The controversial artificial surf reef built in Boscombe, United Kingdom, will turn into a diving and snorkel attraction.
ASR Limited, the company which built the Boscombe surf reef, has been in liquidation since September, 2013, and the repairs needed to improve the structure won’t be completed.
“The Council has made it clear that no additional taxpayers money
will be spent enhancing the reef’s performance for surfing, and that
position remains unchanged”, explains Mark Smith, head of tourism at
Bournemouth Council.
“Plans include a commercial dive centre, a try-dive facility, and a
dive and snorkel trail around the existing reef, with additional
submerged artifacts for more experienced divers”.
Surfing and bodyboarding, however, will not be a priority despite the
investment of three million pounds. The Boscombe surf reef was
officially declared open on the 2nd November, 2009, and has been closed since May 2011, due to problems with the geotextile bags.
The authorities say that the damaged reef have also “become a draw for kayakers, stand up paddle-boarders and snorkelers, keen to catch a glimpse of the teams of marine life that have now colonized the reef”.
In 2011, only four out of its 11 performance targets were
successfully confirmed. Nick Behunin, ASR managing director, has
disappeared.
Sad news has broken of a young surfer who sadly died as the result of a shark attack in Australia
Zac Young aged nineteen was surfing off the coast of New South Wales at Campbell’s Beach,
with friend when he was a shark bit of both legs.
His friends helped him to fight the shark and he eventually broke free. The
friends dragged him to shore and tried to resuscitate him but were unable to
save him.
“His mates struggled with the shark for a short time,” said a police
inspector, Joanna Reid. “Then the shark has let go and friends then
courageously managed to get him to shore It has taken a bit of time to get
him to shore and he lost a fair amount of blood on the way. It’s just a
tragic, tragic incident.”
The attack occurred while Mr Young and his friends were surfing on Saturday
afternoon at Campbell's Beach near Coffs Harbour, about 280 miles north of
Sydney. Medics said he died of a traumatic cardiac arrest.
Surf Life Saving NSW closed all patrolled beaches in the area for 24 hours. This is the second attack in the space of two days.
Here at the Wetsuit Centre we love new products to review and give you our opinion on how the product should work for you. The latest range from O'Neill Wetsuits is the PyroTech range of wetsuits. We have looked at what the new features mean for you and compiled a video review for you to take a look at.
O'Neill's New Pyrotechwetsuit Series
combines our exclusive TechnoButter neoprene with TechnoButter-Air
Firewall insulation, single Fluid Seam Weld and F.U.Z.E Closure System.
Lighter, warmer, more insulating and quick drying with improved ease of
entry. Pyrotech is the latest advancement in cold water wetsuit
technology from the leaders in innovation for over 60 years.
• F.U.Z.E. CLOSURE SYSTEM (FRONT UPPER ZIP ENTRY)
Uses the same zipper technology as our Patented Z.E.N. Zip closure keeping you dry without restricting flexibility.
• TECHNOBUTTER & TECHNOBUTTER-AIR FIRWALL NEOPRENE
The most advanced super stretch neoprene available on the market. 20%
Lighter, 30% less water absorption with quick dry properties
• SINGEL FLUID SEAM WELD
Keeps water from entering at all seams and critical points.
• SUPER SEAL CUFFS
O’Neill’s new Super Seal Cuff is fused to create a very low profile at the cuff ending creating the best seal ever.
Now we have talked about the features lets have a look at the latest video review
After months of waiting the brand new zip free Rip Curl E Bomb Wetsuit has finally arrived for us to take an look into how it feels and looks.
This
wetsuit also features the all new E4 super stretch neoprene which is
20% more flexible more flexible than the previous E3 material and is put
into strategic parts of the wetsuit as to prevent the wetsuit from
stretching out and becoming baggie. So the rest of the wetsuit is still
made up from the previous E3 material. The new wetsuit also has Glued
and Blind Stitched seams to ensure warmth will stress points have
critical taping to prevent splitting.
Jeff runs through the features of this new wetsuit and how to get in and out of it.
At the Wetsuit Centre we love to review products so you can see if the wetsuit is right for you. Our reviews are a factual run through of the wetsuit and its features, trying to make understanding what all the jargon means a lot easier.
With the advancement in wetsuit technology a lot of the neoprenes have new improved stretch properties making wetsuits far more comfortable and better in terms of fit / warmth. In terms of c skins wetsuits being a uk based company they have managed to keep pace with the big global brands and are producing some of the best wetsuits on the market. Being a UK company also has its benefits in terms of the wetsuit is tried and tested in the cold uk waters.
