Mr Bubble

Here's a mat for my good friend and mat surfing legend, Andrew Stephen Buck (AKA ASB or "Buck").

Andrew has played a huge part in the evolution of my designs over the years. The Rubber Bucky model was designed based on his feedback over a number of prototypes. Following this the design was further tweaked based on feedback from Jamie McClellan to create the RB-JMC, and this is what Andrew has been riding since.

You may have noticed as well that Andrew is a big fan of animal themed mats and this one is no exception. Andrew was keen to go with a crab this time around and this is the design we came up with. In consultation with his nieces, this mat was named Mr Bubble. Pretty much the perfect name for a mat!

As for all the technical jimbo-jambo, Mr Bubble is an RB-JMC super-free-breather with negative elastic rocker... About as fast and sensitive as possible. We have also gone with a low profile spring valve for Andrew to try, as well as a bungee for potential pool encounters.

Mr Bubble gets collected tomorrow and should be in Carpinteria before the end of the week so going well. Not that there's any surf by the looks of it but hey ho... The waves will be back.

Have fun Andrew.

Cheers

G

Hold & Grunt

So, Covid hasn't gone anywhere and still sucks it seams. Thankfully, after a week of feeling like death I've finally been able to do the finishing touches to this mat.

This is a mat built for my good friend Henry Marfleet who got in on the list for a mat a few runs ago and wanted to be super sure he has the right model. With careful planning I think we're there now and Henry has a Nouveau Racer named "Hold & Grunt" to round out his quiver. Henry has a Rubber Bucky and a 70/70 RFT so adding a gunnie mat is the perfect model, especially as we move into winter. Henry was also really keen to secure the number 308.

Henry says:

“I’m calling the mat “Hold & Grunt”, how this name came about, which is related to number “308” as I have two classic Australian Holden utes which both have 308 cubic inch V8 engines ……. from the email I sent to you with Build Sheet -> “if it is to have a name you can call it “grunt” as that is what a 1970’s 308 ci V8 Holden engine has…… and hopefully the mat will have enough grunt to make it through fast sections, actually maybe aka “Hold & Grunt” as should have hold and grunt!”

— Henry Marfleet

Well, the Nouveau Racer certainly has a huge amount of hold, making waves that might be tough to surf a mat in mattable. The design certainly has a bottom end to what it will go in, but in solid waves, she'll go like a greased shit so I'm confident meets the brief.

On to the build, Hold & Grunt is a 200/70 with panels of PU grip to add stability. Internally she is a wheezer (restricted airflow), again to help keep things steady and dependable.

Henry has also asked for a bungee to give the leash option for those rare days when it is needed. He's also opted for a Hestered (below the flange) mini-Boston valve.

I surf with Henry a lot and as we get properly into the Northern Hemisphere winter, I look forward to seeing Hold & Grunt in action!

Cheers

G

Blackbeard

This is Blackbeard, a 200/70 G-Mat Ute built for UK based mat surfer, Steve Holmes.

Steve has been surfing mats for some time now and is keen to take him mat riding forwards, including some bigger days. We spoke about what he was after and Steve was keen for a mat that world cover all bases. The Ute seemed a solid option as the perfect all rounder. Steve has added a bungee for those rare particularly tricky conditions.

We have gone with a wheezer with free elastic rocker so Blackbeard will really have a wide range and will keep it's shape in bumpy and chunky conditions.

Steve said:

“Looks perfect fella can’t wait to try it,

My first experience of Mat surfing was about 25 years ago, A mate and myself bought a couple of Tiki mats and surfed killers in Morocco with them, Then a few years ago when mats started re-emerging, I bought a mat which I’ve been using in North Devon on Smaller days so now looking for something to use on bigger days as well. ”

— Steve Holmes

Blackbeard is heading off as we speak and I'm looking forward to hearing how she goes.

Have fun Steve!

Cheers

G

Monk Seal

Here's a mat for Blake Snyder-Rogers named "Monk Seal". Blake lives on the Big Island of Hawaii and was after a mat "for riding big gnarly waves"... Roger that.

