My name is David Walter. Thank you for visiting our website. I started Walter Marine in 1968. Walter Marine began building artificial reefs in 1986 under the name “Reefmaker”. Today we are the largest deployer of artificial reefs in the U.S. That keeps us busy, but at the same time makes us one of the most experienced artificial reef companies in the world.
Alabama has the largest and most unique reef program in the world. I was fortunate to be involved from the day it started in 1986. Unlike other reef programs, Alabama allows private individuals to build artificial reefs. It’s a system that has been so successful, that over 40% of all the recreation Red Snapper in the Gulf of Mexico are caught off Alabama’s tiny coastline. In 1986, almost no Red Snapper were caught here.
Alabama’s Reef Program offered me challenges and opportunities unknown to other reef builders. Over 17,000 deployments to mostly individuals have provided me with thousands of researchers giving me feedback on how their reef worked, whether it moved during a storm event, how fast did it produce fish, how productive was it, etc., etc.
We are saddled with the task of building a reef that a thirty-passenger charter boat could park on and everyone catch fish. Our reefs are required to survive Cat 5 hurricanes without turning over, sinking, or moving. We've met that challenge, our reefs deliver, and that’s been our success. It has been an interesting 22 years. We started by deploying “materials of opportunity”, which included junk automobiles, vans, buses, fuel tanks, grain silos, Cobra helicopters, F4 tail sections, chicken transport cages, combines, all sorts of heavy equipment, boats, ships, barges, dredges, concrete rubble, containers, C-5 aircraft jigs, fire trucks and lots of other things I can’t remember.
In 1996, I gave up trying to find the perfect “material of opportunity” reef and began building our own manufactured reef. That move solved many environmental concerns and propelled us into a larger market including many government contracts. I hold three patents and one pending for artificial reefs. Our biggest success was the discovery of Florida Limestone rock. It’s the perfect artificial reef material and will be incorporated into all our future reefs. The Florida Limestone rock propelled our reef light years ahead of our competitors. Our newest reef, EcoSystems launches us into areas previously neglected by artificial reef manufacturers and is a welcome addition to our company. It’s ideal for shoreline protection, estuary enhancement, and Coral and Oyster Reef restoration.
I’ll share a secret with you, it’s never felt like a job, and I have a sincere love of what I do. The Lord has graciously blessed me and provided me with two sons with an equal love for reef building. My sons and I continue the quest for the perfect reef and you can be assured any reef purchased from us is built to the highest standards of structural integrity and incorporates hundreds of suggestions from the people that actually use our product. Checkout articles by David Conway from the September issue of Florida Sportsman
Contact me anytime for more information or just chat about reefs. David Walter 251-979-2200
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