former self after city authorities
removed the old Patterson Groyne
in 1985 and replaced it with a more
conventional pier.
“Groynes and sand
nourishment may enhance surfing,
but quantitative design and
prediction of this is challenging,”
says Carley, who also points out
that not all artificial structures
interact well with waves and sand
movement. “Most big coastal
structures in Australia were built
in the 1890s to 1910s, so we
have very few before and after
comparisons, with exceptions such
as Kirra Point and Snapper Rocks.
Best practice would be to try to
learn lessons and mimic from the
ones that work well... But who
knows, some of our artificial waves
which are good may have been
even better world-class rivermouth
breaks before.”
And then there’s the flipside of
the coin. Coastal structures that
have destroyed natural waves,
from Dana Point in California to
Jardim do Mar in Madeira. The
latest victim was the legendary
Balinese right-hander, Nikko,
which got cleaved in half after
developers built a jetty through
the lineup for hotel guests to moor
their boats.
Despite this, a simple numbers
comparison suggests we’ve
lost far fewer surf breaks than
we’ve gained. But looking to
the future, the development of
boating marinas, harbours and
seawalls associated with risingsea levels pose a significant risk
to existing breaks, especially in
third world countries where public
consultation may be less rigorous.
“The big dollars in these
[developments] can swamp surfing,”
says Carley. “Throw in corruption,
big money and few surfers within
the government hierarchy, and the
worldwide risk for the loss of some
surf breaks is high.”
It’s hard not to get emotional
about the potential loss of any
half-decent wave, but there
are sometimes other factors to
consider. “While many surfers
think it is all about them and surf
breaks, if fishers or boaters are
drowning, or an area’s economy is
wracked by poverty, the political
imperative for coastal structurescan be appealing,” says Carley.
The best solution? A
compromise that balances out the
competing priorities of waves and
development, like Cabo Blanco in
Peru. The construction of a fishing
pier would have been disastrous
for the spitting left-hander, but
was moved a couple hundred
metres further north after a group
of surfer-activists convinced the
government it would destroy the
wave and the economic benefits it
brought to the area.
Nobody would argue it’s
essential we remain vigilant about
protecting surf breaks and coastal
development, but it’s also worth
remembering that many similar
developments in the past created the
happy accidents we now covet.The down side to man-made intervention at premier wave spots. Jardim Do Mar, once a
world class rifling right, is now but a shell of her former self. Thanks to the ocean seawall it
only breaks on the biggest of swells, and for only an hour either side of the dead low tide. It
doesn’t end there either. If you do choose to surf it, don’t get washed in, there are thousands
of concrete teeth waiting for you on the inside.
PHOTO: SELWAY