Introduction
As 2024 ends and the new year draws closer, it is a time of reflection at AG Surveys as we celebrate and analyse the previous twelve months’ work and achievements in our beach monitoring surveys. Working on good spring tides and a few not so good tides, over 123 beaches from Cornwall to North Wales were surveyed, analysed and data delivered promptly to our clients. With a good mixture of both interim and baseline surveys, surveyors ran up the miles with their legs while our trusty drone George did a lot of heavy lifting by adding hundreds of flight hours to his name.
Our Work
The year started well with a trip to Cornwall accompanied by a week of crisp winter sunshine! Hard work by the team and lovely weather resulted in a successful trip away.
The hard work continued into the year, with the stormy season fast approaching. Two big storms with spring tides accompanying them required two urgent callouts for post-storm surveys at Burnham-on-Sea and Westward Ho!
With the storms and bad weather receding, it means only one thing: it’s summer, or what we like to call baseline season! It’s the best time of the year to be a surveyor, as long as you remember your suncream.
The nature of the tidal windows in North Wales also meant we were treated to some truly spectacular sunrises and sunsets!
As always in the UK, it is impossible for the good weather to last. The early arrival of stormy, inclement weather meant George was grounded for nearly half a tidal window while the volatile weather passed through. A good time for employees to catch up on their day time television and snooker practice.
Bad weather may be able to ground drones on a baseline survey, but unfortunately, an interim survey waits for no one (within reason). This was promptly realised as Storm Ashley rolled into town, just in time for our survey of seven mile long Pendine beach. Winds ranging from 30-50mph made it tough, but the team on their trusty quadbikes prevailed.
Well, that’s it folks! Apart from a few small stragglers, beach surveying is mostly done for the year. A successful year in all with lots of fun, ice cream consumed and coats drenched. A special thanks to Wales Coastal Monitoring Centre and Southwest Coastal Monitoring for their co-operation. Our data from the beaches can be viewed on their websites.
