Worthy Petitions for UK Residents

Not strictly Surfmat issues but certainly issues affecting mat-surfers in the UK.

There are two very important campaigns currently on the go which require your support in the form of online petitions to the British Pime Minister. It'd be splendid if you'd sign them (These are time limited so CHOP CHOP!!!):

First off is a petition to "Implement a Marine Litter Strategy and assign a suitable and credible body to tackle this worsening problem" This is a Surfers Against Sewage Campaign. Here's a brief movie explaining things.

To sign this petition go to http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/marine-litter/

Next up is a petition to "Protect the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RLNI) from paying licence fees for using Maritime radio frequencies".

RLNI is a charity which saves hundreds of lives each year and their income is partly through the profits from providing lifeguards on UK beaches (and not much profit) but primarily comes from charity donations.

RLNI has no government funding but is expected to pay tax?! Have you ever heard such a thing?

To sign this petition go to http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/RNLI-RF-licences/

You have to be a UK citizen to sign these petitions.

Cheers

G

UDT #1 Survives Terrorist Attack!!!

paul

a guy saw the mat on the beach right before i went in and he flew thru the air and jumped on it. i was beyond pissed, but alas it did not pop and the ibeams and innards held together (its still 3-pontooned, not 1!) despite the not so funny joke, a testament to how well built and strong the mat is.

greg

Early UDT Returns....

John M was the proud recipient of 4GF UDT #2, and weighed in with the following report...

(John, somewhere in Southern California. Photo: One of two guys using Jeff's camera.)

Hi Paul -

Jeff C wrote out a full photo essay on yesterday's trip. I won't bore you with the whole 4 part shebang, but here is a pic showing how the minimum threshold for me to ride an air mat has been lowered with the UDT. I was stoked to be able to actually get in to waves that would have been hopeless on a smaller mat. It was basically flat with inconsistent sets that were at least quadruple overhead...for me(!)

The location is, uh, "Southern California."

I'm not sure on photo credit. Two different guys took shots using Jeff's camera.

John

PS - I have no idea why I look so serious. LOL. Sometimes it's harder to ride small waves than big waves. I also just noticed that my hair looks like one of those plastic toupees the guys in Devo might have worn. That, or I'm working on an early Clark Kent look-a-like.

Prone brothers...not!

I got dropped in on by a booger yesterday. OK it was a margin call...but he didn't get off and I ate his wake for 100 yards. That same wake prevented me getting higher on the face, while he enjoyed clear water 6 ft in front.
Grrrr!

Good Banks

Heaps of rain lately means good sandbanks. Chilly brown water reminds me of SB, not Oz. From this morning, the spot closest to home.

From JJ ...

Hello Paul!

I thought I'd give you an early report regarding the "Classic" mat. I was stoked it arrived as quick as it did.....you must've been moving pretty fast in your shop!

First off, I had an opportunity to ride my black/blue Fatty last Monday and Tuesday at the Corona Del Mar Jetty, when a good sized southern hemi rolled through. As expected, the Fatty excelled.... with speed to burn on the inside section! I got some great roundhouse cutbacks off those giant "foamers".

CDM Jetty is a very esoteric spot at best, usually showing up around 6-8 feet...requiring a dead-on 180 degree South swell. It's also a spot that's steeped in mat history. With the invention of the blackball flag, mats could be seen littered along the jetty for the flag's duration, during the summer months of the late 60's/70's.

Perhaps we should give a nod here to photographer Woody Woodworth, who penned the article "Rubber Duck" for Surfer magazine.The volume/issue # escapes me at the moment....but it's the one with the "Santosha" cover. This groundbreaking article chronicled the inflatable experience in Orange County at that time. Woody and fellow cohort John Parks would modify their "stripes down" Converse/Hodgman mats, armored with extra canvas and small fins for stability...necessary for when the "big ones" came through!

I made it down to my local beachbreak to try the Classic this morning, and I was stoked to see a couple of things...clear blue sky (in spots)light offshores (didn't last too long)2 - 4 ft. mix of S/SW/W swells, with a low-going-to-high tide. Easy crowd...maybe 4 to 5 people early on (whuuuuut?). So I'm huffin' the Classic, fins on, and out in a blink! I caught some smaller fun ones early for warm ups, then tackled a steep, head-high left that I'll admit I ate it on, horribly! You know the drill...a little too late on your takeoff, and next your staring down this ultra-steep drop, where you haven't quite set up your "edge"...and you wind up coming in straight! (Booooo!!!)

