Green & Blue

A quick post here about a mat heading down-under. As you can see there is a different valve on this mat.

This mat is a 70/70 RB-JMC super-free-breather named “Green and Blue”. It is heading down to Byron Bay, Australia to hang out with an experienced mat rider who has a G-Mat already and gives really good feedback. Part of this was that they wanted a smaller and/or softer valve. That’s not an easy ask but I managed to ger a TPU version of a pool toy type valve which seems to hit the mark.

These can come in colours if I buy an absolute stack of them! I’m yet to decide what I think on that front though. They really do look a little pool toyish! They can be made in black apparently which would look better and might be a good opion for the BodyBag mini mats. I’m interested to hear people’s thoughts on that.

Anyway, I am looking forward to hearing feedback on the mat and the valve. Personally I really do like my usual mini-boston valves but it’s always good to have options. I certainly plan to put one into a BodyBag mini mat soon to try. The lightweight, smaller design could be perfect for that.

Anyway lets’s see. I’ve been trying out a few design ideas of late with a mat due to go out to Andrew Buck for testing.

More of that soon though. .

Cheers

G

Ellie

Say hello to “Ellie”, a Nouveau Racer built for Aussie matter Peter Abbott. Peter has been riding a mat for around 12 years having been inspired, like many of us, by the Innermost Limits of Pure Fun.

Peter lives in Northern NSW, a place with excellent waves. He has every day covered with his existing quiver, but wanted a mat for those days where things really get cooking and the local spots really light up. With that in mind we felt that a Nouveau Racer tailored to Peter was the order of the day.

Given the conditions Ellie is aimed at we went for a wheezer with a 200d deck. Ellie has free elastic rocker to offer plenty of flexibility. Peter opted for a red deck and black bottom with black grip. I have to say, I dig this look!

So why Ellie? Ellie was Peter’s old red cattle dog who loved the beach and the water. What a perfect name. I am really honoured to have been able to create the tribute to what sounds like a really special girl.

Have fun Peter. I can’t wait to hear how you and Ellie go down there.

Cheers

G

FEEDBACK - 20th Jan 2024

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

Unburdened & Becoming

Here's is a mat for Mark "Tom" Underwood that I built during a week off in February.

Tom has been after a mat for a while and with the upcoming Wave meet coming up on April 16th (still a slot or two available by the way. Advanced level, 11am on the right) he was keen to get a mat with a bungee set-up for a leash. Also handy for long-swim avoidance on some of the sketchier reefs on big days. Tom is a big fan of the 70/70 neg rocker RB-JMC having been riding one exclusively for some time. He's a fine mat surfer (fine everything surfer to be honest) and really does fit the performance of the RB-JMC.

Tom has called his mat Unburdened and Becoming saying:

“It’s a song lyric line by Bon iver. A band that me sons all went to see live. It resonates with me. It’s positive and life affirming, like matting.”

— Mark Underwood

Tom has been out and about with Unburdened and Becoming in his local area of South Devon and South East Cornwall on the seemingly endless run of swell we're having. With this cold snap the Arctic camo grip is pretty appropriate!

Have fun Tom!

Cheers

G

Warchild

Here's a mat for Joe McEachern over in New England on the East Coast of the US of A. Those with eagle eyes might spot that Joe got in on the last round of builds and I was pretty surprised to see his deposit roll in. What are the odds?! Well it turned out he was stood at the beach with Ryan Kleinert when the email dropped and Ryan clocked it! Joe jumped in on the act and there you go. If only he'd been quicker. I could've shipped his and Ryan's mats together!

Anyway, Joe's first mat, Red Rider was a 200/70 wheezy Ute which he has been having a blast on. He wanted to move things on this time and "Warchild" was conceived. A 70/70 RB-JMC free-breather cut with neg elastic rocker. Perfect stable mate for Red Rider and I reckon a mat that will open things up for Joe.

Joe tells me Warchild is from the movie Pointbreak. (I watched it about a million years ago and thought it was rubbish so don't recall... Deal with it! )

So Warchild is off to the US East Coast. A pretty healthy mat scene growing over there you know. Great to see!

