Engineered Surf Break, Number One

"I'm just a surfer who wanted to build something that would allow me to surf longer."
- Jack O'Neill -

I am an engineer and designer by nature.

How did I get this way?

It's just the way Jesus/God wired my brain. The aspect of God’s image I exhibit most strongly is a reflection of his nature as the Creator of all things. I think of and refer to myself as "creator" (NOTE the lowercase ‘c’ - I’m not pretending to be in competition by any means!)

Here on Steemit, I'm @creatr - simply by virtue of the fact that when I arrived about a year ago, the name 'creator' was already taken.

I love to dream up wonderful things to make and build.

Here's one of my favorite concepts:

The Engineered Surf Break.

I love to make and build wonderful things.
Image courtesy of Jeremy Bishop and http://unsplash.com

Try to imagine the perfect break.

At the perfect surf break, the swell is always coming from just the right direction. The size of the swell always perfectly matches the depth of the reef and the contour of the bottom. Incredible A-frame peaks rise up, curl over, and peel smoothly in both directions, creating ideal lefts and rights.

How do we achieve such magic?

Picture an immense floating platform, something like an oceangoing oil rig.

Something like an oceangoing oil rig.
Image courtesy of SupercarwaarCC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

At each corner of the platform,

there is a floatation column with adjustable buoyancy. The entire platform can be accurately positioned by rotating it to align it to any point of the compass. You can also raise it up and down via buoyancy control.

The middle of the platform is held below the ocean surface. It is contoured like a reef, with point breaks and shore breaks carefully positioned at assorted angles.

The surface of this "artificial reef" is covered with a firm but pliable rubber mat, much like a gym mat.

No rock or coral on the reef...
Image courtesy of Cameron Kirby and http://unsplash.com

Imagine that!

When you wipe out at this break, instead of being chewed up on rock or coral, you simply bounce off the soft bottom.

Place the platform somewhere a ways off shore - ideally beyond the artificial territorial boundaries claimed by abusive nation-states.

Orient the platform to optimally face the prevailing swell of the day. As the swell direction changes, fine tune the platform alignment to always face the incoming waves.

Adjust the buoyancy of the flotation columns so that the reef depth is perfectly suited to the magnitude of the swell at all times.

At one end of the platform,

place a sizable deck that is well above the water. The deck is where you build your boat landing and heliport, your restaurants and locker rooms. Ferry surfers back and forth from the mainland by sea and by air.

Put in a hotel, and maybe a campground for the less-well-heeled surf tourists. Dredge up some nice sand for artificial beaches. There's a little something here for everyone.

Establish a Five-Star Resort.
Image courtesy of Dilek Durgun and http://unsplash.com

Install tow-lines

for those surfers anxious to catch every possible wave. Sell lift-ticket wristbands, but allow anyone who wants to simply "paddle out" as usual.

If you do this right, you'll have built a regular Disneyland for surfers.

Charge admission.

Install a beginner break for grommies.
Open a surf school.
Rent campsites.
Run a five-star hotel.
Make a few bucks.

Every day, pump a lot of surfers up like they've never been pumped before. Get stoked.

Have fun!

Visit my Library Surfing Shelf for more great surf stories.

_FIN

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Thanks for your time and attention.
You are why I'm here on Steemit!
I have very eclectic interests and hope, over time, to write about them all.