High-Performance Custom Surfmats Hand Built in the UK
Hello there.
If you get an email from Zorpia saying that you have a message from me, please ignore it. It's spam.
I got sent a message from someone asking about mats. When you click the link in the email it takes you to the site and I did have a genuine message, but it emails everyone in my address book.
Sorry for the hassle.
Cheers
G
Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, I would like to introduce you to "El Gnaranja", a G-Mat Ute built for a true giant of Californian mat surfing (in every sense of the word).
Matt Pierce is a very talented mat rider. You may be familiar with his image popping up on the site every now and then in the banners. I have a lot of time for Matt. He is a very knowledgeable, and a really good guy with an eye for hand built surf craft.
Matt rides mats at super low inflation so El Gnaranja is a free breather to make the mat super responsive. On paper, she is a small mat for Matt's 6' 7" frame, but Matt has grown up on mats that are small for him an we settled on these dims after a lot of collaborative head scratching.
In addition to the free-breathing innards, El Gnaranja has a free elastic rocker, meaning that fore/aft elasticity is in place on both top and bottom skins. All-in-all she should be a fast mat.
The grip is Sikaflex EBT so nice and durable offering some added stability.
California seems set for some good swell this Autumn and winter so El Gnaranja should get plenty of water time. With Matt recently moving back to Orange County he should get her in the water a ton!
Have fun Matt!
G
This is G-Mat 220 (AKA "Bening"). She's the new steed of Manly Beach Surf Lifesaving Club's General Manager, Marc Manion.
Bening is a G-Mat Ute. 200/70 construction with a deck valve and leash attachment. Marc was after some stability so she has a Sikaflex EBT grip job. The internal venting is also restricted. Being a "wheezer" means that Bening will be more predictable in terms of holding her shape. Marc is a bigger fella so the increased stability balances our against the extra volume.
The leash attachment is there as a back up to the matter's death grip as Marc takes trips to Indonesia. I'm really looking forward to seeing that! I hope Marc and Bening have a lot of fun!
Cheers
G
It's been quite a while since I dyed a mat and, if I'm honest, it's a job I hate doing, but the results tend to make it worth while. That's certainly how I feel about Ian Wraith's new Rubber Bucky named "Wunderbar".
Wunderbar is built with high speed glide in mind. She is a 70/70 with negative rocker and a Hestered valve. Ian lives to ride at super-low inflation so Wunderbar is set up as a free-breather to maximise speed.
As mentioned up top, Wunderbar has been dyed VERY green. I think this is set of nicely with the black of the Puraflex 40 grip and the black logo. Ian has gone for grip around the front corners, including the edge-lap to help with keeping hang of Wunderbar in gloves this winter.
I'm looking forward to handing this gal over to Ian. I'm also looking forward to getting a quick go!
Cheers
G
This is G-Mat 118 (AKA "Anuket"), built for super-talented prone riding Welshman, Keith Usher.
Anuket is a 200/70 G-Mat Ubercat with elastic rocker. The grip is Puraflex 40, pigmented light blue on a royal blue deck with white livery and black bottom skin. As you can see, Keith has gone for a leash attachment as well.
Keith has had Anuket out for her maiden voyage on the day of writing. He seems pretty please with her getting over flat spots and plenty of hold at low inflation. These were soft waves so not really where this type of mat really gets to open up.
Today Keith didn't wear a leash. The leash isn't intended for every day waves. It's there because Keith takes on waves like these!
G-Land
Aileens
Leashes are always only a back up on mats but sometimes, keeping hold just isn't an option and a swim around the inside at Aileen's doesn't sound a ton of fun!
Keith has another G-Land trip planned soon. The spot where he first tried a mat! I can not wait to see how Anuket and Keith get on.
Cheers
G
Word from Chris Goodwin that all is well in Japan. In fact, it seems that all is very good in Japan, bar one mishap.
Shot by AJ Goodwin
Here's what Chris had to say:
Hi Graeme -
The Onion has seen some Japanese typhoon swells and done really well. I attached some stills and a gif which is of one wave. We were doing stills not video this time. This is at a break called Motel Shita near a town called Nachi in Wakayama prefecture, Japan
The bad news is two days later I peeled the Onion on some rocks and now will attempt a repair with what I hope is the right kind of Japanese glue. We will see how that goes.
Chris
Hmmmmm... Done a proper job there. 😲
I've given Chris soideas for repairs so hopefully we'll see the Onion back in action soon.
G
UPDATE ON 2nd SEPT, 2016
Repair is all done. Great job!
Chris says:
I didn't mention but the local elders here thought I was crazy going out on the mat. They thought it was hilarious in a good way and enjoyed watching me surf the big stuff and get demolished by a few.