Have fun Joe!

Cheers

G

Pure Joy

Here’s a new mat for Josh Jacobs over in Hawaii named “Pure Joy”.  Josh has been after a new mat and managed to get in on this round, having been riding one of my mats for some time.

 Here’s what Josh had to say:

“How can I explain Mat surfing.. As someone that has been in the ocean for most of my life and have played with many different types of ocean crafts (bodyboards, surfboards both short and long, body surfing, paddle boarding, and a few others), mat surfing might be the only one that brings me back to the childhood joy that I experienced the first time I rode a wave. I really only got into it a few years ago watching one of my buddies ride his mat at a funky little wave on Maui, which is where I live. My buddy let me have a go on his mat and I was hooked after the first speedy free-flowing right that I ever had on one. After that I hit up my old friend from California [Jason MacMurray] who’s been riding your mats for sometime, and he so generously sent me one of his older mats to use. I love riding the mat in all types of waves, from reef breaks to A frame rights and lefts to longer island style point breaks. It’s always fun to see peoples reaction to how much fun I am having on such a different style of surf craft. I have surfed many times in my life, but I can honestly say that some of the sessions that stand out to me are the days that I rode my mat. I can’t wait to ride my new mat “AKA” Pure Joy.”

— Josh Jacobs

We talked about what Josh was after. The mat he had from Jason is a 70/70 free-breather Rubber Bucky. The mat is a bit under sized for Josh but still, that particular set up can be tricky in heavier and hollower waves. Josh was after something more stable to expand his matting options but still an all rounder.

With all that in mind, a Ute seemed the obvious choice. I have scaled around Josh’s existing mat (see G-Mat 83) and his body dimensions in combination as he feels happy riding it. We have gone for a 200d deck with restricted venting (wheezer) on the inside so Pure Joy will hold her shape and offer a more stable deck. Pretty nice quiver mate for his other mat named “Self-Pleasure” (Jason named it!). 

Looking forward to feedback from Josh on this build. Have fun mate!

 Cheers

 G

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FEEDBACK - 16 February, 2023

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

Nephele

Here's a new mat for Nilus Mattive built back in December called Nephele.

Nephele is a RB-JMC built with negative rocker and a super-free-breather so a very fast mat. As you will notice, Nephele has an acid dyed deck.

Nilus is a fine mat surfer from Santa Barbara, CA. I asked him about his journey into mats:

“My first real surf craft was a Morey Waimea Pro body board. In 2013, I returned to my prone roots and got my first mat, mostly thinking I’d use it for junkier days. Didn’t really pull it out a whole lot.

Fast forward to 2016, when my nine year old daughter Vela got into surfing. That gave me the opportunity to start messing with the mat more often.

Now she’s 15 with the long-term goal of qualifying for the world tour. We’re in the water most days, traveling quite a lot, and I always bring a mat with me. Have had the chance to ride one all over the place — Hawaii, Indo, Barbados, the Waco wave pool, etc.

My favorite is taking a mat out when conditions are too fast and hollow for me to surf standing up. Matting is also a great way to break the tension in a lineup or simply remind yourself what the essence of surfing really is. Whenever I bring one out — whether it’s CA or Kandui — people seem genuinely stoked to see me send it on a couple.”

— Nilus Mattive

Mats certainly do help remind everyone what this is really all about.

Nephele is nearly with Nilus so I'm looking forward to getting some feedback. Rincon has been on of late so fingers crossed the swell hangs about!

Have fun Nilus and please do send a pic of you in your Tee

Cheers

G

Turbinia Down-Under

Here’s a mat headed down under to mat surfer Mike Curran. Mike is a self-confect mat addict as you can see from what he had to say when we spoke about his journey into matting:

“I am 65 and nowadays a part time Marine Engineer.

I had my first mat/surfoplane rides at Torquay, Victoria way back when 10 years old when you hired them at the front of the Torquay lifesaving club. The thrill of catching a wave has never been lost.

