Bournemouth, England - The first artificial reef for surfers taking shape in Europe. The structure set up to double the size of the waves of a surf spot on the coast of Bournemouth in the county of Dorset.

Thousands of tons of sand were transported in bags that are piled and anchored in the bottom of the sea But the first such project in the Northern Hemisphere has faced many problems, such as increased costs from 1.6 million to 3.4 million. Reef Construction began last fall, but bad weather had caused the collapse of piles of sandbags and delayed the work to resume this summer.

The reef is located 210 meters from the coast and will be finished by October. It will produce waves of 4 meters high, boost their natural height. The system was designed by ASR Ltd., A company founded by oceanographer Kerry Black, who has traveled across the Pacific to study 44 of the best surf spots worldwide. He explained that to get the type of wave surfers appreciated, it must break the shape of the beach and that is what will the artificial reef.

Paul Clark, the center of surfing said: "The surf has reached our shores in 60 years and now Bournemouth has the third largest share of surfers in the country." According to him, the reef will be a huge attraction and will provide close to the waves of the Atlantic rollers.

The construction of this reef is part of a broader redevelopment of the seafront of Bournemouth. Luxury apartments have been built along the coast, as well as restaurants and surf shops. About 60 huts were designed by Wayne Hemingway and will sell at a price of 100 000 €.