Chris Goodwin - Opening minds around the world. 😊
G
My lad, Webbo is looking to sell his Ute named "The Camo Carrot." You can read all about it here:
http://customsurfmats.com/blog/2015/3/20/happy-birthday-webbo
Camo Carrot would suit a rider around 5'3". She would also be a good option for someone who enjoys riding mini-mats in heavy waves.
She ehas been ridden under 10 times, with Webbo growing at a rate you wouldn't believe, so is in virtually new condition. Comes complete with her original bag.
Webbo is after a new wettie for Autumn so it's after a quick sale. As a result, you can get this gal for a ridiculous £110 GBP (plus shipping & PayPal fees if unable to collect).
Email me at surfmatbuilder@gmail.com if interested.
Cheers
G
So, those connoisseurs of inflatable fun on the South Coast of Oz (otherwise known as SCUMM) have got hold of a G-Mat 5 Star General and, as you would expect, have put her through her paces already!
Enjoy the videos. 😊
G
I'm suitably stoked on these. Looks like the fellas down there are having a blast!
G
I've just built a batch of 5 Star Generals for UK Mat Surfers. These are a stock model that I've put out there for people on a budget, or those who want to try G-Mat before taking a punt on a Custom mat.
Very good mat I think. They are wheezers, which isn't my default with custom builds (although I'll do it if asked of course). Free elastic rocker and gripped with Sikaflex 11FC.
You don't get a bag and Custom is still the better option to my mind but these are a good ride for most matters in most conditions.
Get 'em while they're there:
http://www.ukmatsurfers.com/warehouse/g-mat-5-star-general-surfmat
G
Say hello to a couple of lovely ladies set to head off to their new home with Santa Barbara based Colin McCrindle. Colin is an accomplished mat surfer who is lucky enough to work on boats around that part of the world meaning he gets to surf some pretty special and secluded spots.
Colin already owns a G-Mat which is essentially a hybrid of these two so expanding the quiver seemed a good call.
So then, on to the mats. The first is G-Mat 116, a 200/70 free-rockered, free-breathing Ute called "Lefty Loosey". She offers the all-round experience and is perfect for those long walled up points.
Next is G-Mat 117, a free-breathing 200/70 Ubercat with rocker. As a quiver option, "Harvester" will handle hollow and peaky pits well, offering plenty of hold and tuning on a sixpence (or whatever the US equivalent might be... A dime?)
Both mats have a 3/4 length grip job and are gripped with Sikaflex EBT. It will be interesting to hear how Colin goes with these in some of his mysto spots. I've seen some photo's (don't ask, I can't share) and he gets into some really good quality waves. Personally, I love hearing how mats lat I've designed and built go in these conditions.
Stay tuned!
Cheers
G
Bottom shot of G-Mat 117 showing the Ubercat rail hooks and deep concave and rocker curve.
A little while ago I knocked up a micro mat for bodysurfing, inspired by some home-builds by Glenn de Castro over in New Jersey.
I opted to call it The Bodybag (sounds a bit more butch than "the handbag"!). I took her out in some OK surf. A bit sloppy but not bad. Here's a wave from that session.
My thoughts? Well to be honest, I don't think it has any real advantage over a kickboard or handplane. In fact, I had to pump her up pretty full to get her to go so I don't actually see any advantage over a board so in this instance I'd say it's not a design worth proceeding with but I thought I'd share it as it was a fun project.
The Bodybag is now in the possession of Sean Starkey over at Newport Wedge. If anywhere will get it going, that place will. I hope he enjoys it and a few people get a go.
I'm not planning to build more though.
G
It seems there's a lot of interest in the Bodybag. Given that I may build some in the future as stock mats, but they would need to retail at around £80 GBP. Although they are small, they take the same time as welding and building a full size mat. I can weld 2 simultaneously though, hence the saving.
If the Wedge tests go well and the demand is there at that price then I'll do some.
G
I've just heard from AJ Goodwin and her Ute, Serenity. Although they've been hooked up for aa little while, hooking up with waves on this leg of their amazing world tour hasn't been so easy. Here's what AJ had to say:
Hi Graeme - I finally got "Serenity" wet yesterday. The waves weren't awesome and the water is darn cold here but the mat is perfect!
Getting out through messy beach break was no problem, I could get up to speed with a quick paddle and kick to catch a wave and even on some pretty low power wind swell I got some serious speed. Had a blast until I got so bone cold I had to stop.
Next week we head to Japan... Will share when we hit the waves there.
AJ
Great stuff! I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing about that! Phileas will be heading to Japan at some point so maybe AJ and her husband, Chris will get to hook up with her.
Two surfmat adventures crossing paths. Sounds pretty good.
