V-Walls have the potential to create high quality surf, provide safe swimming zones, mitigate coastal erosion and create new habitat, while being moveable and therefore removable. No other alternative available today can offer such a broad range of advantages.
Over the last year we have continued to develop the Vwall design and run numerical models to analyse how the Vwalls will influence wave interactions and the sediment transport nearby. Our initial report was completed in August 2020 and is available by request. In short it was found that, yes, as we surfers know the waves will reflect off the angled walls and intersect with the oncoming waves to make nice wedge waves where otherwise there would be close-outs. Second to that, it was established that most of the wave energy will be deflected away from the shoreline thereby reducing wave energy in the lee of each structure by up to 87%. ( see PDF V-Wall: Feasibility Assessment) This will not only result in safe swimming zones behind each Vwall but will also assist in decreasing coastal erosion. With high profile erosion hotspots like Collaroy beach in Sydney, and over 1000 properties in NSW alone at some level of risk from erosion, (see PDF Coastal Erosion in NSW Statewide Exposure Assessment report.), the need for a new solution seems obvious.
As you might have noticed we have also developed a sealed or enclosed version of the Vwall which can of course pivot in the same way as the original hinged version, but has the functional benefit of being directly engaged with the seabed. This significantly enhances the stability of the structure in large swells. See V-wall enclosed.
Webber Reefs 