Predictability is a concept that is dear to surfers all around the world. Imagine knowing with high accuracy when you'd score perfect waves in the ocean. The idyllic scenario has pretty much improved with advancements in surf forecasting, but the existence of coral reefs adds another layer of consistency to surf breaks. The thing is, perfect or near-perfect natural reefs for surfing are rare. The only alternative is creating them. And that's precisely what a group of surf enthusiasts is trying to do at Back Beach in Bunbury, Western Australia, between the local surf club and Hungry Hollow. The initiative is not new. Around 2018, Troy Bottegal and his team tried to deploy a 12-meter round inflatable reef at this same spot. However, ripped seams put the project on hold for several years. Bunbury Artificial Reef's Second Life Bottegal did give up. He and his committee redesigned the whole project and presented a new artificial reef, shaped like a compact triangle of multi-layered granite

The older a surfer gets, the harder it is to stay fit to tackle more challenging and prolonged surf sessions. Here's what swimming taught me. The words are from Jarvis Cocker, the frontman of the legendary British band Pulp. Help the agedone time they were just like you. Help the aged'cause one day you'll be older too. It's really inevitable, and it doesn't happen only to others. Aging does take its toll on surfers, too. Let me share a few personal insights with you. I was blessed with an above-average metabolism, and my weight is one of the steadiest I know among friends and family. It's true that I also work for it. But I do not have to make many concessions to my diet and food and drink pleasures. I follow a classic Mediterranean diet, with less meat and more fish, many salads with a lot of olive oil, mozzarella, fruits, and, obviously, bread and butter. I very rarely drink soft drinks - maybe a Coke with a lemon and ice ten times a year - and my alcohol intake might be reduced to a

In the 1960s and 1970s, an unusual surf market phenomenon hit Australia before expanding to other parts of the world. It was the Coolite surfboard. The shortboard revolution was a process that changed surfing forever. It reshaped wave-riding vehicles from heavy, long boards in the nine-foot-plus range to light, highly maneuverable six-foot weapons. It did not take place in a couple of months, but mainly between 1967 and 1970. However, before that, one surfboard concept changed the lives of many youngsters during the summer holidays. It was called the Coolite. Cheap, Light, and Fun Coolite was an inexpensive polystyrene beaded foam surfboard that introduced many people to surfing, including future world champions like Damien Hardman, Pam Burridge, and Tom Carroll. The original Coolite was a small board. It was around 4'-5' long, 18 to 20 inches wide, and roughly four to six inches thick. The shapes varied a little, but most of them featured a sunken deck that resulted in one or two long

I have found a quiet community on a sunny coastline to stay for the winter. The place is remote, and it feels fresh. I have been without a car, phone, and a clock for a month now and don't miss them at all. There are no utility companies that service this peninsula, so residents are all on solar power here. This is a new experience for me, and I have wanted to go fairly native for a while, so it is a welcomed adjustment. My inexpensive rental is in good proximity to a couple of surf spots. It is not the best time of year for strong swells to hit this coast, but I have been riding small, good-shaped waves every day, and often alone. Lots of water time. I don't think I have been this tan in years. This is the dry season, so it is easy to cruise here with warm, comfortable daytime temps and not much humidity. I am feeling very free and better than I have in a long, long time. With no one else in the water and being such a removed region to live in, I am learning more about myself. The lea

If you're mostly an urban surfer, how do you know you're riding waves in safe, unpolluted waters? Are there any indications that you could be putting your health and life at stake? More and more surfers worldwide report sickness episodes after being in contact with near-urban areas and industrial sites. The Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) is a volunteer water quality monitoring program run by the Surfrider Foundation. It's thanks to Surfrider that many of our cherished beaches and water playgrounds are still relatively accessible and usable. The non-profit environmental organization has been successfully working to protect the world's oceans and coastlines since 1984. The BWTF is one of their several tools to monitor the quality of the waters where people fish, swim, and surf. Across the world, other regional and national non-governmental organizations, like Surfers Against Sewage in the UK, also check if seawater is safe for recreational purposes. All these independent entities fill the