Let's let Jeff run through all the features of the Legend ladies 4/3mm wetsuit.
We
have been using the O’Neill superfreak wetsuit to see how well this
wetsuit performance in the UK’s icy cold waters. The test environment
was in the English Channel, with bone chilling 8c water. Here’s our
review of the wetsuit.
About the wetsuit:
The
O’Neill Superfreak is one of O’Neills entry level wetsuits, and is
comparable to the O’Neill Epic in terms of features. However, the major
difference between the Epic and Superfreak, is that the Superfreak
features a chest entry zip. The idea behind the Superfreak is to
provide a top quality wetsuit with a chest zip, which doesn’t cost top
of the range money. The wetsuit comes in mens and youth sizes and in a
3mm, 4mm and a 5mm version. All versions are available via our website.
Superfreaks Features
First
of all we would like to say that the zip on this wetsuit feels very
solid indeed. It has the same kind of zip system as the Xcel’s, or the
RG8. Some chest entry zips you have to connect the zip together to close
it. This is eliminated with the zipper system the superfreak has
adopted. The zip comes connected, so there’s no messing around
connecting the zip together, it’s simply pull and close. We found this
system very easy to use indeed. The overhead flap for the overhead
collar features a pull cord, which tightens up the shoulder panel. This
prevents water from entering underneath the panel and inside the
wetsuit. Once the cord was tightened, it was comfortable and you didn’t
notice it was there.
Chest Entry?
Some
people might think getting in and out a chest entry wetsuit to be hard.
We found the entry and getting out of the Superfreak very easy indeed.
O’Neill has provided the wetsuit with plenty of room to get into, by
developing a cross panel in the back of the wetsuit. When this cross
panelling is stretched, it gives the wetsuits entry hole more width. As
the wetsuit is really stretchy getting out of it was a piece of cake as
well.
For
maximum comfort the collar of the wetsuit has been lined with a super
soft rubber, and the edge of the collar has been rolled over. The collar
was really comfortable and didn’t cause any rashes when used over the 8
week duration. In the back and neck area underneath the collar is the
neck barrier panelling. This system kept cold water flush at bay. If
water did get through it was met by the barrier panel and ran straight
out the drain holes in the back and arm.
Was it warm?
After
testing the wetsuit in very cold waters, we found that the Superfreak
did a very good job of keeping us warm. After a 3 hour session, the
warmth was still flowing and the wetsuit was keeping us in the water. So
what exactly maintained the warmth? Well, if you look inside the
wetsuit there’s two panels of fleece like material in the back and
chest. This material helps retain your body heat within the wetsuit.
O’Neill has also added a rubbery panel to the outside of the chest and
back area. This rubber helps water run off the wetsuits and reduces wind
chill.
So how is the flex?
The
flexibility of this wetsuit is outstanding. O’Neill state that the
wetsuit in 60% made from their fluid flex neoprene, which is 40% flex
and the other 40%, is made from 100% ultra-fex. However, it really does
feel like the wetsuit features O’Neill 100% ultra-flex all over. We
found the superfreak to be just as comfortable and flexible as some of
the top end wetsuits we sell. All the seams on the wetsuit are 100%
glued and blind stitched the plus side to not having silicon seals that
the seams are stretchier.
So do we dig it?
As
far as budget wetsuits go, you can’t go far wrong with the Superfreak!
It has all the boxes ticked, great flex, brilliant warmth and a great
price point. We would highly recommend this wetsuit to anybody looking
for a good quality wetsuit
Firstly we should look at how a wetsuit
works before deciding on which wetsuit you need for your sport. A wetsuit is constructed using neoprene
that is heated up until it expands then cooled and cut. So the material is then
cut into lengths needed to put the wetsuit together.
Once you put on the wetsuit and enter the
water the neoprene forms a thin layer between you and the water. A wetsuit is
designed to let in a little water so forming a barrier between the wetsuit and
your skin, this water then heats up to your body temperature and is maintained
at this warmth by the wetsuit. The amount of time you can use it for without
getting cold is determined by a few key factors such as thickness of the
wetsuit, water temperature and quality of the wetsuit you have.
Thickness
This is one of the most important factors
to decide upon as it will be the difference between you being warm or cold.
Winter 5/3 wetsuit
In the winter months (December to April) in
the UK we wear 5mm / 3mm full wetsuits. This means 5mm of neoprene on the body
a 3mm on the arms for flexibility. A winter wetsuit can be used in water as low
as 5c and as high as say 18c. Generally in a winter you can last up to 3 hours
before getting cold, again this is also dependant on the quality and it is
pretty much the more you spend the warmer and more flexible they become. You
will also need to buy gloves, boots & hoods.