The Nouveau Racer is a model I worked out a few years ago. It's had some minor tweaks to the base design and we are on the third iteration. The key thing is that it feels very dependable in bigger waves, when other models might start to feel skittery. That's a pretty reassuring feeling! The Nouveau Racer definitely has a bottom end so is a model compliment an all rounder. Blake is covered on that front as he already owns a G-Mat RFT2, the stock version of a 70/70 RB-JMC built by Tom Jennings.

So on to the build, Monk Seal has a 200d deck. I only build the Nouveau Racer for big surf as a 200/70. Combined with restricted venting and the fact that the mat is narrower so the rider gets more deck coverage, this all adds to the stability of the mat overall which on a larger mat would need higher inflation levels to compensate. Blake was also keen to go with a good grip coverage to keep himself stuck to the mat. This also adds to the stability.

Blake asked for a bungee. I get asked about these a lot and honestly, leashes and mats are not a good mix. Although I heavily reinforce the front flange, they tug on the mat and get in the way. I sometimes think people have got so conditioned to just letting their surfcraft go and all in all, learning to hang on is better.

There are exceptions of course such as physical issues, surfing wave pools and, of course, "... for riding big gnarly waves" where losing the mat finds you stuck offshore with the sharks!

As for the colours, Blake asked for a grey deck (so popular these days!) with purple logo and grip. The grip is purple, despite my camera trying to convince you otherwise!

Finally, Blake asked for positive elastic rocker to help to drive Monk Seal through turns.

So, Monk Seal is heading off to the Big Island to hook up with Blake. Have fun man!

Cheers

G

Pooltoy II

Here is a mat for Rincon regular Jason MacMurray.

It's been some time since I built a mat for Jason MacMurray. Jason is one of the old school (by which I mean the sold school of the new school) who cut his teeth riding Neumatics built by Dale Solomonson. Back when there weren't many of us riding mats and we all knew each other.

Jason got in on this run and immediately knew what he wanted. Being best friends with Andrew Buck, he has seen and heard all about my super-free-breather configuration in combination with the neg elastic rockered RB-JMC design and was all in! With Rincon as his local, a mat that holds a line whilst breaking out the tail and hailing ass down the line was just what he wanted. I already had dimensions for him so that was the easy part. He did come with octopuses (or octobodes if we want to get all fancy with the ancient Greek) drawn by his daughter to spice things up so stencils and dye were the order of the day.

Oh and he asked for a bungee which was a real surprise! However, you never know when you might end up in a pool so the leash option can be helpful.

I asked Jason about the name for his mat and he said:

“I think I am going to go with the seemingly uninspired ‘Pooltoy II’ for the nickname of the new white mat.  The original Pooltoy was built by Dale and was the first mat that he produced that I know of that didn’t just have the rider’s initials.  It took hours of conversations with him by both Andrew and me to convince him that he should allow us to give our mats nicknames. I’m not sure Dale ever thought Andrew and I were as funny as we think we are but we finally wore him down.

When Dale retired, I was on the waitlist for him to make me a much coveted white mat.  He had a very limited amount of a superlight white material he made a few mats out of.  I’m sure he thought I was not worthy or capable of the white mat, and he was right, no doubt, but again I wore him down.  Though my skills weren’t there yet, I think Dale knew Andrew and I had a vision of where we could take the mats and it aligned with his.

Now, roughly 20 years later the coveted white mat is finally landing thanks to you.  The mats are better than we could have dreamed of 20 years ago and I like to think I am finally worthy of such a tool.  Plus, my daughter delivered with the artwork to remind us all not to take it too seriously.  It’s just a highly tricked out Pooltoy.

Gracias”

— Jason MacMurray

That's perfect. I remember the original Neumatic Pooltoy so am personally stoked to add to the lineage.

Pooltoy II is en route as we speak so I am looking forward to hearing how things go. Maybe you'll be able to keep up with Andrew now, Jason!

