Colin's New Companion

Meet TREAL, a modified Ute built for Colin McCrindle in Santa Barbara. Colin is a very evperienced mat rider who I’ve built a number of mats for over the years:

https://customsurfmats.com/blog/tag/Colin+McCrindle

Colin has an eye for nature and a lust for finding out of the way quality wave around the Santa Barbara Central Cali coast. Just take a look at his Instagram account… Amazing!

https://www.instagram.com/colinmccrindle/

Give him a follow!

Anyway, TREAL is a 200/70 build and very well vented so the internal airflo is lomost completly unrestricted. The corners are squarer than normal too with a lightly stretched plan shape. Add to that the I-beams and bottom skin being made with a very light weave 70d navy taffeta and lighter TPU coating and we are looking at a mat that is going to be very fast.

TTREAL is on the way so Cali right now. The tracking says that wild fires are causing hold ups but HOPEFULLY she’ll be with colin before the weekend.

I’m excited to hear about their travels to quiet coves and reefs.

Have fun Colin!!!

Cheers

G

ANALOG

ANAGLOG (yes the caps are deliberate) is a Rubber bucky built for Pete D’Ewart. Pete has had a few mats off me now, being the first person to pay for a mat off me way back. Pete knows all about mats having been a mat surfer for a looooooong time. He’s a big fan of the Rubber Bucky and has the skills to make this model really go.

ANAGLOG is a 200/70 free-breather with free-rocker. The 200d fabric is a fairly open weave, as is the navy 70d bottom skin so a light, fast mat. Pete is a fan of simple panels of grip (like on a 5 Star General). We’ve gone with clear EBT which give plenty of traction and the un pigmented sealant is more durable.

Pete lives in the Pacific North West so some long chilly walls will be just perfect for this mat.

Have fun Pete

Cheers

G

It's Opposite Day!

It’s been a bit slowed down of late with some family stuff going on but I’m back with a mat for Jamie McClellan. This mat, which Jamie has named Wheezy Jefferson iis built by way of wages for Jamie’s work for MatSurfers.com.

Jamie is one of those mat riders that has a special talent. He’s put in the hard hours and surrendered himself to the craft and is, as a result, able to work with very lightweight and plable mats to manage the drift and tap in to that sought after quality of surfmats…

SPEED!

Weezy then is something of an ironic name because Weezy Jeffereson is the very opposite of being wheezy. This mat is a free-breather with I-beams with crescent cut ends and 5 breather holes. What that means is that the internal venting is completely unrestricted.

Weezy Jefferson is bult withnegative rocker, very light weave 70d bottom skin and I-beams and a slightly denser (but still very light) 70d deck. She also has slightly squarer than normal back corners wihich further relaease hold in the tail. The grip is also applied thinly as Jamie is more than able to top it up if needed.

All in all, this is an incredibly lightweight and pliable surfmat that will go like a greased turd off a hot shovel!

At the time of writing this post, Jamie and his family are hunkering down to ride our Hurricane Dorian so Weezy Jefferson is still sat in G-Mat Towers and will go out once things calm down. In the meantime, take care of yourself McClellans.

Cheers

G

Akamata!!!

My good friend Ian Wraith AKA “Piskian” is an ex-pat Cornishman living in Japan. Ian lives on a beautiful, quiet (by Japanese standards) tropical island with his wife and two children. Ian is also a pretty great mat rider.

Anyway, Ian was lined up for a mat and we managed to line his mat up with his visit, and so it was that Akamata was born…

Akamata is a Nouveau Racer so designed with more solid waves in mind. There is a particular point break on the Island that is very reminiscent of a certain North Cornish point with long lefts of a shallow boulder bottom. The difference is, you have a huge paddle just to get to the inside! With this in mind, Ian took the pragmatic decision to break form and go for a bungee leash fitting.

This isn’t to always have a leash, just to have the option when those huge typhoon swells come in. These leash fittings have developed over time and the nose flange is now HEAVILY reinforced. The leash fits to the middle loop so the mat concertinas to absorb the energy and the bungee is elastic. All of this combines to give a fitting that can take on the job, although it is still best to hang on to your mat!