Summer 3/2 wetsuit
In the UK a 3/2 full wetsuit is deemed as a
summer wetsuit however in say Australia this would be a winter wetsuit as the
water temperature does not fall to low. So in the UK we tend to use these from
April till November when the water is 17c up to 20c. Summer wetsuits are much
more fun to wear as they are far more flexible due to the thinner material and
you can generally last for about 4 hours. They are good pretty much any type of
water sport excluding diving if you are going deeper than 30 metres as the
neoprene will compress any deeper making it thinner and less warm. You can
purchase pre-compressed neoprene, which will not get any thinner
Shorty Wetsuits
Generally a shorty wetsuit is limited in
the UK to the months of July to September and temperatures of 20c plus. These
wetsuits have no arms or legs as they are designed to keep the core of the body
warm without any restrictions. They are usually 2mm of thickness on the body
and 1mm on the arms. Good again for pretty much all water sports.
This is a crucial element to any wetsuit
working, the fit must be good as if it is to tight it will restrict movement
make the material thinner which will cause it to be cold. To big and it will
let to much water in and your bodies core temperature will cool to quickly
making you cold. Please refer to the below video for a detailed look at how a
wetsuit should fit.
SHANE DORIAN, BENJAMIN SANCHIS & ERIC REBIERE PADDLE INTO EUROPEAN SURF HISTORY
Friday 18 Jan, 2013 (Hossegor France,)
Billabong
Adventure Division’s latest project to the Portugal’s big-wave spot of
Nazaré has resulted in Shane Dorian, Eric Rebiere and Benjamin Sanchis
surfing some of the biggest waves ever paddled into in Europe. On Friday
11th January, all three surfers caught some giant waves, with Dorian
flying in from his home in Hawaii for the one day and further cementing
his reputation as the premier big-wave surfer in the world.
“As far as intensity, power and size goes you could compare this wave to anywhere, whether it’s Cortez Bank, Jaws or Mavericks,” Dorian said afterwards. “The
waves I saw today were absolutely enormous and if you had paddled into
the biggest waves today, you would have paddled into the biggest wave
ever paddled. I have no doubt about that.”
Over
the last few years Nazaré has become recognized as one of the premier
big wave locations in the world. It was here that Hawaiian Garret
McNamara rode a wave in May 2012 that has been registered as the biggest
wave ever surfed, measuring at 78 feet high.
McNamara
used jetski assistance to catch the wave however, while Dorian, Sanchis
and Rebiere elected to paddle the infamous wave, a beachbreak with no
real channels or defined peak.
“It is so scary and so dangerous, but it has everything,” said Dorian. “It’s
super intense, super technical, big, gnarly, spooky, you know all
things we love about big wave surfing. And to surf it with Eric and
Sancho, who are a classic guys and did so well out there, was really
special. François Leits and the Billabong Adventure Division also made
it all happen so I’m just super stoked to have been a part of it.”
“This is just the start for us,” said Rebiere. “That
was the first time I had paddled Nazaré at that size. Both Sancho and I
learned a lot from Shane, from his equipment to his whole approach. We
are keen to keep paddling this wave and keep improving. The potential is
huge.”
While
Nazaré has come to the forefront of the big wave surfing over the last
few years, its offshore deepwater canyon concentrating huge swells onto
the break, this session was historic in terms of paddling. Dorian,
Sanchis and Rebiere proved that one of Europe and the world’s best and
most gnarly big wave spots can be approached with paddle power only.
Wetsuitsare essential if you plan on participating in any water sport which involves being in cold water. Advancements in wetsuit
technology have helped water sports users to keep warm in cold water for
extended periods. It is now possible to participate in water sports
throughout the year with a well made wetsuit
even in winter. If you want to keep warm in the water throughout
the winter months it is essential that you purchase a good quality winter
wetsuit.
Winter wetsuits are made up of thicker neoprene compared to summer wetsuits,
this thicker neoprene helps keep in and insulate the body’s heat. The
neoprene works by trapping a thin layer of water between the neoprene
and your body. This layer of water conducts the heat from your body and
provides warmth within the wetsuit. If you wear a summer wetsuit in the
winter it is most likely you would get extremely cold and end up with
painful cramps in your muscles. This is because the neoprene is too thin
to effectively keep the water inside the wetsuit warm. It is as
important to also get the correct fit as a wetsuit that is to big will
let in water which will cool your body to quickly and make you cold. A
wetsuit that is to tight will stretch out the neoprene making it thinner
and a colder wetsuit. Below is a guide to which wetsuit to wear in
different water temperatures.