Cheers

G

Dusty

So, what do you do when you wake up on a Sunday and the winds are a bit shifty, the rivers up and wind-blown and you have already knocked out a bunch of miles on the chase over the last few days?

That's right... Make something... In this instance it was welding up the new addition to my quiver: A Nouveau Racer named "Dusty".

As I've mentioned, I've had a real hankering to get back to my roots of monochrome surfing with black wetsuit and white craft. I sold my old quiver and have been embarking on replacements when I have the time. The first was the one that kicked this off, A BodyBag mini mat. When I committed to the monochrome project, my next was a white 5 Star General to give me a mat for all bases.

We've had some really solid swells so the next was something for that, hence dusty. I cut the bottom skin last week to get the Dusty Bin artwork done (google "Dusty Bin 321" if you're wondering about the reference). On Sunday, I cut the other panels and did the whole build.

I'm really stoked to have a Nouveau Racer back in my life. The confidence this mat will give me in juicy, heavy and/or hollow waves is a really important bit of the quiver.

Just to cover the techno-waffle. Dusty is a 200/70 free elastic rockered wheezer. You'll notice I have added a bungee (for those big days in spots where a swim isn't really an option and I need a kook-cord). I've also added a Cornish St Piran's Flag. I was so pleased with this that I've added flags to the 5SG and the BodyBag too and will go with it for the rest of this quiver when I get to it.

Anyway, back to the slog. A fun mat for Jason MacMurray to post next but for now, enjoy Dusty.

Cheers

G

Lilo Trip

So then here's the last mat in the current run, a G-Mat RB-JMC built for the very talented Ryan Akins. Ry is currently riding a prototype super-free-breather RB-JMC I lent him. His new mat, named "Lilo Trip", is the permanent fixture for that slot in Ryan's quiver.

For those who know Ry, he is a super talented artist with a very individual style. In particular, he has documented his Surfmat journey through his creations, including contributing a piece named Lilo Life which is available as a tee and hoodie in the G-Mat Apparel clothing range and shifted a lot of tees when it dropped and remains a favourite:

https://gmatsurfmats.teemill.com/product/lilo-life/

I asked Ryan about his matsurfing and art and he said:

““My first encounter with surf mats was when I was living in Byron Bay 13 years ago and I was out longboarding the pass when I noticed somebody surfing a mat. My first thought was… yeh that’s rad and looks fun and that was about that.

Fast forward in time and I was having a coffee with my friend Huw Beynon at his house and he was really keen to show me his G-Mats. Straight away I was super stoked on them! and as I left his house I couldn’t stop thinking about mats for day’s.

Ever since that day surf mats have been my main craft in my quiver and I just can’t stop surfing them!

I’ve been recently surfing a RB-JMC Super-Free-Breather and man it’s like going into another dimension! The feeling is unreal.

Mat surfing is an extension to my art, a vessel. The feeling, the speed, the style. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had in the water.

Mat surfing is art.

.RY.””

— Ryan Akins

Nicely put man!

As you can see, Lilo Trip is acid dyed in teal and features pink logo and trademark zig zags. Other than that, she matches the mat Ry has been riding. We're planning a surf together to hand over Lilo Trip. I'm always stoked to be there for someone's first ride on a mat I've built them.

The other thing I'm excited about is that Ry has given me another piece to add to the G-Mat Apparel range! The design is also called Lilo Trip is available in my clothing store now:

https://gmatsurfmats.teemill.com/product/lilo-trip-white-print/

This is available in black or white prints and mens and women’s tees as well as unisex hoodies.

Stoked to have built this for you Ry. Have fun mate.

Cheers

G

El Duderino!

Here's a mat for mat surfer Sebastian Pleuse.

Seb is a German matter hanging out in SW France who got in on this run of custom mats. We took a bit of time to think about what would suit Seb best. Seb was keen on a stable and versatile ride, so we settled on a Ute (that's two Utes in a row)! We went for a wheezer to help with stability (plus always a good option for a wide range of conditions) as well as a 200/70 construction. As you can see, Seb went for an orange deck with blue logo and grip, a navy bottom skin and a bungee to give the he leash option for the more out of control days!

