Over 10 feet tall with 12 foot triangular base. Heavy steel (3/4 to 1 inch) panels fitted to the sides with holes and 800 square feet of surface area and a weight of over 5,000 lbs., tetrahedron concrete frame is one of the strongest structures known and is tested to withstand a 50 year storm. Designed with a large footprint to prevent sinking or subsiding, its expected to last 50 to 2000 years (depending on which engineer you ask). This structure will produce approximately 500 lbs. of American Red Snapper per year. There are two studies about steel as artificial reefs. One on the East Coast of Florida is not complete and the other in Japan. The Japanese study finds steel a better material for artificial reefs and our customers have found the same thing. Our experiments show: out of nine “Florida Specials” deployed, all had numerous legal Red Snapper after only one year.

"Orange Beach Special- Artificial Reef"

The same tetrahedron concrete frame as above, but laced with 57 automobile tires. 1600 square feet of surface area and an extremely large footprint to prevent sinking or subsiding. It produces lots of fish, but this reef is only legal in Alabama . It weighs over 5,000 lbs. and its life expectancy is up to 2,000 years.

This is our latest design, the “Florida Limestone” reef. Concrete has a different PH factor than saltwater, preventing a lot of marine animals from attaching themselves. That is why all my reefs have some sort of neutral PH material for marine life to grow. Florida Limestone a coarse-grained, porous, friable variety of classic limestone made up chiefly of fragments of shells. The rock is ready for marine habitat as soon as it hits the bottom.

One animal we have never had on an artificial reef is the marine boring worm. The success of “Florida Limestone“ rock as an artificial reef is based on the principle that soft Limestone allows marine boring animals to drill into the rock, as well as other marine life to easily attach themselves. This speeds the reef ecological development.

Florida Limestone has always been the best artificial reef material available, but until now has been deployed in solid rock form. It was heavy, bulky, low profile and difficult to deploy.

Walter Marine has taken the Limestone rock and incorporated it into a design that elevates it to a higher profile with a much larger surface area than Limestone boulders alone. The cave-like design of the structure is an attractive for Grouper.

The design incorporates the tried and true tetrahedron footprint of Walter Marine’s “Florida Special” with three panels of Coquina rock. The large “Florida Special” footprint which survived Ivan and Katrina without scouring or sinking, will keep the Limestone well above the bottom to take advantage of the higher relief. The base is a 12 foot triangle with height of eight feet. Weight is 3.5 tons. Watch the reef building process.

This is our inshore Fish Habitat Restoration design. Using multi-layers of Florida Limestone and concrete. The 4ft X 4ft design can be made in any height or width. It can be made with or without a hole down the center for securing it to the ocean floor.  However, the reef weighs over three tons, and shouldn't require securing. It is a great reef for coastal protection or restoration.  It can be built without limestone or even built with oyster shells instead.

The Moulds can be leased.  Ideally a county or company would lease these moulds and require their contractor to use the remaining concrete from their daily concrete pours to build the reefs.  Concrete that is normally disposed of at the end of the day.  Allowing a county to get artificial reefs as a by-product from other construction projects.  The design is user friendly and only requires one person to operate.

"50/50 Orange Beach Special"

The same rugged concrete tetrahedron design as above, but with a much heavier and stronger frame to handle truck tires mixed with auto tires. More surface area and gaps between the tires for fish to swim in and out of. More mass, more fish. This design was requested by a customer that dives for Lobster, so he could get his hands between the tires. Weighs in at 8,000 lbs.

"Containers"

20' X 8' X 8' shipping containers make good large reefs for lots of fish. Great spots for multi-passenger boats. Down side: May be moved during storms, collapses after several years, but worth it. 5,000 lbs.

"FADS"

Like Amberjack? We began offering FAD's ( F ish A ttractor D evices) with our reefs. A FAD attracts and then holds the “Jacks”. Each FAD is anywhere from 35' to 60' long, depending on water depth. It's a line with duster material attached and a large float to hold it up, looks like a big Christmas tree on your bottom machine. Test models are still standing after two years. Offered with any reef.