20C’22C2mm Shorty Wetsuit 18C’20C Short or 3/2mm Full Wetsuit 15C’18C 3/2mm Full Wetsuit 12C’15C 4/3mm Full Wetsuit 9C-12C5/3mm Full Wetsuit with Wetsuit Gloves & Wetsuit Boots 9 C ‘ Below 6mm Full with Hood and Gloves & Boots
As you can see if you are the colder the
temperature of the water requires a thicker wetsuit and in water below 9c
you will need to wear a wetsuit hood and gloves. The wetsuit hood
insulates the head and helps stops essential heat escaping. Also the wetsuit hoodprevents ‘Ice cream headaches’ when being submerged under the cold water. The wetsuit gloves are used to stop the cold water from physically hurting the hands through coldness and to give them warmth.
Choosing a winter wetsuit also may
depend on how prone to cold you are and if you find yourself getting cold
you could wear a thermal rash vest to go underneath your wetsuit. A
thermal rash vest is normally made from a material called ‘Polypro’. This
material is like a close knit fleece and provides and extra layer of
insulation underneath a wetsuit.
If in any doubt please feel free to call the guys at www.wetsuitcentre.co.uk
Which Winter Wetsuit to Buy, Wetsuit Centre takes a look at the best choices on the market
The first thing you should consider when
buying your wetsuit for winter months is how much you are going to be using it.
In other words there is no point buying a top end wetsuit if you are only using
it for an hour every couple of weeks. Saying that if you do feel the cold more
and are willing to get the best wetsuit on the market it will keep you warmer. All
winter wetsuits are 5mm of neoprene on the body and 3mm on the arms. They are
also all GBS, which means on the seams they are stitched and glued together
minimizing water getting into the wetsuit.
In terms of do you get what you pay for in
winter wetsuits then it’s a big yes, the more expensive the wetsuit the more
flexible then become as higher grade neoprene is used which is softer and if it
fits well the warmer you will be and less tired. It will also have added
thermal lining properties, which are designed to wick water away from your body
and act in much the same way as thermal underwear and retain your body heat.
Most of the entry level wetsuits now have
certain critical areas such as arms, lumber region & certain parts on the
legs with the high grade neoprene. They also contain the thermal lining on the
chest & kidney areas. So we have come up with what we consider to be a really good buy if your looking for a mens winter wetsuit, ladies winter wetsuit or kids winter wetsuit
So lets take a look at a few
recommendations:
Billabong Foil / Synergy Winter Wetsuit Range
BillabongWetsuits produce a really good value for
money entry-level winter wetsuit in the foil range as above for Ladies, Men
& Kids. They all have a good amount of high-grade flex material where you
need and include thermal properties. Smooth skin is on the chest panels and is
designed to stop wind cooling the body down on winding cold days. This has
proved to be a good cost effect with a decent amount of style. The mens &
Ladies range are both £134.99 and the Kids £79.99 so they wont break the bank.
O’Neill Epic Winter
Wetsuit Range
O’Neill Wetsuits are the market leaders in
Wetsuits and for good reason these guys invented the first wetsuit. Since then
the modern day wetsuit has been continually modified to get warmer and warmer.
The Epic range again all 5/3 wetsuits all have thermal material on the chest
and lumber regions and good flex on the arms and good quality neoprene on the
legs so not to stiff. They all have smooth skin neoprene on the chest and
kidneys which is designed to stop wind getting into the wetsuit once it is wet.
Prices start at £119.99 for the men & ladies and £89.99 for the kids. Great
value and great back up from the people that know all about wetsuits O’Neill.
Rip Curl Dawn Patrol Mens, Ladies &
Kids Winter Wetsuit Range
Rip Curl are another company at the fro
front of wetsuit technology and in recent years have produced the flash dry
thermal lining which is designed to wick water away from the body and retain
heat unlike other thermal linings it is also designed to be the fastest drying
lining meaning you don’t have to wait a age to get it back on again for your
next splash. All companies keep pushing the boundaries which means now even the
entry level wetsuits have the technology and features that a top end wetsuit
would have had a few years ago. As before on the other brands Rip Curl also has
good levels of stretch material in there entry level wetsuits. Prices start at
£139 for mens & ladies and £99 for the kids.
Hope that this brief run down on the
wetsuit centre recommendations for 2013 but should you have any questions
please feel free to contact us info@wetsuitcentre.co.uk
or call 01202 302943
