From Mr. Dirk...

Hi Paul,

A quick note to hyperventilate about the surf! It was stellar this morning -- glassy, consistent, growing, no crowd. Young Brian was there on his 4GF and we had a wonderful time trading notes and tips. I gave him a few positioning tips and he seemed to really improve. He's a very good water spirit already.

As I changed to leave, I watched him milk a really long one -- farther than any surfer could go -- and then we exchanged farewells as he walked back up the point. I told him that I was going to write to you and he said, "Tell him I'm pumped!"

Now I've got to work my buns off to catch up...probably won't get wet again until Monday.

Best,

Dirk

Sustainability...of Stoke

(Trevor... Photo courtesy Ken M.)

(John...Photo Courtesy Jeff C.)

(Schuyler...Photo Courtesy of Lance S.)

From Marc in The Netherlands...

Hi Paul,

Today (5 October) we had the best surf of the year in the Netherlands! This weekend we had a storm. On Monday it went offshore with a light wind. The waves were the best of 2009! (For Dutch waves).

The quality of the pictures are not very good. I've mat surfed for about 5 hours and had really good rides! Tonight I will sleep like a little boy. Hope everything is fine with you.

Speak to you soon.

Marc

Antonio from Puerto Rico...

Hi Paul,

Hope everything is fine and that you are having a very nice day.

I received my Fatty about 3 or 4 weeks ago and I have been having a blast, my first surf was in a 3-4'(face) slab reef spot, and the mat surfed just fine. I tried it for the first time on tubular waves and got really barrelled on one! I have been surfing the mat ever since about 3-5 times a week on different conditions ranging from knee high glassy slides to 5-6' face barrels to 6' face points (I haven't touched any other surf craft). I now understand that riding a mat is an ever changing, learning experience that I guess will never end.

I guess I am probably pushing the limits of the Fatty design as controlling the mat was a bit of a struggle in the 6'- 8' face open water break this afternoon. Still, I had a blast drawing some clean and fast carves on the waves I did manage to control the mat on.

Thank you very much for building this mat for me, without it I wouldn't be having such a blast with this mat experience! I can assure you that you now have a client in Puerto Rico that will be ordering mats and if possible some other alternative surfcrafts for many years to come!

Antonio

(Attached are some pictures I took before this morning's session...)

Grommet Sacrilege Update From Neil

Hi Paul,

Just got back after a surf in 35 knots of wind. I would never have considered going out in it without the leash etc on the mat. The leash definitely saved me from losing another mat.

However, you do lose some of the feeling of total freedom and so in normal conditions I don't bother attaching anything. There doesn't seem to have been any stretch in the fabric around the grommets yet, but this may be due to the fact that in reality it's rare that much stress is put on the mat. I have a coiled leash attached to it and this seems to take up some of the strain plus, as i previously mentioned, I still hang onto the mat itself when i get eaten alive by a wave.

I think that this is the way to go, and would be very wary about using a rope/leash as anything more than the last line of defence against mat loss.

That said, one potential way of making the grommet mat attachment sturdier may be to add another layer of deck material along the front fringe. Although I'm not sure how that would effect general mat flexibility.

I will get back to you again if any stretching or tearing starts to happen, but so far I'm happy having the option of attaching myself to the mat, but prefer to ride it without.

-Neil

Hi Neil,

The reason why I didn't add extra fabric to the grommeted areas is that it might transfer any stresses back into the main body of the mat, and cause catastrophic failure. My idea was that if one or both of the grommets were to fail, the flange would (hopefully) be all that was damaged...thus making it a cosmetic failure, not ruining the whole mat.

Time will tell. Until we have a failure, we won't know!

PG

4GF Standard + pod Fins

Having lost fifteen pounds since departing NZ, and now wearing boardshorts and flippers in Hawaii, my new 4GF Standard particularly suits my 155 pounds. This template was developed over 30+ years of r&d to be one-size fits-all for 100-to-200 pound riders. There is something magical about these dimensions, especially if one weighs in near the middle of this scale.