It ends on a much better note. Another set rolls in, I'm sitting a little further out this time around, and I'm paddling towards another head-high peak. Another guy sees it too, and we're both gunning for position. We wound up crossing each other prior to takeoff. He really wanted that right, so we switched and I went for the left. I think I got the better half but, I couldn't see him once I made the drop. This time I gave it much more tweak (body torque) to maintain some virtual rail...HUGE difference! The Classic took the "sweet line" and stayed put...allowing me to set up (stall) a juicy, sustained, barrel! I was already calling it a "camera wave" before the ride was over. It finished with a nice little floater over the oncoming right hand soup...bitchin'!!!

In one 1 hour session, I deem The "Classic" totally worthy...whether it be your back-up mat, or an affordable, high performance first-timer! Thanks again for the stoke Paul! Keep up the good work!

JJ

Surf In Space

Check this shuttle photo of a bowling right in the Aurora Borealis!!!

(Bring a titanium mat, rocket flippers, a space wetsuit and oxygen.)

If you look very closely you can see someone standing in the barrel.

What's up with that? Did someone edit pixels? Is it Silver Surfer???

Ryan C ...

... Doing battle at Da 'Bu!

The Scene...

Ryan's admirers...

Snaked again!

From Steve H ...

Paul,

I thought you may enjoy these pics of an early Aussie mat.

Dig the "swallow tail"!

Steve H.

From Robert T ...

(Artist's rendition of Robert, by Tom T.)

Hi Paul,

I wanted to touch base with and tell you how well the 4th Gear Flyer has performed for me.

During our last small SW swell I caught a couple of days at a little spot I like to check from time to time. It was 2-4 foot, but it was breaking hard in just a few inches of water right on the beach. I managed to catch some great rides and a couple of beautiful tube rides in all of maybe at the most 6 inches of water. I have never experienced riding a wave under those conditions before, but it was unbelievable gliding across a thin sheet of water on a mat like that.

Needless to say I rolled up on the beach like a rug twice that I remember and stood up after my ride laughing my butt off, and went right back out to do it again. I just can't thank you enough. The way the mat rides is way beyond my expectations. It is so easy to catch waves on.

Thanks again Paul...

Peace and good waves, Robert

Scubapro Jet Fins

This is my first contribution to surfmatters and I'd like to endorse the Jet Fins as my all time favorite mat surfing fin. Born in the 1960's they work great. I use them for scuba diving as well.

On Saturday I was out at Far Rockaway NY, weaving my way through crowds on my K-mat. It had been a while since I've been out due to injury and ailments and it was so refreshing to be back out. The fins got me into the sloppy occasional 2-3 foot waves with ease. Almost effortless, it was a sweet simple session.

Hope you are all kickin' it in some nice swell.

ps My fin quiver consists of churchill's, da fins, rip force fins and the above.

Surf Widow...Mat Riding Style!

Paul,

This is my wife's license plate. She has been completely tolerant of my addiction for almost four decades, but she apparently wants it known just how much she puts up with.

On the other hand, I don't golf!

Bob

New, Lower Priced 4GF Model -- "The Classic"

We are introducing a new 4GF model, called “The Classic.” Essentially, it’s a re-issue of the traditional four pontoon mat of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.

From now until August 31, 2009, the introductory price will be $135 USD, with no tax, shipped free via Priority Air anywhere in the world.

After September 1st, the price for a Classic will be $165 USD...also with no tax, shipped free via Priority Air anywhere in the world.

Here’s the deal…

Many people have written us asking about a lower cost mat, and this is something we’ve been trying to address for awhile now. Four pontoon mats require less material than our modified three pontoon shape, and nearly 1/3 less labor. This will allow us to ship The Classic out at a lower retail cost.

The Classic model is a simple, proven four pontoon mat with roughly the same, user friendly dimensions of the Fatty, our most popular model. The Classic paddles and catches waves as well as the Fatty, and it's made with the same hybrid material and quality construction...so the durability is equitable.

Riding-wise, the four pontoon Classic skims very well, but requires a bit more inflation to hold into steeper, more powerful waves. This limits the Classic’s performance in really good surf, but not in everyday waves. Overall, I would say that The Classic yields 300% better performance than the old four pontoon canvas mats, and about 85% of the top-end performance of our modified three pontoon mats.