The deck it 200d nylon dyed Fire Red with an added experimental tattoo (that didn’t show well so that is why we experiment).

The bottom material is an open weave 70d that goes juuuuust lovely! Restricted breather to help Akamata to hold her shape in big surf and to handle surface chop at speed.

Ian has given her a go and reports:

Just rode Akamata in head-high double-up dry tubes. Flies! Like a magic carpet. Turns fast, glides like a beuton. Grip is perfect!

Stoked!

On that grip, it’s clear Sikaflex EBT but I have modified how I texture it and the feedback (including my own experience) is that it’s spot on!

I’m glad I’ve been able to build Ian a mat. It’s been a while and this is just right for what he will get over the winter.

It was great to get Ian over although it was a flying visit. We were lucky enough to get a couple of sessions in too. A shame it was so small as we have an intuition on party waves but still great fun surfing with Mark “Tom” Underwood one day and my son, Webbo, the next.

Here’s a few party waves from 2016 anyho…

Great morning that!

Cheers

G

PS Follow Ian on Instagram @piskian.

Expanding the Quiver with Nancy

Here we have a 200/70 G-Mat Rubber Bucky named Nancy, built for Sean Stansfield.

People may well remember Sean. For those who don’t have long memories, Sean was the first person to host Phileas when she set off on her travels:

https://customsurfmats.com/phileas/tag/Sean+Stansfield

That was a while ago now!

Sean has previously had another couple of mats from me named Gladys and Dorothy:

https://customsurfmats.com/blog/2015/5/11/just-what-the-dr-ordered

The last 2 mats were a 70/70 Ute and a 200/70 Chino Racer. When Sean dropped me his order form he was pretty clear on hat her wanted. A Rubber Bucky and a fast one!

No problemo!

We mulled over the options and decided on a stable deck so went for 200 denier material, but focusing on the speed, we thought about venting (free-breather) and rocker (negative).

The rest was simple. Sean likes his mats low key and monochrome so all black with white grip was where we wound up. SIkaflex EBT Grip 3/4 length with front corners…

Nancy IS going to be fast…

Personally, I love the Rubber Bucky. The glide and the ease for the tail to break free make this a a design that absolutely epitomises the essence of the modern surfmat. It also means that for the uninitiated, there is a drift that can initially be a little disconcerting (we all love dropping the tail though right?)

I really stoked to have been able to build another mat for Sean. He’s a connoisseur of the craft of riding these craft.

Enjoy mate!

Cheers

G

The Mat with No Name

There was once a guy named Kerry. Kerry Burns to be exact.

Kerry once watched a movie named The Man with No Name and Kerry had a dream of a brown mat with white patterned grip to be something like that poncho... Something like it.

Of course, that grip needed to do the job of... erm... gripping! So we had to get creative. But with the deck looking so fancy, the big white expanse of the bottom looked like a big white bottom. It needed filling (please do know that these buns are accidental).

That's where Bryn came in.

Bryn Dampney is a super talented artist. Graphic Designer by profession, kneeboard shaper by passion and all-round waterman in the ocean. And I mean ALL round. We approached Bryn with the general theme - "It needs to look kinda Mexican?"

Bryn did the rest.... Amazing!!!

So Kerry is about to hook up with his Mat With No Name. A 200/70 wheezy Ubercat that is going to fly on those points around SB. If you're over there, keep an eye out for them!

Been a LOT of fun this one. Thanks to Kerry for the opportunity and thanks to Bryn for his genius.

Cheers
G

PS For those who score custom mats, Bryn is available to add art to them.

Jamu Jamu - Something Orange for Indo!

Mariah Ernst is a name some might recognise. Mariah is a New York surfer, journalist and writer who tells me that she hates the cold. In fact, she hates the cold so much that she has fled the US Eastern Seaboard for Indonesia. Even then, she is so hostile to the cold that you can see her wearing rubber in the tropical paradise!

Maybe on the rubber… Hard to tell if she was pulling my leg on that one.