I usually ride in trunks and wear a shortsleeve surfshirt when it's super-sunny. I suppose that I've hardened myself to the traction top, so I can bareback without raft rash, which says quite a lot for the comfort factor of the black top. Grip in a rashguard is fine for me. The blue bottom looks good, goes great, and stays cooler in the sun. As for the shape, larger diameter corners improve traction and reduce nose drag. Speed seems about the same as always. Subtle concave and revised rib placement greatly enhance handling and stability of the whole package. After a few go outs, my new mat softened up, and has performed faultlessly ever since. I trade off between Standard for juicy waves, Fatty on smaller days, and a Gen 1 XL for microwaves. If I could have only one mat it would be a Standard. With brilliant hybrid materials, plus evolutionary "Fatty" design, the new Standard is in my humble opinion, well, The New Standard.

Along with this new mat I got pod PF2 flippers in size 9/10 from Ron Dog at alternativesurf.com. He offers prompt friendly service, low prices, and fast inexpensive shipping. I highly recommend e-shopping with Ron Dog. pod swimfins all look like they were styled for a Batman film. And the futuristic design actually serves quite purposefully. pod "splay rails" really grip the water to hold a line on steep faces and in hard turns. Kicking power is decent, but not great, as these are shortish bodyboard fins. They do deliver quick acceleration, but top speed is a bit lackluster for me, partly because because I'm not strong enough to fully utilize their the speed capabilities. And because overall fit is rather loose in the cavernous footbox, however PF2s are very stiff, and function on the merit of their own form sufficiently that wiggling around in there is not too much of a sacrifice of power. These are the first fins I've found that accommodate my super-wide feet in the proper size with room to spare. They don't catch much water through the ankle opening on fast rides. Soft and roomy foot pockets are good to my knobby feet with no pressure points. The drain hole is very large and rapidly clears sand. They do come off in major turbulence when getting ragdolled, and float quite well, however tethers are advised. I bought XM fin leashes and they work fine so far, especially after tying the tethers with a triple loop around the very end of the strap to make the leashes short enough that the ankle strap has insufficient scope to fall off. So far so good.

pod PF2s are not for everyone. They seem to compare somewhat poorly top-speed-wise to UDT/Viper/Duck Feet style fins due to less blade length. For people with really fat feet, they are a godsend. And, most importantly, the performance delivered while riding waves is exceptional, with low drag, and very positive grip on the water. Deep side rails that slot securely into the face increase both stability and holding power. The concave channels on the outer bottom side rails feel like they aid edge holding and make a bit of thrust... Anyway, I like 'em better than any previous flippers I've tried. And now I'm really curious about pod PF3s, which I may soon be ordering from Ron Dog as well.

To summarize, the various sizes of 4GFs definitely have their applications, however a mid-size person might consider a Standard for truly superb all-purpose matting. And if one wants amazing control on the waves, at the cost of somewhat less kicking speed, by all means check out pod PF2s. Using these products in conjunction seems to pay off. Combining the latest Standard 4GF and pod PF2s has definitely elevated my own matting experience to a new level of pure fun!

"Like I was lifted up, riding the current of air..."

(From Magic Seaweed...)

Paul,

Just wanted to shoot an message your way to say thank you for the insanely fun ride! M.C. just ordered a Classic mat from you (which she just yelled from the other room that it is such a gas to ride!) and since quivers in our house are promptly shared, I had to give it a go...

Rode it a few times here and there in some marginal surf and a couple times when a little beach peak looked good. Lots of laughs and some unexpectedly great rides for what was there.

Over this past weekend my favorite spot awakened and some really decent looking waves were rolling down the point. Over the 2-3 hours that I was out, I got a few waves in the crowd, got completely worked over being caught inside, lost the mat (only ended up a few feet away...saved it!)

But, I got this one wave. The smile has not gone away thinking of that ride. Just like it was described; locked in the high line and going so fast. The sensation is so unreal when thought about...like hydroplaning? Like I was lifted up, riding the current of air, right in the pocket under the lip! I am hooked!!