Wind on to 5 years ago & after 45 years as a stand up surfer, (knees getting stiff) as an avid adventure motorcyclist, (Tiger 900) went way over to the NE coastal side of Tasmania to a little known remote area and took a RedBack Surf Mat so I could have a splash, fun and a laugh and ..actually caught some waves. (And still no idea how to use a mat). I was Immediately inspired!

Then In 5 years since has become absolutely hooked! I am now a regular Matter, and have improved a lot, and also helped immensely when he met through work connections the famous NSW, SCUMM. Since then I have matted around Victoria, NSW, even Long Island in New York, Mentawis, and recently South Central Atoll Maldives!

To add to my current mat quiver I needed a mat with more bite and turning ability to use in grungier waves. I’m ready to welcome my new G-Mat Ubercat. My aim is to eventually position on the inside of Stand-Up surfer and call them, for your wave…When you can do that you know ..you know how to surf a mat !

I have named my mat “Turbinia” which was the name given to the very first experimental & extremely fast ocean going steam turbine ship from 120 years ago.”

— Mike Curran

So then, on to Turbinia. She has a very specific place in Mike’s quiver being specialised to surfing hollow and gruntie waves. After some discussion we settled on the idea of an Ubercat. We went for free-breather venting to maximise responsiveness but combined with a 200/70 construction so a stable deck but responsive morphing characteristics on the go. We have also gone with a positive elastic rocker which I have tried to capture in the photo’s below. The camera never really shows this that well.

Turbinia is all black with grey/black Sikaflex EBT grip and white branding which pops nicely I think.

Mike has also gone for a classic G-Mat Apparel Tee. Thanks for the support Mike!

Have fun with your new ride Mike!

Cheers

G

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Feedback - 21st May, 2023

She’s had about 5 surfs. Main points In point form. 🤔

1. Seems to be much easier to bend and paddle through broken waves than my others.

2. Yes gripping better on the bottom turns and seems to point and turn easier than others.

3. Is faster!

4. Must have it more than 90 degs fold over for best inflation.

5. Loves a late drop.

6. Deck grip very good.

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.

Crumbs!

One for a test pilot here. James Tanner rides a mat really hard and really, really well so is the perfect person to test this design concept. This mat which he has named “Crumbs” (a name which came to him during the trance-like meditative state that is driving home after a day at work) is a 70/70 RB-JMC.

Crumbs is built to the usual favoured configuration for this model with negative elastic rocker and venting, but the latter has been ramped up. I have increased the venting to make this a super-free-breather sucking a menthol mint! It’s going to be interesting to hear how James goes. He rides with low air so I imagine he will find the ride to be super responsive.

I hope one of those Noosa cameras points in James’s direction once Crumbs gets down there.

Have fun James!

Cheers

G

Blue Darr

This is G-Mat 244 (AKA Blue Darr), a mat built for the supremely talented Nick LaVecchia.  If you aren’t familiar, Nick is an amazing photographer hailing from Maine on the US East Coast.

I spoke with Nick some time ago about mats after he was pointed in my direction by Trevor Gordon and Will Adler. We spoke about mats and Nick signed up for my mailer and, after a few miss-outs, managed to nail a spot this time around.

 Nick is a very experienced surfer and spoke about his journey into mats:

“I am a lover of the ocean and all ways of riding waves. If I’m not out swimming and making images, you can usually find me with the van loaded up with cameras, housing, fins, wooden log/single fin/fish and a mat of some sort for all kinds of conditions.
I’ve found myself never wanting to be caught at the beach without a pair of flippers and a mat. That first started back in the 2008 or so when Dave Rastovich came for a Maine visit and had his Krypt mat. Once I witnessed him lock into a nice long wall and fly by me with a smile....that was it.

Then in 2010 on a trip to Nicaragua with Tomo, he had one of his Dad’s mats rolled up in his board bag. After that trip ended he left the mat with me, and I’ve been heavily hooked since.

Headed into Winter here in Maine, my favorite time. Looking forward to getting this new mat into some waves with energy while the snow flies. Nothing like skimming along the face of a wave through a blizzard Nor’easter.