In any case, Mariah came with a clear idea in mind of what she wanted. “A mat that will hold well in steep Indo waves and in a colour that I can see easily when it’s washing around on the inside at Ulu’s.”

Roger that..

After weighing up the options, 2 tone orange was the go. With Mariah’s local being somewhat heavy, a Nouveau racer seemed the obvious choice. Positive elastic rocker to help the mat get off the bottom and respond rail to rail but nice and stable with restricted breathing. Mariah opted to name her new ride “Jamu Jamu” after her favourite local turmeric based beverage.

At the time of writing, Mariah is getting over some gnarly illness. On the mend and what better tonic than a new mat!

Jamu Jam sets sail in the morning so should be with Mariah by the end of the week.

Bon voyage!!!

Cheers

G

PS. Read more about Mariah here:

https://whalebonemag.com/ice-cream-headaches-writer-mariah-ernst/

Unexpected Addition to the Family!

Say hello to Inkblot.

This is an unexpected addition to the family.

The customer who originally ordered this mat was all good to go and then unfortunately ran in to some unforeseen expenses which meant they we unable to go forward. I had already dyed this deck and cut the panels.

As it turned out, the customer was very close to my size and the mat is a 70/70 free-breathing Rubber Bucky and I have been desperate to get one in my quiver but just haven’t had the free-time to build one so I made the decision to have her.

Don’t worry… I squeezed in an extra day of work on the Bank Holiday weekend to get her done so hasn’t slowed anything down production wise!

Anyway, with Inkblot and my Nouveau Racer, Unity I now pretty much have the perfect 2 mat quiver and am sorted for the next couple of years at least. I don’t tend to hang on to unused mats so I’m putting my blue and yellow mat named Michael Stripe up for sale for anyone who wants her - £145 GBP + shipping.

She’s was built in September 2016 and is in very good condition (the result of washing with 50 dunks after every session). I’ll top the grip up before she goes out.

Michael Stripe is an Ubercat (in case you hadn’t guessed) but being a 70/70 free-breather is much more of an all-rounder and goes well in pretty much all conditions. She is best suited to an experienced mat surfer or, if you are less experienced, more air and patience to get used to her floppiness will see you adjust!

Cheers, G.

Siobhan Heads to Hawaii

G-Mat 165 is a G-Mat Nouveau Racer heading off to hook up with Craig Jerome in Hawaii.

She is a 200/70 wheezer with free-rocker made to eat up decent waves with some push but with some scope built in to the bottom end to open her up in more average conditions too.

Craig has named his new mat Siobhan. Funnily enough, that’s what I was going to be called had I been a girl, so I have a natural soft-spot for this one.

Craig says there’s a bit of solid swell on the wat so looking forward to seeing how he and his new ride get on with that.

Have fun you two!!!

Cheers

G

Off to Cali!

Hello there!

I’m off to California for a couple of weeks from Saturday so keen to hook up with people and maybe sort a couple of matmeets over there.

The time I was there I got a session in with ASB in tiny Rincon.

And the meet at Cottons was such a blast!

Our itinerary for this trip is:

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WEEK 1:

Based in Carpinteria at Santa Miguel Campground from Sunday April 4th until Saturday 13th April.

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WEEK 2:

Based in San Onofre at San Mateo Campground from Saturday 13th April until Friday 19th April.

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Be good to to hook up for some sessions so give me a yell. Another matmeet would be great! Mike Janich is staying at the site over that week too! :)

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In other news, I’ll be sending out an email to take a couple of custom orders over the next couple of weeks to get started when I’m back so keen an eye out if you’re on the list and if you’re not, HERE’S THE LINK.

Cheers

G

His and Hers

I’ve finally got around to building a pair of mats that have been on the horizon for some time. These are G-Mats 163 (AKA “Bear”) and 164 (AKA “Bunski”) and have been built for husband and wife surfmat tag-team, Ben and Yoko Bennink.

Ben and Yoko run the wonderful Slidaholics website based in their homeland of Australia. They are both enormously experienced waterpeople with a good deal of experience riding all manner of craft, including mats.

