Busted piston reportedly fixed, testing continues, says Surf Lakes.
A few days ago, I threw an email out to Surf Lakes media guy Wayne Dart, to see how that tank was going and if the tap had stayed on, as reported two weeks ago.
My request was given short shrift, “info going out in a few days” and a further request for an exclusive etc was met with a “There are a stack of things on the go at the moment, so nailing down a decision on media is just another thing on their list.”
Anyway, let’s turn to damn Instagram, the ghastly Mark Zuck’s plaything and that impenetrable citadel of narcissism for the latest.
You’ll remember at its initial reveal the waves were very small, one-to-two feet using a generous ruler, and the event was stymied when the giant plunger buckled while operating at only fifty percent capacity.
More, as it happens, or doesn’t, I suppose.
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they’re building it in a bond villain’s cave? it’s destined to fail at just the wrong moment.
Or, just the RIGHT moment.
mwahahaha
Surf Lakes answer to the Burj Al Arab. Might be noisy under there. Maybe that is why their concept drawing has a runway out to the centre
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Just looking at their website – for any updates. And this caught my eye – re a Gold Coast facility
Based on this, a unique surfing facility on the Gold Coast should be able to achieve 600,000 visitors per annum. This would be a combination of beginner surfers, regular surfers, non-surfers (family members), competitors, spectators and beach goers.
Anticipated revenue on 600,000 attendees per annum are estimated to be at least $42M per annum.
So whilst I initially thought their visitor numbers were a tad too excited, I was interested to see that their revenue forecasts are based off a total spend of $70 a person. That sounds super cheap relative to other pools and other types of activities in the area.
Does anyone know what the Melb Pool is going to be charging when it opens up?
The “average spend” might be a far cry from what you’ll pay for an hour session.
They’re probably projecting those numbers off a family of four. (average $280 for 4 people based off your figure)
Dad goes for a surf.
One child joins a $30/1hr beginners group lesson.
Mum is a non-surfing visitor along with the other child.
Afterward the whole family has lunch for $20 each.
So dad’s 1 hour surf might’ve been more like $170, bringing the average up to $70pp.
It’s standard practice to inflate projections with hopeful numbers like this – and the margin is probably higher on food & bev so they actually WANT those non-surfing visitors.
Exactly. You make some good points. Lets hope its not $170 a pop – that would really annoy me.
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
I just saw this guy at the quay getting more air than a yepoon ramp could give him. https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
does he plunge up and down?
Does he have a Gimp-sax leather band playing on his rusty doughnut?
Last time they stupidly invited the whole world in before knowing if it could work. This time they told us they were filling the pool. Now this pic showing nothing. They are asking for trouble. Why not just head up there with a drone and shoot some footage yourself? Surely someone is close by who could do it. Shouldn’t be too hard.
Maybe put the job out on airtasker.
1 – 2 feet using a very generous ruler, would that make it 3 – 4 feet using the Kelly pool / WSL ruler?
Kelly’s pool is bigger than it looks…
Yeah, me too
how nice does that look though.
It sure is the prettiest of all the tanks…
I feel so warm looking at that.
pack light.
spend the morning chasing barramundi on the town stretches of the Fitzroy then a little wiggle in the tub.
Unlike Florence you will never feel the shame of being under-dressed for it.
A counter meal in town between sessions, visit the local hostel for kicks etc.
maybe dodge a rum-crazed fifo worker who needs a fight.
You guys should take this on the road
Billboard it.
Pretty much Bribie minus the Barra.
Will you be surfing the Palmie artificial reef, mate? How long until it is another useless straight hander?
I’ll go up and have a look next E swell.
Looks interesting ay. Wonder if it’s just a Qld/Goldy thing or if it could be rolled out elsewhere? Imagine how much coastline there is that would become infinitely more surfable.
You could sell lots stretching all the way up Stockton beach.
Nothing is going to be happening on the NSW coast for a while. Its been paralysis by analysis for a long long time and unlikely to change in the near future given who is calling the shots.
Yeah qld has always been more lax. Remember getting a boat into an island onto a small island in the Whitsundays that was completely surrounded by reef except for a perfectly sized and situated entry spot. I remarked something to that effect and the boat driver laughed and said, ‘TNT mate – ya gotta love Joh Bjelke’
Stockton was once a great wave. Up the Hossy in a NE swell, and Sygna(RIP) so many great memories.
Fucked now, but the odd cracker bank along stretch has been had during that last swell with nobody in sight. https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Yeah you always spot the odd bank or two flying outta Willismtown. I’ve heard legendary Sygna stories and still have a couple old mags with sweet Dave Kelly shots of the likes of Hoy, Edser, Jamie Lambert etc
I was surfing with a bloke ,(I had met in France) , somewhere south of Forster and he told me that Stockton was a nursery for Great White Sharks before they moved a little further north while they were growing up . I didn’t think too much about it until I saw this a few years later …https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4bc-C…
so funny, how they rip it in catching it.. then they are so gentle putting it back.. LOL.. they changed the music and all.. LOL like a children’s tale on saving a shark.. good article about how giving them human names and human characteristics is a big mistake up in New England, that they are killing machines that don’t really care when they make a mistake. They allow folks who donate to the conservation to name them.. imagine if “your” shark kills someone.. fuck
Yes, know these guys.
They werent popular with Stocko crew. Baiting up is one thing but a lot of fishos would burley up on beach in front of us surfing up at Sygna. All redneck fishos from Cessnock way. It got popular there for a while and plenty of sharks werent let go. Would see a few Whites dead on beach with jaws cut out. Fkn rednecks.
Plenty of confrontations ensured and have many a shark incident from those years of having that spot as my local.
Still a breeding ground.
The stories kept the crowds away and we could pick our bank along the stretch though.
Had a good surf there a month ago and still only a local few.
Let it stay that way and enjoy it to yourselves ! Is Damien Iredale still Surfing up that way ?
Nah, left Stocko years ago. Been down Catho way for a while now. His brother Donny stayed Stocko but recently passed away.
Thanks . Never met Donny but it’s always sad to see young blokes under the age of 80 pass away . Damien surfed for SKY , as I did , and was a good friend of my mate in Cronulla as they competed against each other since they were kids .
Sky, Byron Bay? Did you know a bloke nicknamed ‘Sparrow’? Used to work in Jim Banks shop. Moved to Queensland in the 90s from the ‘Nulla.
Yep , SKY from Byron ! Dave (Sparrow) , a very talented and stylish natural footer from Elouera before moving up the coast . He won the 2008 40 + Australian Masters Title .Spoke recently in March on the South Coast with an old club mate and it appears that , after a colorful life , he has been working in Indonesia on Surf charters .
I met Sparrow working at a privately run skate park in Brisbane. He was pretty much out of the water for some reason or another I can’t recall. Glad he got back in!
Sky was always the dream board back in the day. Michael Cundith sure knew how to put a twin-fin together.
6 degrees of separation eh?
It will sink…..just like all the ones before. Thats the major issue with these types of artificial reefs sadly.
Why don’t they just run a few jetty’s out there, they always seem to work pretty good. Surely whatever they do will have an affect on Burleigh.
There has been a natural effect this year with north easterlies in winter scouring out sand from most east coast points from Lennox north. Not promising for summer cyclone season at the moment.
All it takes is a flash of Yeppoon and I go weak in the knees
its got a “GW artists impression” look to it.
Plunging to new depths.
Dogsnuts on donuts.