From Adam ...

Hi Paul,

The above video is of Paul N and I surfing one of my favorite pointbreaks, Coco Pops, just us out on a Sunny Monday morning....ran Paul straight over with my Omni..I never felt a thing either.

I had two of my oldest grandkids down last weekend and took them down to Gilligans for an adventure and swim, of course the surf was okay with just a handful out. As luck should have it, their parents came down early to pick them up, which left me a window of 3 hours to head back with a surf, so after grabbing Paul, we met up with Neal for a late soggy Sunday afternoon session.

Heaps of fun small waves to be had with a minimal crowd of longboarders to contend with.

Regards from OZ

Adam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Rob In Jacksonville ...

Paul,

Loving the XL Super Sport! Chasing those inside closeouts is rewarding, you get barreled, and you get a free Chiropractic session! I couldn’t get enough!

These mats are so much fun! I don’t think I could be anymore stoked on them! I have really only had waves over 3’ once since buying both mats, but I’m getting a lot better at catching these small waves and milking any juice they have in them. I can’t wait to learn some more!


Photo by Chris Falzone.

Keep spreading the Stoke!

Rob

From Da Bolt ...

Yeah Paul

Mat arrived today & was welcomed by Vespa & Omni.
Now to find a wave to initiate it on.

Regards eric

From Jeremy ...

Hi Paul,

The Lotus likes the pocket...and I like the Lotus!

Remainders of Hurricane Hermine.  Photo: Nina Choi

Jeremy

From Rob In FLA...

Paul,

 

Thanks again for the mat! I’m still surfing almost every day. 

 

Here is a picture of me on a beautiful little clean wave! My buddy Chris Falzone shot this, he rode the Fatty yesterday and loved it. The waves where too small and week for any other surf craft but the mats where flying. He should be contacting you soon to add one to his quiver. Keep spreading the Stoke! :-)

Rob P

From Da Scumm Time Machine ...

Hi Paul,

The Standard will be my next mat to buy for sure, and I know what you mean about the oz dollar being weak, we spent 2 weeks last May in Hawaii, visiting friends on Molokai, then onto the Big Island and Kauai , so still hurting from the conversion rate, but money well spent., we had a blast and I matted a few breaks, even left a mat with my friend on Molokai.

 

These are some pictures from our "Scarmatra" Trip back in 2015. Justin is riding a Standard and my Omni, now this was a true boys trip, I only took my bonzer, spoon, paipo, plane and a couple of mats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Running Through The Gears...Greenough Style !!!

The term "4th Gear," in relation to surfing, was coined by Greenough when describing a level of speed that transcended riding in the curl of the wave.

Let's extrapolate...

In George's world-view, first gear is riding along the wall at the speed of the curl. In essence, it's riding as slow as you can go and still make the wave.

 

 

 
Second gear is when you have enough speed to turn up and down, or back and forth, on that same wave, covering the same total distance as you would in first gear...but at a higher rate of speed over the water because you're moving up and down rather than in a straight line.

 

 

 

 

(Paul Masiel and I in first gear at the right. Greenough in second at the left.)

Third gear is when you have enough speed to break loose from the wave and travel out and over distant sections.

 

 

 

 

The size and quality of the wave isn't an issue, either. You can hit third gear in foot high slop!

 
Fourth gear is when you're going so fast that you're surfing completely beyond the speed of the curl...often riding up in the lip of the wave as it fringes in front of you.

 

 

 

 
When the Standard became tuned in (back in '84/85) George commented that it was the only mat that he'd ever surfed that he could to hit 4th gear on. Not long after, it became the name of our mats!

 

From John at J-Bay ...

 Hi Paul,

This is finally it.  I'm giving up traveling with kneeboards. The hassle of lugging them around and extra baggage charges just don't make sense when I'm riding a mat probably more than 95% of the time.

Anyway,  Jeffrey's Bay is amazing for mats.  Supertubes would be the absolute best mat wave in the universe except that you usually have to pull through the back of the wave at the end - that and entering and exiting the water isn't easy; razor sharp mussels and volcanic rock line the shore.

Throughout my travels with the air mats, I've encountered nothing but smiling people that are so stoked when you're flying past them.  They just provide this infectious happiness in tense places - the anti SUP!

John