Evolution - Small Tweeks

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Meet G-Mat 110 (AKA "Steady Eddie").

G-Mat 110 Surfmat Surf mat Nouveau Racer 1564

Eddie is a tweaked Nouveau Racer. For those unfamiliar with it, the Nouveau Racer is a 4 pontoon surfmat with lower volume and comparatively round corners and notable concave designed for solid surf. A number of riders, including myself, have ridden this design in good waves around the globe with the feedback being pretty consistent... It takes a good wave to get going but once you do the mat is very dependable and maintains a good degree of glide for its size.

That's the real trick: building a mat that achieves hold without just bogging.

G-Mat 110 Surfmat Surf mat Nouveau Racer 544

I did notice one thing that I wanted to change, however. On really sizeable days, I was having to kick like crazy to get in to waves, given the mat's smaller profile. This resulted in some pretty hairy drops! Given that, I revisited the design and added a little more length (just a smidgeon). This runs the risk of slippage (there is a goldilocks zone when it comes to aspect ratios) so I needed to up the hold. 

G-Mat 110 Surfmat Surf mat Nouveau Racer 14785

A very slight alteration of the I-Beam positions to slightly enhance the concave has done the trick. The results so far? A mat that behaves as before but gets going a little earlier.

G

 

G-Mat 110 Surfmat Surf mat Nouveau Racer 65497

Holy Guacamole!

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So then the orange deck, black deck, orange deck, black deck pattern continues with a black Ute built for Tim MacMurray who lives in Avocado country in the Northern bit of Southern/Southern bit of Central California. You know the bit... All them pointbreaks!

So then, on to the mat. She is called "Big Mac Avocado Hauler" in honour of how Tim makes his living. As metioned, BMAH is a Ute. She has is a 200/70 build with elastic rocker. The logo is in my interpretation of Avocado green (I think I've got close) with black Puraflex 40 grip. The grip is wrapped around the front corners to help Tim to keep hold of BMAH.

Ask any builder of surfcraft and they will tell you that every now and then they create something that they just don't want to let go and Big Mac Avocado Hauler is on of those. I'm really pleased with every aspect of this mat and she would be a perfect fit for me! If I manage to get back over to California, I'm definitely going to be badgering Tim for a ride.

Have fun Tim!

Cheers

G

G-Mat 108 (AKA "Felis Tubus Lapsus")

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Here is Peter Misson's new Ubercat named Felis Tubus Lapsus. 

​She is a 200/70 Ubercat with flat rocker to make the most of some of those French barrels that Pete is so keen on exploring.

Pete has gone for a Hestered valve, which is my personal favourite option these days. He has also gone for Puraflex 40 grip to make the most of its combined durability and pliability. 

So, Felis is with Pete as we speak but unfortunately, like much of Western Europe, the waves aren't. There be rumblings though... The waves are coming... 

G  

UPDATE: 25/11/2016

Feedback from Pete:

"I think it's a magic mat. Just right for here [SW France], It's fast & really tracks well in hollow conditions & doesn't spin out in the shorebreak."

G-Mat 107 (AKA "Seefarther")

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So, it's been a while thanks to a very memorable trip to California but I'm back in Blighty and my nose is held firmly to the grind stone. I was honoured to mark my return by building a mat for one of surfing's true gentlemen and a master craftsman to boot.

John Mellor's new mat, G-Mat 107 (AKA  "Seefather")

John Mellor is well known to many, being a talented builder of all sorts of surf craft. I first got to know John through his mat riding, via Dale Solomonson and through John's paipo designs. This interview on   MyPaipoBoards.org is well worth a read.

John recently built a couple of kick board style mini-paipo/jumbo handplanes for my son and I which he hand delivered to us in Carpenteria. 

I rode my carbon beast yesterday in 1 foot Challaborough death barrels and she is absolutely incredible! (Note to self... GoPro next go out).

So then, on to "Seefarther". She is a Chino Racer scaled to John's dimensions with a little bit added. John wanted a good stable mat so we went for 200/70 black with Sikaflex EBT grip and slightly restricted the airflow. I could have gone a bit more wheezy in retrospect but I still think John will notice the added shape holding characteristics. 

Seefarther has elastic rocker to get those turns happening too..

So, she ships on Monday. Hopefully John will get some waves. I think the Pacific is doing her thing of late.

Cheers

G

The Rincon Rental Raft

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I'm getting this post up now because I won't have a chance between now and leaving for a pretty sweet holiday.

This is the last custom mat built before my trip to SoCal. She is for ASB by way of rent, what with us parking an RV on his driveway for almost a week.  Given the fact that this is a gift, I've taken the liberty of naming her myself and so the Rincon Rental Raft has been born.

"RRR" is a 200/70 free-breathing Ute with elastic rocker, a Hestered valve and a cracked patterned grip. I'm looking forward to seeing this gal get an outing in the flesh.

So, last one until I get back. I'll be reading and replying to emails while I'm in the US and am hoping to get a few mat meets together.  

I have a brown baseball cap with an orange logo in my case and it will go free to the first person I meet over there who tells me face-to-face that they like brown, like orange and wear caps.

Cheers

G

G-Mat 105 (AKA "The Eggbeater")

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This is G-Mat 105 (AKA "The Eggbeater"), so called because she has the task of helping Jesse Witthoft to negotiate Egg Rock. Jesse says:

"This point I will surf her atthe most is called Eagles. There is a rock that if you get a real good one you make it past called the Egg Rock."

Eggbeater pretty much named herself then!

So, about the mat.  Jesse is 6' 6" tall and long. He wanted a mat that would go fast, hold well and managed the smallest of conditions but still go in juice. The holy grail!  The other thing is that with his size 16 US feet he can't find fins to fit properly (although perhaps doesn't need to).

Given all that, we went for an Ubercat basic design to make the most of the concave and rail hooks. I also extended the length to width ratio slightly to help Jesse to get in to waves more easily.  Eggbeater is a 200/70 construction with Sikaflex EBT grip to add stability to the deck, given the larger size of the mat.

Jesse has also opted for a bungee. Whether this gets much use remains to be seen but it's there if needed.

So there we have it. Long mat for a long chap. She will certainly be a different ride to his current mat and hopefully will beat the Egg Rock.

Cheers

G