This mat has a free elastic rocker to keep things versatile.

Seb also had a mat bag and a G-Mat Apparel hoodie, which he is stoked on.

I spoke to Seb about his journey into matsurfing, and he said:

“I’m in my early fifties and have been a surfer for more than 30 years. Four years ago I first heard of mat surfing while watching random videos on Youtube. I love to try all the water sports so I could not resist and ordered my first mat. I really loved mat surfing from the first wave on. Being so close to the water on the mat gave me an unknown feeling of speed, which I never had on a bodyboard. And with the mat being so soft and comfy it was so easy on the back at the same time. Just like surfing a sofa, really. Pulling into little close-out tubes I could never have taken on a surfboard, I felt happy like a little kid. It was so good!

When my first mat gave out on me, I looked for a different manufacturer and found G-Mat. I finally made it into one of the slots. Lucky me!

You’ve done a wonderful job building my new „El Duderino. During the process, we exchanged several emails, and I felt really heard with my wishes and questions. My new toy has finally arrived. It looks super cool, and the build quality is outstanding. Unfortunately the ocean is flat at the moment. I can’t wait for the next swell to take this stunning mat for a ride”

— Sebastian Pleuse

Stoked to hear your happy Seb! With swell in the Atlantic now hopefully you'll get some!

As Seb said, he has named this mat El Duderino. Why? Because f*cking cowabunga is why!

Cheers

G

Bulgy the Whale

It's Bulgy the Whale Kids!

Surfmat supremo Andrew Stephen Buck is heading over to the UK and having only palmed off protos to him in recent times we agreed it was high time we did something just for him. People who have seen his previous mats (Fluffy Sunshine, Comrade Napoleon and Mick Dundee) will be aware of his penchant for animal pool toy themed mats.

With that all in mind Bulgy was born! Bulgy was an actual toy inflatable whale so the perfect name for this ride!

Bulgy (this one) is a 70/70 RB-JMC with negative rocker and super-free-breather venting. I stepped up the venting in the super-free at the beginning of the year and think Andrew will appreciate it. Bulgy has been painted with acid dye and then mouth, eyes, fins and blowhole stenciled. A time consuming build but I'm super pleased with the result.

You might also notice the bungee up front and be thinking "WTF?! Buck with a leash?!" Don't worry, no such nonsense. Andrew is coming over to the UK and we're meeting up at the Wave pool on July 4th of all dates! Hopefully someone will get some footage.

We're hoping we'll get some actual real waves whilst he's over. Maybe a flight down to Newquay airport is in order

Anyway... Bulgy is a thing now.

Have fun ASB

Cheers

G

Zawn

Here is a mat built for west Cornwall-based mat surfer Matthew Geyman.

Matt surfs way down west getting into some of the short, sucky beach breaks down that way so wanted a mat that would get in and get hold quickly. Matt has a 4GF Omni from PG so we settled on a Nouveau Racer to concentrate on hollower or bigger days. Matt opted to name her 'Zawn'.

Matt says:

“Zawn is named for those secluded places along the Far West’s remote North Coast. Coves accessible only via a scramble, or by canoe, are a treat to explore. Packing a mat on a summer coast path walk, in the hope of spotting an unexpected wave is real treasure hunting. Originally a temporary way to stay on the water after a back injury, mats quickly became a source of joy for my whole family, often replacing more traditional craft: boards and hand planes. Because a mat’s so easy to transport, its rewards were multiplied.

Our closest break (a lesser visited spot in the far west) has waves better suited to short craft and bodysurfing. We snag treasured family memories here: daughters hooting and skidding on mats down the face of Christmas Day growlers, with no other soul about.

‘Zawn’ joins a stable including a 4GF Omni, Catherine’s G-Raft (a birthday gift when she fell out of love with surfing), and a behemoth Redback with chunky handles that the kids love (a great summer mush machine, sent by my brother from some godforsaken town near his home on the east coast of Australia). A mat’s joined the annual Morocco pilgrimage a few times in 20 years, but usually stays rolled up as it’s unlikely to replace a board for the long paddle out to Killers. Zawn will feature more heavily and it’ll love Cathedrals.