Given that, it was a real pleasure to work with them around this collaboration. Ben and Yoko came knowing that they wanted mats that were fast and loose, with stacks of glide. Given that, a brace of free-breathing Rubber Buckies seemed to be the order of the day.

As you can tell from the picture of Bear and Bunski side-by-side, there is a bit of a difference in size between Ben and Yoko! As a result, there was a need to do some serious scaling in both directions but, job done.

Have fun you crazy kids!

Cheers

G

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March 7, 2019: FEEDBACK FROM BEN & YOKO:

I’m so stoked to get this message from Ben! THIS is why I do it:

“G-Mats Situation Report.

Yoko and i got to test the new G-mats this morning. We actually got really lucky, we scored somewhere with just the two of us, a place that's usually always packed. There was offshore / cross-shore devil wind on it. Hence the lack of crowd. But, pick the right one between gusts, and it was a good size, fast and reasonably hollow despite the bumps coming up the face.

Graeme, those "Rubber Bucky's" you scaled for us both are fucken insane.
Seriously, just fucking WOW. Bravo dude, fine workmanship. Worth the wait and every cent.

We found them to be,faster than the Ute model, and that's in tricky bumpy conditions! Which is pretty wild, the ute is damn fast too, but these are quicker.
Seriously can't wait to get them in something with a cleaner face. yes more slip, and much more sensitive than the Ute, but it's manageable, and a shit load of fun.

Can't report on crossovers at this stage, we were overtaking each other easily, but didn't risk the crossovers at that speed in the wind and bump, didn't want to hit a bump, get it wrong and knock each other out.
So mainly sharing speed runs, and swapping the lead. Made a couple of windy barrels as well.
Both hooting like kids on speed. Still smiling, and the last time I saw Yoko that stoked, was when I made a new noserider for her. BTW. That problem we had when I was on a G-mat, and she wasn't, where i kept out running her, problem solved :) Now she's as fast as me, or even faster.

G it's obvious you put a lot love and dedication into you're work. We both genuinely appreciate it.

Thanks Dude, from two very happy sliders. :)

Taking Custom Orders

Hello everyone!

I’m pleased to say that I am nearly at the end of my left over waiting list. As some might remember, my list got long to the point of being about 3-4 years and that was ridiculous! As a result, I had to cut it down to the longest waiters and I’m just working on the last two right now.

G-Mat 162 (AKA “Unity”) - After hours build for myself to take on my travels

So, how am I going to avoid another long waiting list? I’m glad you ask! I have set up a mailing list and will email when I’m ready to build a mat or two. It is a matter of first come-first-served so I’ll vary the times to suit different time zones.

There is a new page on the site imaginatively called “Ordering a Mat” where you can sign up;

https://customsurfmats.com/order/

As I say, I’m working on a couple of customs now and am then going to do some 5 Star Generals and Bodybags for MatSurfers.com (with a trip to Cali in the mix for my Birthday) so the first email will go out in late spring.

Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support. I never cease to be blown away by the positive vibes I get from people!

Cheers

G

PS The mat pictured is named Unity. She is a Nouveau Racer built after hours for myself to take to Cali. 😎

Oink! Oink!

I introduce to you, ladies and gentlemen, a mat with an identity crisis! Not anything to do with the mat herself, but her name. 2 stuck out for her owner and both stuck out too prominently to be dismissed. As a result G-Mat 161 is named "Comrade Napoleon" AAKA "Miss Piggy"

This little piggy is built for Andrew Steven Buck and is a 70/70 G-Mat Ute. ASB is a master matter and as such he is after mats that are super sensitive and responsive. With that in mind, Napoleon (I’m not typing out all that again) is a free-breather with negative rocker.

70/70 construction with a lightweight Sikaflex EBT clear grip finish, Piggy (again… I’m not typing all that) is built to be super glidy, very sensitive, highly responsive and therefore…

FAST!!!

