West Australia’s Waveco Pty Ltd: Troy Bottegal, is the inventor and creator of the Airwave inflatable surf reefs – compact, inflatable bladders, shaped, positioned and anchored close to the beach, in such a way as to transform closeouts into surfable Aframe peaks.
LATEST NEWS FROM WAVECO:
Airwaves create wave conditions fromexisting, natural swells, that are perfect for beginners to advanced surfers and many other watercraft users in between.
After around 10 years of research and development, Waveco Pty Ltd, a Western Australian company, are now ready to manufacture and install the world’s very first Airwave in Bunbury.
WO R L D ‘ S F I R S T I N S T A L L A T I O N:
The world’s first test installation is scheduled for Bunbury in Jan/Feb 2019.
Site permissions and council approval are all in place. Waveco Pty Ltd intend to use the Bunbury test project to market and export the technology worldwide.
The test site, manufacturer, and marine contractors are all poised and ready for the project to begin.
FUNDING:
All that is required now is the funding for the world’s first ever inflatable surf reef. The cost of the installation, testing and study is AUD $300,000.
Troy: “I believe that hosting the world first test Airwave installation, will benefit the greater Bunbury region enormously into the future.”
AIRWAVE DESIGN:
“Airwaves are designed to be quickly and permanently installed in multiple locations along the same stretch of beach. They are also easily removed or moved if necessary.
My aim is to bring many thousands of affordable and eco-friendly surf reefs to the world’s surf beaches.
The Airwave is typically around 12 metres in diameter at the base, anchored to the ocean floor in shallow water and mimics the back of a natural reef, peaking, hollowing and tapering the swell to produce a high quality, rideable wave.
It utilizes internal sand to anchor the dome effectively and is designed to withstand significant storm events.
The inflatable dome can act across a wide variety of swell and tide profiles. It will also promote sandbank formation in the surrounding beach environment as well as helping to protect beaches from nearshore wave erosion. Airwaves are installed around 30-40 metres from the beach.
INSTILLATION:
The Airwave is constructed from a super strong, environmentally safe compound and is designed to have minimal adverse effects on the surrounding environment. It is also very simple and quick to install, taking around 10-12 hours of installation work.
The speed of installation makes the Airwave very economical and affordable to install in multiple locations, along any stretch of beach, resulting in multiple surfing peaks. The newly created wave sites will attract more people to use the beach and spread the crowds across the beach. The Airwave invention will result in more waves, in more locations around the world.
COMPARE THE AIRWAVE:
In good weather, six Airwaves could be installed along the same stretch of beach in around fourteen days. That equates to six new wave sites in two weeks.
Compare this with the twelve to eighteen months to install a typical offshore surf reef, with only one wave site created and the benefits of this new technology to mitigate surf crowding, become obvious.
As it is installed close to the beach, the Airwave has the added advantage of being very quick and safe to paddle out to, ideal for beginners, special needs groups and kids. It can also turn into a high performance wave, suitable for advanced surfers, with a jump in swell size. Filled with air, it makes for a safer surf experience all round.
RAISING FUNDS:
To raise funds for the Bunbury project, I have submitted a video and presentation to Kick Starter in August this year, which is currently live:
These funds will help to complete the final installation and testing in Bunbury.
Waveco Pty Ltd is also open to investment in the company prior to the project and would welcome expressions of interest. If this test project is successful, it will have the potential to reinvigoratethe Bunbury economy through greater tourist visitation and local public beach use, as well as create a brand new export industry for Western Australia, by completely altering the way the world builds artificial surf reefs.
CONTACT TROY BOTTEGAL:
Airwave Inflatable Surf Reefs – troy.bottegal@bigpond.com