Thanks for all you do Graeme. Hope we can share a few waves in the Atlantic someday.”

— Nick LaVecchia

So when we got to talking it became clear that Nick knows how to ride a mat, enjoying the feel and performance of riding with lower inflation levels. We settled in the end on a RB-JMC with super-free-breather venting and negative rocker. Full steam ahead! Nick was keen to look at a teal colour scheme for the bottom skin and the logo. Acid dye can be funny stuff and pigmenting sealants for the logo is far from an exact science so we went into that from a “let’s have a go” perspective. All in all… pretty pleased with the match! 

I’ve already had some feedback from Nick from his initial session where funnily enough he bumped into Ryan Kleinert on his new mat! Nick said:

“Just got out of the water with Ryan. Some big beautiful rights this morning. Had an amazing vision of him coming flying around the whitewater on big overhead barreling right. So good. That pink mat

I got a few amazing rides. Totally different feel. Waaaay lighter and way faster on the water. The hold felt really nice. I sideslipped down the face on a couple late large ones(my own wrong-doing) then it grabbed and really locked in. The wave was really fast this morning. Just felt amazing to make a few and beat the section with not a ton of effort. Just skimming across the top!”

— Nick LaVecchia

Music to my ears right there! I love building mats for people who take the time to learn to ride them well. It is easy to pump up a mat, jump on it and catch waves, but it is hard and takes true commitment to explore the nuance of these craft. A lifetime of learning which gets into your bones… Just ask Nick!

Thanks again Nick. Here’s to sharing waves one day.

See Nick’s amazing work on Instagram @nick_lavecchia at his website at nicklavecchia.com and in surf mags everywhere.

Cheers

G

Starchaser

This is a mat built for Ryan Kleinert from Maine in the US of A. Ryan has got pretty into mats… Like REALLY into mats. And why wouldn’t he?!

Ryan says:

“I slept on mats for way too long but when I started mat surfing, I felt the magic immediately and become completely and utterly obsessed. I started surfing boards and body surfing over two decades ago as a grom in NJ but have called New England home for most of my adult life. I have always been drawn to alternative surf craft and experiencing waves in different ways.

Surfing for me is a spiritual pursuit that connects me deeply with the wildness of the ocean and intimately with the energy of waves. Mat surfing has been transformative and has completely transcended surfing for me. The feeling that I was seeking while surfing on a board is found over and over again on a mat. Surfing is not about what I can do to a wave but about experiencing how each wave feels and what it has to offer: unhindered speed, an intimate feeling of connection, sensations defined by the uniqueness of each wave. As you know well, mats facilitate this better than any other surf craft.

I named this mat “starchaser” for the magic portals that it will open and the infinite stoke and speed it is destined to cultivate.”

— Ryan Kleinert

Well I’m certainly hopeful those portals will open! Starchaser is certainly built with that in mind. The internal gubbins are set for easy movement of air with super-free-breather venting and being a 70/70 RB-JMC Starchaser has a perfect balance of hold and glide with down-the-line speed helped out with negative elastic rocker. All in all, not the easiest of rides but an extremely rewarding one once tamed (the rider I mean, not the mat!).

I’m really looking forward to hearing from Ryan once her gets Starchaser in the water. In all there are 3 mats going to New England in this batch. There’s a bit of a boom over there with the locals seemingly being right on it to get in on the emails I send out.

Have fun Ryan!

Cheers
G

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Feedback - 17 November, 2022

UltraLight G-Mats

So then, having taken time to test Ultra Lightweight mats myself and under the bellies of some highly talented riders I have come to a decision about these things.

I’m going to start with clarification of what I mean by Ultra Lightweight. There are two iterations of these:

• 70/40 construction - 70 denier deck material with 40 denier I-beams and bottom skin.

• 70/70 ULW (40) - Standard 70 denier deck material with 40 denier I-beams and a 70d bottom skin with a ‘lick coat’ of TPU giving a very lightweight material similar to overall weight (or GSM) of the 40d.