G
This is Mark Garcia's new mat named, "The Narwhal". When I was talking to Mark about his mat he said:
"When my girlfriend bought me my first mat just over a year ago, there was a popular AT&T commercial that had a catching tune about narwhals swimming in the ocean and causing a commotion because they’re so awesome. We have associated our matting sessions with the Narwhal ever since, which is why I thought it would cool to go with the Narwhal theme."
The challenge was getting the blotchy fade from black at the nose to white at the tail right. I've had a good go. Whether or not it is a good match might be up for some debate but Mark says he's happy.
Perhaps more Arctic Camo than Narwhal print but Mark did make the point the those two things are maybe one and the same.
The most tricky bit of the build was gripping right around the valve to get the black nose. Fiddly stuff!
So then, some technical jimbo jambo. The Narwhal is a 200/70 Ute. She is scaled to Mark so may feel like a little less mat than his current mats, a G-Mat 5 Star General and a 4GF Tracker Round Tail, but should fit him nicely. She is a free breather with free rocker and I expect her to be quick. The grip is Sikaflex EBT to offer some durability and stability to the deck.
As I said, this is going to be a lively and fast mat so I'm looking forward to hearing how Mark gets on with The Narwhal. Certainly a different experience to what he's ridden to date.
Cheers
G
Word from Mark:
"The Narwhal is going great, absolutely love it. Great travel companion. Just got back from a week in Maui. The swell was small, long rights in warm water was like heaven. Heading to Taiwan at the end of the month, hopefully my timing is good and we catch a bit of swell. it is either awesome or it is nothing. I'll try to get some pics from Taiwan to send along."
Sounds sweet!
G
Black is back with G-Mat 113 (AKA "Matte Black"). This low key number is a G-Mat Ute built for Tim Darwish.
Tim is a New Yorker and surfs many of the local spots. Given that, he was after a good all-round mat to take on some of the less than perfect local conditions but with something in reserve for the solid days when they come around. The obvious choice was a Ute.
Matte Black is a 200/70 Ute. She has free rocker and is a free breather. She is gripped with Puraflex 40 for a pliable but durable non-skid deck.
I'm looking forward to hearing how she goes. Tim tells me that he is hoping for some waves around the middle of the week so fingers crossed...
G
Here's a new mat for Bryn Dampney, Editor of the UK Mat Surfers site. She's a 70/70 Ubercat built with a certain wedgy South Devon spot in mind.
Bryn is something special at finding barrels and wanted something that would hold well but also have a tight turning circle to get back in the pocket without hacking speed. Given thatthat, his new mat "Kessel Run" has an elastic rocker which will be a new experience for Bryn but hopefully a good one.
Given the construction and the planned use, we figured that Kessel Run could do with having a little stability up top. Bryn is a fan of 70/70 mats so we went with Sikaflex EBT to add a little more structure through the middle, without effecting the pliability in the rails.
Bryn Squeezing into a wee one in SE Cornwall
I'm looking forward to seeing Bryn out on this mat. One great thing about building mats for people locally is that I get to have a go on them myself too!
Can't wait! 😆
Cheers
G
I recently received word from Jesse Witthoft about his adventures with his Ubercat named the "Eggbeater."
Jesse surfs some interesting waves (finless due to his huge feet!) and has told me about a sneaky little micro-barrel in San Francisco. It sounded like fun so I was stoked when I heard from him telling me about the fun that he'd been having with Eggbeater.
Matsquatch spotted in San Francisco!
Jesse says:
"I rode a board once the other day for the first time. It was no fun so I got out got my mat and then I scored. I've been experimenting with the go pro. Today I put it on top of a broom stick that was zip tied to a fishing rod holder. I put it on the bar on the inside point break that I told you about last time."
That looks like fun and a real testament to these floppy bags we love so much.
Thanks Jesse!
G
I seem to be building a lot of black mats of late. And this one is the second with flashes of green.
I like this mat.
"Sea Shmoo" is a 200/70 Ute heading over to Jesse Tuesday in San Francisco. she's free rockered and is set up to handle a wide range of conditions. As you can see, the increasingly popular nose grip is in full effect. Jesse was keen not to get separated from his mat in some some of those river moth spots.
(All sounds pretty sharky to me...)
Jesse surfs with Jesse Witthoft so I'm really stoked at the thought of a pair of G-Mats showing the techie's what's what.
UK matter, Dan Lawrence travels to SF a bit so perhaps we'll see a mat meet.
Anyway, Jesse is out of town at the moment so Sea Shmoo is waiting at his Tattoo Shop for his return.
Baited breath...
G
Meet G-Mat 110 (AKA "Steady Eddie").
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.
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.
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
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
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
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."
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