After a life in the water, it’s only a surfmat that makes me giggle uncontrollably and I’d do anything to keep the maniacal cackle factor.

Cheers n gone

Matt”

— Matthew Geyman

Zawn is a 200/70 Wheezer. We had some debate around elastic rocker versus free rocker. The new red material kinda made the choice for us being pretty inelastic. I suspect this might loosen up after a surf or two. I'll be checking in with Matt. Matt has also gone for a bungee for long Moroccan swims!

Have fun Matt!

Cheers

G

Towlie

Say hello to G-Mat 285, a Ute named "Towelie" built for fellow Cornishman, Graham Bracegirdle and my last build of 2023.

Bracey is a pretty well known figure in the UK surf scene having worked in the industry back in the day. He was always known as a charger with his son Joe picking up the mantle today.

More recently, Bracey has spread his sights further afield and a cursory glance at his yard overlooking his rock strewn home break in South East Cornwall will reveal a wide array of weird and wonderful contraptions in various states of repair.

If it's on, Bracey is on it!

Bracey has had a couple of my early cast-off mats over the years so I was stoked when he got in for a custom on this run.

He has ridden a 70/70 Ute previously but was keen to get something a bit more stable so we agreed on a 200/70 Wheezer. The Ute Bracey has was also scaled to me so was a little small so upping the size to fit his height was needed. As I mentioned, the inside at Bracie's home break can be very sketchy so he has asked for a bungee to give a leash option on the bigger days.

As for the rest, Bracey is a Liverpool fan, same as me, so adding a Liverbird was an absolute joy and I have to say, I love how this has come out!

Black on black is always a win for me.

Have fun meht!

Cheers

G

He’enalu Ma Ka Lewa

Say hello to He’enalu Ma Ka Lewa, a G-Mat RB-JMC built for Steve Fox over in New South Wales, Straya.

Steve is a mat rider with many years experience so I was stoked to be able to build him a mat. He has been riding a mat with heavier deck material for some time so we agreed that a 200/70 would be a good fit, especially considering Steve in a pretty tall fella so has a bigger mat. When scaling mats up, every dimension increases but fabric weight doesn't. Therefore a 200/70 big mat will feel lighter and more maleable that a small mat with the same deck material.

Steve says:

“Another mat heading to Ulladulla on the South Coast of New South Wales. This is the epicentre of mat riding in Australia. On any good morning there can be up to 13 mats riders out together thanks to SCUMM and the likes of Pat and Pete et al.

I’ve come full circle in my surfing journey. Starting on the old red and blue surfmat as a kid in the 70’s and now for the past 11 years mat riding again. In between I have ridden surfboards from 6ft shortboards to 12ft Gliders, SUPS,and later in life paipos bellyboards and handplanes. When it comes to surfing the old saying “why stand when you can lie down” is so true. The fact that my hips, knees and back don’t work so well may have something to do with it also. So if your going to surf, do it lying down, and if you going to be lying down, do it on a surf mat, and the you will discover the true ‘Nirvana’ of surfing. He’enalu Ma Ka Lewa - surfing on air

I chose orange for the mat so that it is easier to find when lost. black ones are hard to find amongst rocks. The bungee is so it can be used in wave pools where a leash is required.”

— Steve Fox

Wise words from Steve. We also need to remember that the most evolved aquatic creatures are prone. Unless you want to be a seahorse of course ;) #thisisajoke

So back to He’enalu Ma Ka Lewa and we know where it got it's name now. Steve went for free rocker and free-breathing internal venting to make things responsive and flexible.

I'm really stoked to send a mat down to Oz. I was stoked to see that my courier have reduced shipping rates again too so makes it much more affordable.

Have fun Steve. Can't wait to see what you get up to on your journey of discovery.

Cheers

G

Ziran

So then first build of this run and this is a mat for Dom Davenport.

