Sand-pumped beaches a whole barrel of fun

THE Gold Coast is renowned for its perfect point breaks and delivering amazing mechanical-type barrelling surf.

When the points are firing, it is simply a miracle of perfect waves.

What a lot of surfers don’t understand is that these beaches are the most unnatural in their make-up. They have been extensively tampered with by local councils in their entire shape and design and, for the most part, the quality of surf has not been the objective but more a lucky byproduct.

Sand pumping, artificial reefs and rock walls have all been implemented along this coastline to try to protect beach erosion and maintain great beach conditions for tourists.

It’s been successful because the beaches, which were disappearing at a rapid rate 10 years ago, are now stocked with huge amounts of sand. And the surf conditions, when there is swell, are amazing.

With the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast early next year, the council has im- plemented yet another form of tampering with the coastline.

I can only assume that to assure the beaches look their best for the Games period, they now have a large ship running 24/7 up and down the Gold Coast beaches which pulls sand from about 700m out to sea, and spits the sand from out there through the ship and out the front, landing it about 200m off the beach.

The surfers are not complaining, new sand banks are appearing along all the beaches with good waves aplenty.

It will be interesting to see the long-term effects and other councils of coastal regions might analyse these systems.

If it creates waves of quality without environmental damage, it could be a great tourism attraction for surfers.