Tangerine Dream

Say hello to G-Mat 148 (AKA "Tangerine Dream"). She is a Ute built for Matt Cox over here in the UK. 

Tangerine dream has a 3 tone acid dye dip with clear Sikaflex EBT deck grip. The front corners have black EBT to help when dragging her under sets. Matt has also gone with a Hestered Valve to protect his beautiful face.

Tangerine Dream is a 70/70 construction. Free-breathing ventilation in combo with the lightweight construction and free rocker means this gal is gonna be pretty quick! 

Matt riding his old G-Mat - Pic by Kana Wraith

Matt will hopefully get a go out at the end of this week. We have some swell on the way and a windo of favourable wind (although that's more changeable than words can say these days!)

Anyone interested in getting together for that should get to the Black Rock end of Widemouth Bay Nr Bude for first light this Friday. Looks like a few mats might be getting together!

Ride report coming soon...

Cheers

G

Shearwater - Custom Surfmat Taiwan Bound!

This is Shearwater, a G-Mat Ute built for Chris Goodwin. I'm sure people will remember the classic shot of Chris riding his Chino Racer The Onion on a Typhoon Bomb in Japan.

Photo by AJ Goodwin

A Shearwater glides over the open ocean. Pic By John Harrison

Shearwater is a 70/70 build with free rocker and complete free breather. Chris was keen to add some range to his quiver so we figured a lighter mat with an all round configuration would be a perfect addition.

I'm really stoked to have been able to build another mat for Chris. He and his wife AJ are a cool as it gets. Living the dream and travelling around East Asia, soaking up the culture and introducing the lineups to the joy of Surfmats.

Currently they are in Taiwan. I have to admit, I did enjoy the irony of sending a custom surfmat over there!

Chris is a really solid (or floppy?) mat rider and I really value his feedback. I'm really excited to hear about the adventures he has with Shearwater.

Cheers

G

Rattler... Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie!!!

Say hello to G-Mat 145 (AKA "Rattler"). Rattler is the third mat I've built for UK based Ozzie, Henry Marfleet. I was over the moon to build this mat as Henry's previous mats have both been built for solid waves. He goes on annual trips to Indo so you can see why.

So back to Rattler; she's a 200/70 Rubber Bucky. Henry wanted to get in touch with his Ozzie roots so opted for a bit of colour... Green deck, yellow logo and yellow bottom. We went for clear grip to to add a touch of frosty goodness and let the green really show through.

Rattler has a subtle neg rocker to work with the deeper concaved of the Rubber Bucky design to make what is going to be a fast and slippy mat. Perfect for Henry's frequent trips to Cornwall. (We always prepare ourselves for a week of onshore choss when he says he's coming down!).

Henry has also ordered a sexy green tee with a yellow logo. That's currently in the works so will be sent on later. Looking forward to getting in with Henry and Rattler next time he's down.

Cheers

G

Hush Hush... Top Secret...

Every now and then a customer pops up on the waiting list who is a subscriber to the pre-mainstream approach to mat surfing of keeping your head down. No fuss. Low key mat. Just go surfing.

San Diego's Barry Palmatier is one of those people. He got in touch asking for a mat to ride heavy and hollow waves. It didn't take a great deal of chit-chat to come to the conclusion that a Nouveau Racer was the way forward. 

"What colours do you want mat?" 

"Black." 

"What about the grip?" 

"Black." 

"Logo?" 

"Small... Black." 

And the name? Well, it had to be "Top Secret" obviously!

Black on Black Tee

I know it doesn't look it but these are actually colour photos!

So then, Top Secret is a 200/70 build with free rocker. She's a free breather to up the responsiveness and has Puraflex 40 grip. The front corners have also been gripped to help Barry to pull her under heavy sets. 

You might see Barry if you surf around SD. If you do, the password is "the mats are flying in the fall." In fact, he's keen to meet other mat surfers so if you want to get in touch with him, give me a shout and I can pass on details.

Have fun Barry!

Cheers

G

---

UPDATE 30/10/2017

Word from Barry. Top Secret has landed:

I got it Friday, and have been meaning to write and let you know. 

I am THRILLED with the mat!!! It's exactly what I was looking for. 

I haven't had a chance to ride it yet....Saturday was small junk, no form and I didn't even want to spoil the experience by taking it out in crappy surf. 

Sunday the swell came up and it was really good size off the beach, but closed out. I could have gone down to the Sloughs (google it) where it was breaking at first notch (12 to 15ft faces) but I was short on time due to my daughter having a flying lesson at noon. I would have to be out of the water and ready to drive her out by 10 am, which is really not possible when surfing the sloughs. It's a long walk down to the river mouth and then a loooooong difficult paddle out. 

Now, it's raining in San Diego, so I will probably have to wait for the weekend to give it a try... 

I'm really looking forward to riding it!

Super thanks for the mat...I can tell it's going to be exactly what I needed for hollow days. 

---

UPDATE 11/11/2017

Barry has managed to get some waves. Seems pleased. 