Dom has an RB-JMC already and was keen to think about how best to add to the quiver. After some discussion weighing up the benefits of an Ubercat or Nouveau Racer we settled on the latter (Dom has a 4GF @4thgearflyer Lotus Blue Streak so has that area covered).

With a trip to surf Moroccan points on the horizon the Nouveau Racer is the perfect addition. To be honest, the Nouveau Racer is the perfect partner to the RB-JMC anyway. There's a bit of overlap between the two and the Nouveau Racer extends the scope handling bigger and more critical waves better.

So onto this mat and Dom has named it Ziran which means "to push away outside influence and embrace one's authenticity, while living natural, spontaneous, and free".

Perfect.

Ziran is a 200/70 Wheezer built with free elastic rocker. Dom asked for a bungee for a leash. We are both in agreement that leashes are an absolute P in the A and should never substitute good form and keeping hold of the mat but some of those swims in Morocco can be pretty long and/or sketchy so nice to have the option.

Ziran is heading off to hook up with Dom now so I look forward to seeing how things go.

Cheers

G

Pinkoflage

Another between runs build, this time for my partner in deflation, Tom Jennings.

With the winter nearly upon us and some solid Autumnal swells lighting up the South West UK, Tom was keen to score a G-Mat Nouveau Racer. I had a dyed 70d skin (see pic 2) that Tom had his eye on and we decided to go with grip to match (as far as you can match fluro pink!). With all this flamingoesque blotchiness going on Tom came up with the name "Pinkoflage". Perfect! 🩷

Pinkoflage is a 200/70 Wheezer as is standard for a Nouveau Racer. Some of the North Cornish reefs have the kind of swims that would turn your hair white at size so we have included a bungee for leash attachment. We have also gone with elastic rocker which emphasizes the concave and and tightens driving turns on the rail. I'm looking forward to having a go on this mat!

I've made a start on the next run of custom orders now. Thanks to everyone who got in with their deposits.

Have fun Tom!

Cheers

G

Pinliner - Trying New Things

TRAVELLING BACK IN TIME!!!

No... Not really but the eagle eyed among you might notice that the numbering on this mat is out of sync. The reason for this is that I number mats as I design them and this one was designed a while back and then other things took priority.

So what's the deal here? Well this mat is a bit of a prototype. It's a 70/70 RB-JMC super-free-breather with neg rocker, but with a much squarer tail. The RB-JMC design has a squarer tail then nose anyway, but this mat has that taken to an extreme. The squarer tail of the RB-JMC releases more readily giving less drag, thus more speed. This also encourages the tail to drop slightly allowing the mat to sit in its naturally faster position on the high line. This mat is taking that concept to its extreme to test its limits.

I have actually already built one for Andrew Stephen Buck and he has surfed it once. The feedback is that it might be too much with the hard corner possibly inviting cavitation but as Andrew said himself, one surf isn't enough. Also I really believe that as a builder it is important to test designs myself to get live feedback.I have left space between the end of the grip and the corners on both Buck's mat and mine to re-shape the tail if this really doesn't work.

The other part of this experiment is the aesthetic. I have had an idea about using sealant pinlines and stenciled designs to create a barrier for acid dye. Hard edges are pretty much impossible with acid dye on nylon. When I got an order for an intricate design (that one's on the way) it was obvious that it was time to try it out. Not really "pin" lines on this mat but I had the idea for a name in mind as tribute to the legend of Moonlight Glassing, Peter St Pierre who's internet handle was "Pinliner". My efforts are not a patch on anything Pete does so maybe more of an insult. Sorry mate!

Anyway, Pinliner is going to be my new mat. Whether this new iteration is what I stick with or I just reweld the tail back to what already ain't broke will have to be seen.

Cheers

G

Mimosa

This is Mimosa, a mat built for Welshman Huw Beynon. Huw has been a mat surfer for some time and has been riding a stock G-Mat and pretty well at that. Living on the Gower in South Wales, Huw has some great mat waves on hand so when he got his deposit in for a custom mat I was over the moon!

