Coastal impacts of marine renewables: perception of breaker characteristics by beach water users

Abstract

ABSTRACT Stokes, C., Beaumont, E., Russell, P., Greaves, D., 2014. Coastal Impacts of Marine Renewables: Perception of Breaker Characteristics by Beach Water Users. In: Green, A.N. and Cooper, J.A.G. (eds.), Proceedings 13th International Coastal Symposium (Durban, South Africa), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 70, pp. 389–394, ISSN 0749-0208. Beach water users such as bathers and surfers are of economic importance to tourism in Cornwall, UK. Wave energy converters soon to be trialed at the ‘Wave Hub’ marine renewables test site in Cornwall, may reduce inshore wave heights and have an unknown effect on wave period, therefore potentially affecting water recreation and tourism on the beaches in its lee. There is little existing research to indicate what surf conditions are ‘preferred’ by various beach water user groups, and how they perceive different wave conditions has never been investigated. Without an understanding of how waves are observed and described by water users, little can be sai...