I got to ride top secret for the first time today. Mixed south swell, foot or two over head on the sets..very hollow, breaking hard in shallow water. WOW what a mat! First wave was a heavy late takeoff left, that would have put me out in the flats watching the shoulder peal away on any other mat. Top secret pulled in nicely delivering up a beautiful in n out barrel with quick exit and down the line speed run. I'm so stoked right now, I can hardly wait to get more. I love the way it rides, and I don't feel like I really have it dialed in yet. Super thanks for the mat, the wait was definitely worth it.

I really like it. At first I was concerned the deck would be a little slippery. It felt that way with a flat hand on the deck while walking out, but once I hopped on all my concerns were gone. Very comfortable, and it stays put nicely. I ride with low inflation 180 deg before firm, which can make it difficult to keep under you, but it was no problem. 

Super happy with this mat!

Barry

Spitfire - A Bit of Bling for TVC

Say hello to G-Mat 144 (AKA "Spitfire"). She is a 200/70 Ute built for Aussie mat surfer, Tom Carroll.

I've been eyeing this build as it's crept up with an air of excitement. Doing what I do, I have the privilege of building surfcraft for a number of people who have influenced my surfing over the years and this is one of those times.  I have never been a stand up surfer, but as a youngster, Tom Carroll's powerful, direct, no bullshit approach to riding waves had a huge impact on me.

I know what you're thinking.... That video looks just like my kneeboard surfing, right?! :D

Anyway, Tom has a pretty open mind when it comes to riding waves being well known for ripping on his SUP these days as well as charging monsters tow surfing. Part of his open mind has seen him find the surfmat.  I'm sure many people will have seen the images of Tom riding a Krypt mat at Uluwatu so there is no doubt that he has an aptitude for it.

We managed to get Tom's trademark sash into the design on the deck. We talked about the logo and settled on a bit of bling with a holo effect using glitter in clear sealant. My friends Matt and Ian over at Warpmats have been messing about with this for a bit. It gives an interesting finish.

As you can see from the shot below, Tom has opted to have his initials below the G on the central pontoon. Being a custom G-Mat, Spitfires needs a number which has been set in to the deck towards the back right corner.

Spitfire has set sail for Down-Under and should be there really soon. One thing I've learned over the past few weeks communication is that Tom gets EVERYWHERE so hopefully it won't be too long before he and Spitfire can hook up.

It's been a real honour for me building Spitfire for Tom. With his experience as a waterman, I'm really excited to see where he takes the mat.

Cheers

G

---

UPDATE: 05/10/2017

Some pics of Tom from Ben Chipper over in Sydney.

Tom says he's off to France and Spain and Spitfire is going along too. Lets just hope the Atlantic can send some waves.

Cheers

G

Little Dinky Winkles!

BIRTHDAY TIME!!! That's what Chally bey Rick Kenyon said to me when he said he wanted to order a mat. Who's birthday? Well, Jasper Newitt, son of another Chally local gone AWOL, Jim Newitt. 

Jim works as the Artistic Director of Surfer's Journal (done well!) and lives in the US these days but occasionally comes to back the South Devon for a visit. His lad, Jasper, is turning 6 and apparently, had a mat which Rick managed to pop so it was only right that he got a new one.

Talking to Rick, is only seemed right to go custom so we went for a Ute scaled to the average size of an 8 year old to give some growing room.

The mat is called "Captain Jasper's" which will amuse Plymouthians. As you can see, compared to a 5 Star General, she's tiny!

Captain Jasper's is a 1000/70 wheezer so super managable for a youngster but she'll go really well. The grip is really light and primarily aesthetic to look like a big boy mat.

Have fun Jasper! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

G

G-Mat 142 (AKA "Michael Stripe")

Having taken a little time off for a wee trip away, I thought it would be nice to build myself a new mat for my personal quiver. It's been a while since I built myself a mat that wasn't a proto but I decided to treat myself.

So, what to have. Well, I've been missing my old Ubercat and it has been a really long time since I've had one. Bryn Dampney has one named "Kessel Run" and I have really enjoyed riding her when we've surfed together so 70/70 with rocker seemed the way to go. 

As you can see, I fancied a bit of colour and had surfed with a fella on a hull with stripes which I thought would look good on a mat so I got busy with the acid dye. I'm pretty pleased with how she looks, although Paul Mason did ask if I was going to "Police the lineup" (Perhaps I should have called her Nina!).

One interesting observation is the optical effects of the horizontal stripes... They make the narrower/longer Ubercat look short and fat! I did check in comparison to my Rubber Bucky though and as you can see, all is as it should be. 

Anyhoo, Michael Stripe has been surfed in waves at Gwenver in West Cornwall, that were less powerful than really warrant this design but she went well.

We also had a session in slightly bigger surf which really let Michael Stripe open up. Rail to rail surfing at speed... I forgot how much I love Ubercats!

Suffice it to say, I am really stoked to welcome this mat in to my quiver.Here's hoping for a winter of solid hollow waves! 

Cheers

G