There are several provisos with the Classic…

One is delivery time. Unlike the Standard, Fatty and XL 4GFs (which usually ship within 3 days) the Classics will ship in 2 weeks.

And, there is only one size Classic...which again, is roughly the same as The Fatty.

So who is The Classic for?

The Classic is intended for people who would like to try a well made, modern mat without spending over $200. It is also well suited as a back-up mat for serious mat riders, or a mat for family members who just want to get in the water and have a blast.

The Classic won't be available through the 4GF Home Page until September.

To order a Classic, go into Paypal, and transfer $135 USD into our account, which is: fourthgearflyer@yahoo.com .

Or, send a check made out to Fourth Gear Flyer to:

Fourth Gear Flyer
1644 Plaza Way
#224
Walla Walla, WA 99362
USA

In either instance, please make sure to include your mailing address...and your email address is you have one.

And remember, the retail cost of The Classic will be $165 USD for orders received after September 1, 2009.

If you have any further questions, our email address is fourthgearflyer@yahoo.com

Thanks!

PG

P.S. Here is a quick visual comparison between our modified three pontoon Fatty, and the new four pontoon Classic model...

Via Nathan Oldfield

From Nathan Oldfield's blog, found here...

"It's a bit of a dilemma being a surfing parent. You don't want to ram surfing down your children's throats, like some sports-crazed soccer-dad, but at the same time you don't want them to miss out on the gift of waveriding that has so blessed your own way of being for so long. It takes a lot of patience & a lot of restraint. Our little man Noa just turned five years old last month. Five years of sand eating, sandcastle building, paddles in the lagoon, swimming lessons at the local pool centre, ankle-deep wavelet jumping. Finally, we have graduated to surfmat riding & he is stoked on it. I am the proudest, most grateful father in the universe. I'm really, really excited that my beloved son is just now beginning to taste the joys of a surfing life. "

Ah that new mat smell!

On the left, weighing in at...my new mat. On the right, Old Faithful. Now 3 years old. The replacement came via a friend who admitted he had too many surfcraft and that the mat wasn't getting ridden. It's a different configuration to my old mat - slightly narrower and a single midrib - but I haven't noticed a significant difference in handling characteristics. Have only had a few surfs of 1-3ft.

From Marc in The Netherlands...

Hi Paul,

Today i went out on my new mat.

We have a decent swell at the moment so it was a good try out. The mat suits me so good!!! I had really good rides.

For Dutch waves the new hybrid model is the best by far! So i'm very happy and very stoked! I'm really into mat surfing now, more then ever. I'm gonna sell one of my longboards! I think mat surfing is one of the purest forms of surfing.

The picture I send is our homespot called Scheveningen.

I'm gonna send you some dutch matsurfing pictures soon.

Cheers!

Marc

Propel Fins Anyone?

With SFR "Secret Floating Rubber"

New 4GF Prototype...

Tentatively dubbed "The UDT" -- that name just popped into my head for some reason -- the newest 4GF prototype model was made for Greg Deets.

Greg is a big guy, and he's been interested in a very large mat to fit him for some time. I resisted at first because it's hard for me to delve into designing and testing prototypes these days, living 5 hours from the ocean! But I felt more confident designing an uber-mat with my recent experience with the Fatty and XL 4GF models.

The UDT is an attempt to make the largest mat possible given the width of my fabric, and the length of my welding machine. If we overshot the mark, then we can pull it back down in size based on Greg's experience with Proto #1.

The actual dimensions, while a closely guarded secret, aren't particularly startling. But when you compare the UDT with the 4GF XL, it's a monster!

What the mat will ride like, and who else it might be appropriate for, is an unknown to be discovered!

P.S. You can get way-cool UDT Swim Fin T-shirts here...

Feeling Deprived?

Next time you're frustrated with your board or mat,
just remember these guys!

Three Reasons French Surfing Rocks!

One is Catherine Deneuve...


Another is Brigitte Bardot...


And of course, French mat stoke from Stephane!
(mardi 2 juin 2009)

New mat material?

I was watching a doco on airships and learned that they were lined with cow's bladders which apparently have an extremely low gas permeability.
So I was just thinking......... 8-D

But what would you name such a mat? Moo-matic?

"The Funnest Thing Ever..."

From morSurf ... download it here !




(Thanks to SurfSister for the heads up on this gem...)