helping to save the ocean...
 

well, I'm doing my part to give back to mother nature.

Back when I worked for the city, myself and a close friend (also no longer working for the city) were involved in a project making concrete reef balls which were lowered to the ocean floor to provide an artificial reef or habitat for the marine life.

Well that was 6 years ago, and the same non for profit organizion has approached my friend and myself to donate our time to help make another 30 to 50 of these reef balls again.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love the ocean and get out fishing or out for weekend marina trips to get extremely hammered all the time! So I gladly jumped at the chance to give back to something that brings me so much joy! Turns out we are the only 2 people here in Victoria that can actually make these things too! I'll be posting some pics of these reef balls later this afternoon. We have another concrete pour scheduled for 2 this afternoon so I will put the pics up after that.

I've got a feeling that Halcyon and Tassy will want to see what these things look like, since I'm pretty sure they are both big ocean fans.

I would give my balls to the ocean also, but they are already owned by someone else.

right on austin.. is that Victoria BC?

Yep, sure is Ruth

here's some pics from yesterdays pour and some fothe finished reef balls from our first run. We've got to make about 300 of these things! :thumbsup

http://www.bigplayercash.com/images/rb1.jpg

http://www.bigplayercash.com/images/rb2.jpg

http://www.bigplayercash.com/images/rb3.jpg

http://www.bigplayercash.com/images/rb4.jpg

http://www.bigplayercash.com/images/rb5.jpg

i can't wait to get out on the barge and lower these things down to the bottom of the ocean. In about 6 months time I'm sure they'll be full of sea life!

the concrete is extremely dense in mixture and contains fibre mesh in the mix as well. These things will last for 100's of years to come.

Doesn't concrete put out toxins?

depends whats mixed in it. this blend does not

looks pretty cool.
He made fiberglass molds and all.

I bet the molds had to be waxed hardcore before pouring the concrete

how long does it take to build one of those?

so whereabouts do they get dropped? Can people see it/watch? (I'm up Island in Nanaimo, would be cool to go see)

Don't you guys think it would be better if the rocks were more rigity and not so smooth?

Good on you bro! :)

Oh, and btw
My little reef

http://www.iamsodamncool.com/will/ta...17aquarium.jpg
http://www.iamsodamncool.com/will/tank/20050617left.jpg
http://www.iamsodamncool.com/will/ta...50617right.jpg

Those are some fine looking balls

Yep, we spray them down on the inside with form release. this concrete sets so fast that we can actually strip the mold off the next day and then get them ready to rock for the next pour.

Hi Ruth,

Yep, they will be putting on the local news here in the next while. I will also do some press releases on it coast to coast both here and the US. that should really spark some interest!

awesome pics! I'd like to get a diver to take some pics of the reef balls we dropped over 6 years ago. i bet they look incredible!

:thumbsup :thumbsup :thumbsup

there's about 1 hour of set up time, and about 30 minutes to pour the 9 moulds that we have, and then about 1 hour need to strip them and move them. They are really heavy, somewhere between 200 and 300lbs each.

Thanks Coin! You should get your girls over here for a shoot on the farm! :winkwink:

I'm sure they like BIG BALLS!!! LOL!

there was a project in hawaii that involved putting old car tires in the ocean so that the coral reef would grow on it... i don't know how successful it was though... i hope it worked

wow those are trully mesmerizing! i've gone snorkling before but panicked a little when those wonderful-looking fish came close to me. they were actually below me and crazy thoughts came into my head.

you got a big Dory there...send more photos of your own reef! thanks for sharing mate :pimp

Good stuff, way to go! Getting ready to go scuba diving in a few hours :thumbsup

Very cool bro!!

In some countries, they tried using used tires as artificial reefs! And they find it very effective! ;)