Just to clarify the GSM stuff above, that stands for Grams per Square Metre which is accounts for the weight of the nylon and the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) coating combined.

The conclusion from riding these mats is that they feel lovely for low inflation riding but are very differnt from standard 70/70 lightweight mats:

Firstly, you feel everything and the mat has a higher top-end speed than the same design built with slightly heavier materials.

Secondly, they have a slower action due to the elasticity of the fabric than standard 70/70 mats so you get a real pelican glide feel in a straight line, however they are less responsive through turns.

Thirdly, the material is weak and therefore durability is low.

So what does all that mean then? Well, it means I will make them available to customers but there are some important considerations. Firstly, unless you are very comfortable riding a lightweight 70/70 mat at low inflation then this wouldn’t be for you. Also, if you are looking for an everyday mat then these aren’t that. The UltraLights will be lucky to last a year being hauled under waves, repetitively death-gripped and bounced around in chop.

However, for small to medium sized surf with smooth faces, long walls and dry hair paddleouts these can’t be beaten in my opinion and as those days are a rarity for most of us, an UltraLight mat is a good addition to the quiver that should last a while if cared for properly.

Unlike my other mats though, I will not be offering the 2 year warranty. These are what they are. Also I’m not into making disposable mats so these really do need to be kept for what they are suited to.

Wonderful things though…

Cheers

G

Caballito!

A quick post to show off G-Mat 242 (AKA "Caballito") a RB-JMC built for Steve Halpin @fringesurfing

Stevo is heading to winter in Peru and is going to be living the highlife surfing a right hand point break for months on end. With this in mind, he wanted a mat with a bungee for attaching a leash to deal with the very strong winds as well as avoiding a really long swim if he let's the mat go. He needed a mat in a hurry so I took advantage of a bit of down time to crank this number out quick!

Caballito is a copy of Stevo's previous mat named "Mat Le Blanc" but with 2 tweaks. Firstly, cutting in a negative elastic rocker and secondly increasing the venting inside to make Caballito a super-free-breather. Stevo has been riding a mat for a while now so time to step up. 😎

The initial ride report sounds good. Looking forward to hearing more and seeing some pics/footage.

Have a great winter Stevo!

Cheers

G

Cardiac Abnormality Express

This is a mat for Mariah Ernst. Mariah got in on the last round of orders and probably for the best. You might remember that a while back, Mariah lost hold of her favourite mat Jamu Jamu leading to her ride taking a trip across the coral at Uluwatu. I did some serious surgery at the time which held up for some time but alas the leaks just crept in.

So on to this mat named Cardiac Abnormality Express. Mariah had a bit of a health scare a while back. Don’t worry, she’s fine, but a significant event in her life. What better way to mark that and the journey moving on from that experience than to get yourself a new mat! And Mariah is the perfect mat surfer… Keep it simple, have fun and spread the love. Perfect.

Cardiac Abnormality Express is basically a rebirth of Jamu Jamu. Given the waves Mariah surfs in Indo a Nouveau Racer is ideal. The free elastic rocker keeps things moving but stretches cleanly into a smooth curve for turns and the combo of 200 denier deck and wheezy venting inside keeps things stable when things get bonkers. The Nouveau Racer design offers a lot of hold so all in all, hollow powerful waves are covered. Mariah has also gone for a mottled pink deck that I do think looks perdy.

Cardiac Abnormality Express is on the way to Indo now. Have fun you two!

Cheers

G

Bucca Dhu

Wazzon ‘ere then bey?!

Bucca Dhu is the Cornish God of the winter and the dark. So what better name for a mat for the Cornish Lord of Darkness himself, Ian “Piskian” Wraith. Ian is a fine mat surfer and one of my oldest mat riding friends. A mentor to me when I first started out in the journey of flaccid flow. Bucca Dhu sports Cornish black and gold colour scheme with the 15 balls of the Cornish coat of arms on the rail. All in all, pretty Cornish this mat!