Mimosa is definitely a step up from Huw's current ride being a 70/70 super-free-breather so much more sensitive and responsive than the 200/70 wheezer RFT that he currently rides. We discussed elastic rocker options and Huw opted for free rocker, given the wide range of conditions he will be surfing. With some very peaky waves in the mix, Huw felt a mat that would respond to hard cutbacks was handy whilst flattening nicely for the points. The bungee has also been added to cover nipping over the Severn to jump in the wave pool.

Huw has also gone for pigmented grip and logo. They say blue and green should never be seen. Well... I beg to differ.

The only downside is my spelling of Beynon! Sorry Huw... As a fellow Celt I feel suitably ashamed. Huw seemed to find my balls up funny though so all's well that ends well.

I'm going to get to surf with Huw and Mimosa in April at The Wave on Bristol. Can't wait to see them in action!

Cheers

G

Wu Wei

Stealth is the order of the day sometimes. This is one of those times.

Dom Davenport has been on the list and trying hard to get in for a mat for some time so I was stoked when he did. A dedicated mat surfer who has fallen hook, line and sinker for these craft and I always love to build mats for those people. Here’s a word or two from Dom:

“I have been riding mats for about 10 years, having started with standup surfing in my 30s I saw someone riding a 4GF one day whilst living in California, flying along a point break like a pelican and I knew it was for me. Since then I have almost exclusively ridden mats, although I discovered the joys of the kneelo as a compliment, particularly the displacement hull as perfected by Paul Gross. Now living back in the UK, I spend my time heading to the reefs and hidden points of the Dorset coast.

There is a feeling when riding a mat that can’t be found with any other surf vehicle, a bag of air brings the opportunity for complete integration with the wave’s energy. The lack of substance in a mat stops you from forcing things or from trying and moves you to respond to the moment.

There are no bad days on a mat and the pure joy I’ve experienced surfing them has made my life better in so many ways. I’m excited to get my hands on one of G’s mats, the RB-JMC is an evolution of surf mat design that I couldn’t miss out on trying.”

— Dom Davenport

Dom has a trip to Morocco planned so with long points in mind a 70/70 neg rocker was the order of the day. Dom wanted a responsive mat and enjoys surfing lower inflations so the super-free-breather was the obvious choice for him.

Also, a low key colour scheme as you can see. Dom also went for a bungee as living in the South East of the UK these days, trips to artificial waves are often his only option and they insist on leashes. Horrible things but needs must.

As for the name, Dom has called his new mat “Wu Wei” meaning non-action or without force which sums up the approach to mat surfing. Responsiveness as opposed to reactivity.

So as I said, Wu Wei and Dom are off to hit the points of North Africa and I really hope we get some pics!

Have fun Dom.

Cheers

G

The Widow Maker V6

This mat is an Ubercat build for one of the English South Coast’s prone stalwarts, Mike Steele. Mike has been a body boarder for many years, seeking and charging some of the phenomenal hidden gems on the Jurassic Coast. Mike says:

“Got the bug when I was 10 when my dad bought me a polystyrene board for the summer and then progressed to the Mach 7-7 and was a devout Morey fan until they sold to Mattel. Grew up surfing Bournemouth Pier, then discovered the local reefs and was completely sold on boogin’. One of the spots was in an M.O.D. training range and we got arrested for trespass for walking back from the break after we had been told to get out by the range boat. In and out of court for two years and the day before judgement they dropped the charges. The whole thing was very underhand by the M.O.D., false evidence etc. Anyway, after that ordeal we decided to buy a boat so we would never have this problem again and we discovered a few spots that were literally made for bodyboarding. We had a few eventful boat trips in the surf, one in particular was witnessed on quite a big day, my mate driving hit a big wave too fast and we were apparently fully vertical and the ‘prop was 10ft clear of the water’. How we all survived is beyond me and hence we named the boat ‘The Widowmaker’. Most of our crew has their own boat now, mine is the Mk 5, and now the mat is the Mk 6. Re: board progression, had many boogs over the years, and I know the guy who imports NMD and VS and he is very pally with Nick Mezeritz so been getting customs with experimentary tails for about 10 years. Then saw Noah Lane in Ireland riding Guy Butcher wooden boards and went down that route, again experimenting with shapes with Guy. 3 boards in and started following the fringe element and saw some clips of fellas on mats going exponentially fast and have been trying to get my grubby mitts on one of yours for a couple of years. And now I have one!”

