

To be fair, the reef at Narrowneck underwhelmed because its primary purpose was to halt erosion and surfing amenity was tacked onto the ambit late in the piece.

Soon enough, Webber and Slater entered the picture, the latter unveiling his pool in 2015 which precipitated a rush of tubs, and suddenly the notion of ‘artificial waves’ involved chlorine and plungers not sandbags and rock.

There are exceptions. Palm Beach Artificial Reef was unveiled in 2019, and despite also being designed to halt erosion, more emphasis was placed on surfing and the decision paid off with good waves.

More recently, footage began seeping out of Albany, Western Australia, showing great surf on the newly constructed reef. Albany’s reef is unique in that its sole and primary purpose is surfing. Unlike Narrowneck or Palm Beach, the success of Albany is judged by wave quality and nothing else.

The campaign for a reef at Albany began way back in the nineties during that first wave of interest in artificial reefs.

“I came back to Albany in 1990," Peter Bolt, one of the reef’s long-time advocates, told the ABC. "And we started working on a feasibility study for the artificial surf reef at Middleton Beach.”

"We just felt that's where we needed the juniors to have something decent to surf…in town where they can get access to it."

When enthusiasm turned to wavepools, the crew at Albany maintained their vision for a reef. Their lobbying paid off when, in 2017, political horse trading saw both major parties at state level pledge $5 million towards the reef. 

That action saw other entities: the local council, the local quarry, also pledge their help. Perhaps more critically, coastal engineers Bluecoast were contracted to do investigative work, providing the first concrete step towards reality.

The final break came in 2022 when the federal parties came on board, both pledging $5 million to get the reef over the line.

In quick time, expressions of interest were sought, tenders were called and contracts were signed to do the heavy lifting of transporting 70,000 tonnes of rock out to the location.

Construction work at Middleton Beach in April this year

Beginning earlier this year, a specialist marine engineering crew from New Zealand spent close to six months in Albany building the wave. The process involved precision geospatial equipment to spread three graded layers of granite rock.

Unlike wavepools, which create wave shape by controlling the incoming wave energy - how it's timed, how it's staggered - the success of artificial reefs rests solely on bottom shape. The long history of artificial reefs created little optimism that Albany would be any different.

Yet something is very different at Albany.

Research has progressed markedly since the nineties and artificial reefs are no longer geotextile bags dropped haphazardly. Every example of a geotextile reef has failed due to the bags splitting, shifting, or settling.

"So,” says Peter Bolt of Albany’s long gestation period, “it was not bad timing in some ways, looking back in hindsight."

Stay tuned for a longer interview.