Dec 1, 2009

Okay...


...here's another question that has less to do with appearance and more relation to function: Sometimes I shift sideways on my mat to be closer to the wave face for more speed. But then I have to shift back to the middle to cut back. Is getting over the inside edge even necessary? I can't really tell whether lying on the inside groove actually helps, but that's what I find myself doing, although when I remember to stay centered there seems to be no drastic reduction in speed and grip on the face. What have other surfmatters found in this regard?

6 comments:

nathanoj said...

As the wave face curvature tightens I find that getting over the inside rail, usually by rolling somewhat onto my inside hip, helps hold the line.

Geoffrey Levens said...

If mat it proper size for you I don't think you should have to shift hips at all, only roll a bit one way or the other while staying centered on the mat. Once positioned at initial take off, I don't think I ever shift other than that, gently rolling and of course, rail squeezing.

Pahl Dixon said...

You know, that's very interesting you guys. At 5'8" and 150 lbs I'm pretty much the person that medium sized products are designed for. And when riding a standard size mat, I generally stay in one place and sort of roll my body into the face and turns. Thanks for the insights!

nathanoj said...

Interesting - My first mat was a little wider than my current one. Maybe I've developed a habit which is not necessarily functional on my current mat.

hmmmmm...

Pahl Dixon said...

Well, today I went out at sundown on my properly ergonomically proportioned 4GF Standard in 2' to 4' waves and concentrated on staying centered, keeping elbows in, head down -- and everything went really well! Maybe all my shifting around, wing-wagging and back-arching is just so much wasted effort and complication. Perhaps less is best when it comes to mat technique (and style)...

Piskian said...

Yep,love to use a surfmat created for my specific needs,but still waiting after two years.
Meanwhile,have to make do,eh?!!