She heads off to hook up with ASB in Carpineria and I am gagging to see how she goes in those Rincon rights. Hopefully I’ll get to see her in action in the flesh in April (yes… April. Not the best time for Rincon eh?!)

I love building mats for Andrew. A true master of the art and a man with an deep knowledge not just of how to ride surfcraft but how they work. He has certainly played a huge role in making me both a better mat builder and mat surfer.

Here’s to you ASB!

Cheers

G

Bumblebee

No… not a Transformer, although mats are certainly transformative!

Bumblebee is a 200/70 Ute, built for Hawaiian mat surfer and bodysurfer, Kris Robinson.

Kris hangs about on the North Shore and was looking for a mat to get in to some solid, sizable surf but also with the bottom end to have fun on the junky days. A Ute was the perfect fit for that. Bumblebee’s internal venting is restricted because wheezers are more predictable on bumps and such.

As you can see, Kris has gone for black grip with black stripes to really pop on that acid dyed Sunshine Yellow finish. To get this finish with sharp pin lines, I used the same sealant (Sikaflex EBT) to add the stripes. This will also act like a stinger up the middle of the mat.

I’m really looking forward to hear about Kris and Bumblebee’s adventures on the North Shore.

Aloha!

G

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Cheers

G

Shoney Goes North

Well… Not that far north. This is “Shoney”, a custom G-Mat Ute built for Marianne Davies in North Devon.

Shoney, a gift for Marianne from her brother John, is now resident in North Devon, UK. It seems that there is a real growing interest in mat surfing up there. It’s been a while since I visited but I think it may be due. A mat meet on a certain point break would be something else over this winter.

Anyway, back to Shoney, she is a 200/70 wheezer which gives a less jelly-like experience. Also a good option in heavier waves.

Hope to see her in action!

Cheers

G

G-Mat 157 - Da Bolt!

Say hello to “Da Bolt”, a 200/70 Nouveau Racer built for Michael Kennedy.

Da Bolt is Michael’s tribute to one of mat surfing’s greats; the sorely missed Eric “Da Bolt” Bridges. I’ll let Michael’s words do the talking:

“A few years ago I was chatting with Eric Bridges here on FB. He was retiring and I was telling him how envious I was. His simple plan was to surf with his mates and fish for sambos. Such a simple plan that sounded like so much fun.

Life doesn't always turn out the way we plan. Losing Eric was devastating on many levels. It was like in my mind I was vicariously living his life...no work...play every day with your friends. There was hope as I plowed through another 50-60 hour work week. Eric was proof there was light at the end of the tunnel. Suffice to say the events that transpired shattered all of that.

So how do you pick up those shattered pieces and make them into something good again? Not really sure but my first thought when I began designing my new G-Mat was to pay tribute to Eric with it. Kind of like he's along for the ride in spirit. Its name is "Da Bolt". 

With much Aloha Eric.”

It’s been an honour o be able to play my part in this. Eric was a great guy!

So, “Da Bolt” will be heading off to Hawaii to team up with Michael. She is built with solid winter waves in mind so will be just the ticket for what looks like a winter of pretty big surf!

Cheers

G

#ericwouldgo

G-Mat 156 (AKA "Margaret")

Say howdo to Margaret. Margaret is a G-Mat Ute and she has just landed in the US of A (Costa Mesa to be precise) and Margaret is the new love interest of Brett Tweedy.

Brett is a Wedge guy, a lover of kneeboards (man after my own heart) and a fella  who has developed an interest in mats. Well... why wouldn't he?! Brett also take trips further up the coast and gets in to some less crowded point breaks, which is where Margaret can really come in to her own.

So, more on Margaret. She is a Ute with free rocker. We decided to build her as a free breather to open up on those long Cali rights. Grip is Sikaflex EBT 2/3 of Margaret's length with the front corners also gripped to help out with duckdives and the like. 200 denier yellow deck and 70d navy bottom and Hestered valve.

Swell is coming in apparently... Have fun Brett! Hope to hear some love stories.