— Mike Steele

Mike and I spoke about the amount of adjustment needed to switch from a bodyboard/paipo to a mat. He is up for the challenge!

So on to the mat, WMV6 is a wheezy 200/70 Ubercat with positive elastic rocker so has good hold and is well set up for tight S-turn surfing on slabby waves and wedges. Mike has gone for the bungee leash option as a lot of the waves he surfs involve tricky swims if losing the mat. You will notice the 2-tone blue and white bottom skin and logo. This was based on a design Mike sent me and we’re pretty stoked on how it’s come out.

Widow Maker V6 is with Mike now and with a winter of south swells looking to be on the cards we’re pretty hopeful that they will get plenty of action!

Have fun Mike. Can’t wait to hear about your journey into matting!

Cheers

G

Z-Brah

A bit of a weekend project here building a mat for myself. It was flat and absolutely freezing cold so a warm workshop and podcasts seemed very appealing. I've had a big hole in my quiver for some time now with a Nouveau Racer named "Steady Eddie" and a RB-JMC Ultralight named "Featherweight Fordy" and nothing in between. Basically, if it was ether solidly overhead/heavy or upto shoulder high glass I was golden. The 80% in between I was having to work a lot more and poor FF had been taking a right pounding!

So then, on to this mat. It's called "Z-Brah" because the name makes me laugh and works however you pronounce "Z". Z-Brah is a 70/70 Ubercat. Standard free-breather with positive elastic rocker to get tight on the turns. I've also added a bungee for leash attachment for night surfs and wave pools so all in all... I'm covered! Weight off my mind to be honest!

I've actually finished another mat before this one for Mike Steele which I'll post dreckly.

We have waves at the mo so Z-Brah should see some action pretty soon.

Cheers

G

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UPDATE/FEEDBACK 06/03/2023

Well after all that I sold Z-Brah to Chris Cavey over in Santa Cruz. I ended up building my son and myself mats over Christmas and needed money for a trip so with heavy heart let Z-Brah go.

Here’s feedback from Chris. It’s good to see that the Ubercat does what it says on the tin.

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UPDATE - APRIL 2024

A little edit of Chris Cravey riding Z-Brah at the Kelly Slater wave pool.

Low Key for Dado

There seems to be something about black on black. It just looks so clean, don't you think? This is "Billie". A custom Rubber Bucky built for an Italian with a penchant for going fast on mats. Just the ticket then.

Billie is a 200/70 mat built for Eduardo "Dado" Girardini. She has free rocker and as you can see, Dado has gone for a bungee fitting as well to allow for a leash.

The Rubber Bucky is my larger model (which is then specifically scaled and tailored to the rider). This means that the mat has a larger planing area so offers more glide in smaller surf. Dado is aiming to open up spots around him offering waves around waist to chest high so this is the perfect mat. The wheezer option makes sense then because Dado will cover less of the deck so a slower air transfer offers a more stable mat allowing for lower inflation, despite the reduced deck coverage.

So a bit about Dado. He says:

"I grew up in northern Italy and moved to California right after high school. I became a regular at Rincon and met some of the greatest surfers in the world, including Andrew Buck. My friends and I rode anything from food trays to 12’ gliders but nothing blew my mind harder than seeing Buck going a thousand miles an hour on those little cove dredgers.

Now I live in Portugal and those waves just don’t exist around here. I started surfing bigger waves to get away from crowds but somehow riding the mat is still the most thrilling thing there is."

Hopefully Billie will open up the options for Dado to surf in his new locale.

Have fun Dado!

Cheers

G