The Airwave works on one section of the swell only, like the back edge of a reef break, making an a-frame, whilst hollowing the wave face and changing the peel pattern.
The Airwave is a very strong, fully sealed bladder. The inlet valves are designed to allow air in and prevent any leak whatsoever.
The Airwave is based on a subtly curved, low impact dome, with a large base area. The design lends itself to an extremely low impact on natural sand movement, whilst still providing the lift necessary to produce an a-frame.
The Airwave is partially filled with tonnes of sand and has a large base footprint, compared with it's overall volume and height. This is the anchoring method which makes the Airwave impossible to move.
The AIrwave for the first test will be twelve metres in diameter at the base and a maximum of two metres at the height of the back curve.
There are no studies or reliable data available around objects such as the Airwave. However, the Airwave is designed to minimally affect the sand flow. The first test will provide a great deal of sand flow data, for future analysis.
The world's first Airwave will be installed then tested for 12-18 months.
One Airwave will cost approximately US$350-400K.
Very much so. It takes around one day to install the Airwave. So multiple installations in a relatively short time period, are a very real possibility and in fact what Airwaves are ultimately designed for.
Local councils will likely be one of the the major purchasers of Airwaves, as the installations will add value to the value of local real estate, boost local beach usage, stimulate tourist revenue and attract more population to the areas towns and cities with Airwaves installed.
With low swell conditions, approximately 10 - 12 hours. Of course there is around two days set up time to set up the site for installation.
As the top of the Airwave is filled with air, it is softer than hard reef or sand, therefore providing a safer surfing alternative.
The Airwave is designed to work across a wide variety of tide and swells, causing a multitude of wave types.
As well as being designed to be low impact on the environment, the Airwave is designed to be easily removable if any environmental impact becomes evident.