The first process is rolling out the geotextile mat (geo-mat) which is the base layer of reef and prevents the reef from sinking into the seabed and moving around.

With a crew the geo-mat, which at 50x70meters is approximately the size of a football pitch, is rolled out onto a field at the secret location and sections will be sewn together – this will take a couple of days.

Click on the play button in the black box below to view an interview with Dr Shaw Mead, Surf Reef Designer. This footage and images cannot be used without prior permission. Copyright Bournemouth Tourism



Then the next layer, the webbing base, will be sewn to the geo-mat and the geotextile bags harnessed to the webbing base.

This first section of the reef will be concertinaed and placed onto a barge and transported to the site in Boscombe where five-tonne anchor blocks will be placed on Boscombe seabed.

The reef structure is made up of five bags and each of these will be filled in turn one-by-one in strict sequence, this is anticipated to take three months.

What is going on at Boscombe Beach?

The Boscombe beach site is being prepared by ASR. A small section of the beach is being cordoned off and the sand is being refined in preparation to fill the bags. This will then be pumped using piping from the beach to the reef construction site which is 260 meters offshore.


These images cannot be used without prior permission © Bournemouth Tourism