Cheers

G

PS. A word on that navy 70d material. I love it. The denier of any material only tells you so much. The density of the weave and the amount of TPU all have an impact and this blue is light on both counts. It's reminiscent of the green material I had a while back which some might remember. It's not the easiest to work with but is soooooooooo pliable. :)

PPS. If you live in Costa Mesa and need your drains sorting, be sure to give Tweedy Plumbing & Restoration a call: https://tweedyplumbing.com/

Blue Raspberry

Ladies and Gents, Boys and Girls, please welcome Blue Raspberry into your local lineup! (If you're in Santa Cruz).

Blue Raspberry is a G-Mat Ute built for my good friend and accomplished mat rider, Jason MacMurray. She is a 70/70 construction with acid dyed deck with progressively faded striped starting with a deep burgundy tail dip. The whole mat is actually more burgundy than the shots let on. 

Design-wise, Blue Raspberry (named by Jason's daughters) has a Hestered valve (because Jason's face needs all the help it can get). She is a free-breather with negative elastic rocker. Rockers in mats are only visible at rock hard inflation but their effects are felt even at low inflation. Negative rocker is the fastest and in combination with the lightweight materials (and this 70d navy I have in stock right now is lovely on that front) and unrestricted air flow, Blue Raspberry is going to go like a greased shit off a hot shovel!

Blue Raspberry is en route right now so I'm looking forward to the ride report. I've set it before... Sometimes you build a mat that you really don't want to let go of... This is one of those times...

Have fun Jason!

G

PS For more on rockers, have a read HERE.

Prototype: Nouveau Racer - S Deck (or all that glitters...)

I've recently built a prototype based on an existing design called the Nouveau Racer which is a mat built for solid/big waves. I thought some might find it interesting to get an insight into some of the design and testing process that goes in to these funbags we call surfmats.

This model has a 1/16" inward cant on I-beams 1,2,4 and 5 giving an enhanced concave and a slightly more taught feel than vertical I'beams without affecting overall pliability. All my mats have canted I-beams bar one and this is the standard configuration for the Nouveau Racer. No news there.

This proto (which I've named the Nouveau Racer - S Deck) has the same configuration on the bottom but some heavy alterations on the deck. 

Look closely and you'll see the I-beams fanning out progressively towards the tail on the deck. On the bottom they're parallel.

This leads to a progressive increase in rail drop towards the tail...

And a deepening concave of just over 5/8" at the nose and 13/16" at the tail.

Nose Concave Depth

Tail Concave Depth

My hope was that the torsion in the I-Beam and dropping rail towards the tail would lead to a mat that would increase bite and stability at the tail, combined with lift. Put simply, I was hoping she'd goes quickly forwards and be disinclined to go sideways. Perfect for heavy surf. The original design already achieves this really well so if after testing it turned out that there is no benefit, or didn't work at all, nothing lost. 

Let's see...

So as you can see, she goes forward. Well, she was always going to. She's also fairly quick. BUT... Here's the main learning point. Changing the parallel structure doesn't do mats any favours. The nose has much more hold (always a risk) than the tail. Essentially, the mat feels almost like two mats welded together like some kind of inflatable cut 'n' shut! 

Verdict: 

But that's why we build prototypes.

The Nouveau Racer is a far superior mat. And here's the reason I think so. There is a key phrase that has stuck with me from my many, many hours of tutelage with Dale Solomonson: "straight lines can go curved but curved lines can't co straight". The point being, when you ride a mat the way mats are best ridden, it is the rider's behaviour and that of the wave that lead to the mat finding it's best shape. The job of the mat builder is essentially to provide a container to provide boundaries to the shape of the air inside it in as an effective but unobtrusive way as possible.

Straight and parallel lines allow this to happen. Over-cooking ruins the meal. But this is why we build prototypes. It's not until you get on it that you can really know. Mat builders putting the hours in is how we wind up with what we have in the water today.

Cheers

G

PS: On a cautionary note, the internet is full of builders of all kinds of craft offering whacky "innovations". People "pushing the envelope" etc. Just remember that all that glitters is not gold. Unless you know something has been tested and retested, don't blow your dough.