Ian is a fine mat surfer and one of my oldest mat riding friends. A mentor to me when I first started out in the journey of flacid flow.

So what’s the deal with Bucca Dhu? Well, I’m building a handful of prototypes to send to a few people to test. Two in Oz and then Ian. These are 70/70 ULW (40) construction; Standard 70 denier deck, 70d ultra lightweight bottom skin (very thin TPU coating) and 40d I-beams. Also a super-free-breather with negative rocker.

I have already built myself one of these proto’s (see G-Mat 238) and it goes great. Feels similar in weight to a 70/40 although a little crisper but also so far, no leaks at the seams although it is early days.  This is why I am sending out a handful to different riders who ride mats well but also very differently and in different conditions.

Ian is coming back to the UK from Japan where he lives with his family in early November so he can grab Bucca Dhu in person and we can share a few waves. It’s been too long so I’m looking forward to that!

Cheers

G

Red Rider

Here’s a mat for US East Coast mat surfer, Joe McEachern.

Joe has been riding mats for around 2-3 years. He says he has nurtured a developing interest in riding waves in different ways or late. When we were designing Joe’s mat he went on to say:

“There are very few mat surfers in New England that I’ve seen.

The first time out on the mat was demoralizing, but fortunately, I’d say things progressed to fun pretty quickly. As I started catching waves regularly I was absolutely loving it and full on committed to mat surfing as much as I possibly could year round. I really like the sensation I get on the waves but also the satisfaction of learning all the nuances of it. I feel like New England it’s a great place to ride a mat because sometimes the conditions aren’t great and the waves are inconsistent but I can always make the best of things on the mat.

Can’t wait to try out the Red Rider! The hurricane swells are on the way and it should be a great all around mat for the conditions here!”

— Joe McEachern

So on to Joe’s mat then. Joe was keen on an all rounder that would manage all that the New England coastline will through at him. After some discussion we agreed on a 200/70 Ute. Joe has gone for red and white (which pleases me as a Liverpool FC fan) and has named his mat “Red Rider”.

Red Rider is a wheezer with free rocker. The combo of a 200d deck and restricted air flow will make for a mat that holds it’s shape in choppy conditions, even at lower inflation levels.

Joe has had Red Rider for a couple of weeks now and I was pleased to get some feedback and a photo from him after his first go out:

“Just got out of the water. 4 hours! The mat is fantastic! Very happy with it. Could do anything I wanted. Caught lots of waves, could hold a nice high line, and could go fast. Awesome!

Fits great. It’s interesting. One of the other mats I have looks to be almost the same size. Very close. But the Ute feels bigger/wider in a very good way. And much lighter feeling. Very happy.

Thanks very much! ”

— Joe McEachern

That really is the kind of feedback I like to hear.

Thanks Joe!

Cheers

G

Prototypes

R&D - Proto 1 of 2. 70/70 ULW RB-JMC

Following on from the seam failures of the 40d material after heavy use I am experimenting with 70 denier nylon Taffeta with a lick coat of TPU. The feel is very light and very pliable. The intention here is a base material that will remain airtight but will offer highly pliable material for riding at lower inflation levels.

Too early to tell if it is a success yet but looks extremely promising and rides great!

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Prototype 2 of 2. 70/70 ULW (40) RB-JMC.

This mat is identical to the last apart from the colours. It has the same 70d deck and 70d ULW bottom skin. The big difference is this one has 40 denier I-beams. The feel is noticeable. I've put a couple of experienced mat surfers on both but blind to the difference between the two and the feedback on feel has been consistent. This one feels very light and ever malleable.

The run of surf over here has been appalling so not had a proper test yet. Fingers crossed soon. Right now this feels like a win but time is needed for testing.

UPDATE 11/09/2022

Having ridden both the 70/70 ULW is definitely a lighter option than a standard 70/70 and a nice step up between a 70/70 and 70/70 ULW (40)..

The 40d I-beam mat is super light. Easily feels as light as a 70/40 and is amazing to ride!. The job now is to ride this mat a lot to see how it goes but so far, holds air.

Cheers

G