The town of Bascombe in Dorset County England has wagered a hefty sum of pounds in the hopes that a new artificial reef will deliver it a much-needed economic boost. The reef is serving as a centerpiece of a new seafront promenade that the town is hoping will improve its gritty image. But construction on the reef took a year longer than expected, and cost the city three million British pounds, twice as much as originally anticipated.

Now that he reef has been completed the question isn't just whether or not it will work, but what kind of customer it will attract if it does. Will it help or hurt its image problems? Needless to say there are some nervous city council members praying for surf. It's been flat since it officially opened, but there is a tiny little wedge folding out there that's attracted a few boogers. Yet the final verdict isn't likely to be known for at least a year, when sand buildup around the 55 giant submerged "geotextile bags" is expected to maximize its potential.

Dorset sits in the English Channel along the South West coast of England.The construction was completed by the New Zealand based company called ASR, who built the Mount Reef project in the city of Tauranga. By most accounts, the Mount Reef project has been labeled a failure, even though the region is home to million dollar homes on the cliffs above. Surfers there say the waves on either side of the reef are actually better.

The notion of perfectly sculptend waves peeling off of artificial reefs has been talked about for decades, yet with surfers gaining political clout and some social status, they're actually getting the green light. Yet the panacea surfers have been hoping for hasn't come to fruition, which is why the surfing world will be keeping a close eye on Bascombe this winter.