First rocks dropped onto Middleton Beach seabed floor as six-week build of Southern Ocean Surf Reef begins

The first rocks of the Southern Ocean Surf Reef were dropped into the water off Middleton Beach on Tuesday morning, marking the start of construction for WA’s first artificial surf reef.

Postponed from its original Monday midday start time due to unfavourable swell and weather conditions, Heron Construction placed the first rocks on the seabed near Surfers Beach just before 9am.

A big barge holding the crushed granite rocks and the Machiavelli dredge will be a feature of the beach landscape for the next six weeks as the structure is created 140 metres from the shoreline.

The Albany surfers who have pushed for the $13 million project for more than two decades are keeping a keen eye on the swell said Albany Boardriders member and longtime project advocate Peter Bolt.

“Everyone’s been hanging out to see it all happening,” he said.

“It’ll likely take a while before any waves form up and it’ll be a few weeks before the swell starts to change but we’re watching it.

“It will be a point of interest for everyone, to watch during the build.”

Mr Bolt said the project has generated attention from other WA coastal towns, some of which have started campaigns to build artificial reefs of their own.

“There’s been a lot of interest from Bunbury and Geraldton who are looking over to see how this goes and keep up with it, so in the anticipation that its successful, they can build on their own,” he said.

“We’re nearly there but it’s been a long road.”

The layered granite rock structure will provide rideable left-hand waves up to 100m for 41 per cent of the year, suitable for beginner to intermediate surfers.