Thank you again,

BH

Sacrilege?

After i lost a mat in winds i thought that i'd try something a bit different, and PG was kind enough to add a couple of optional extras..... The idea of the grommets wasn't to take the strain going over the falls on a 6 foot wave. I'll still be bear-hugging the mat when this happens. This is just to stop it blowing away again in gale force winds, I hope. And hey, it may mean that I can compete with kite surfers. I've tried a couple of things. 1) Just a rope across the front of the mat, which while it may have given it even more of a pool toy look didn't seem particularly useful. If the mat gets ripped from my hands I doubt that I'll have the presence of mind to grab it. That said it didn't seem to effect riding at all. 2) Just a leash through one of the grommets. This was a complete waste of time, as the leash had a tendency to drag under the mat and slow everything down. Back to the drawing board.. 3) My current set-up. A bridle and leash. It's working for me at the moment, as this keeps everything out of the way and doesn't drag. To be honest after the first few minutes I forgot it was there. I'll add more details as I get out in more conditions. Needless to say, if it's not windy, I take all this stuff off and just surf it clean. But so far, so good.

Mat Session With the Bionic Knee

My car is currently in the automotive equivalent of the emergency room. That meant no surfing for me today. "No worries," I thought. I was going to get wet whether I did it with a surfboard or not. So, for the first time since my knee replacement surgery, I took out my mat. I'd been hesitant to get back on the mat, certain that kicking with fins would be extremely painful. Well, it wasn't. This new titanium knee is a keeper. Although I still have pain from the surgery itself, I'm no longer suffering through the pain of one bone rubbing on another. Kicking with fins was totally pain-free.

I even managed to ride a real wave. (In the past, I'd think I was riding a wave only to see a picture of myself riding the whitewater.) You know what else was great? The lifeguard looked right at me—remember, I've been on the receiving end of a lecture about how mats are illegal in L.A. County—and didn't say one word.

Noosa

Small east groundswell over the weekend, ran up north for some camping and shallow right points. Sunday was the day. Found this little nook of the national park empty on Monday morning just before the devil northerlies blew it to hell.

Back In Vogue

Apparently

(Bottom of the page...)

Peak Experiences...

Every day, the mat biz is filled with dream-like moments. The Brinks trucks pulling away from my factory with another load of cash to the bank. The endless stream of mat groupies. Emails from the likes of Spielberg, 50 Cent, Bill Gates, and Obama asking my advice. Collect calls from the Hollister Ranch, begging me to join them for the next swell. It never seems to stop!

But every once in a while, I'm elevated to yet another level of sensual awareness. Today was one such day. Lurking in my Yahoo! inbox this afternoon was this gem from 4GF mat rider Tim C.

"Don’t Forget!

Big Tim is having a demo this Saturday the 5th of September at Iowa Meat Farms, right off Hwy 8 at 6041 Mission Gorge Rd., San Diego, CA 92120, from 2 –5 p.m.!

If you can’t make it, pick up a bag or 2 and maybe a Tee Shirt or Apron on the web.

For more details and some cooking/grillin’ ideas. visit www.bigtimstastysteaks.blogspot.com

See you there!

Big Tim"

wiggums vid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1F1LCqWEXc

fun session at wiggums last year

Sometimes Less Is More...

Sometimes nothing is everything...

From Marc B in the Netherlands...

Hi Paul,

Just a quick report from the Netherlands...

The UDT model works fine! Especially for the Dutch sloppy waves. I use it on the smaller days.

We have had a few really good mat days this summer and i mostly use the new XL model. The hybrid deck of the new XL model works so good. You can get grip on it and also replace your body very easy.

The last three weeks we haven't had any waves so i'm pretty full of energy and waiting for waves! Fall is coming so for Holland that means waves!

I'm so stoked to be a matsurfer. Its hard for a Dutchy to explane that in proper English.

I hope everything is fine with you.

All the best and speak to you soon.

Greets,

Marc

From JJ ...

Not to be outdone by landwave maestro Ricky S, an anonymous mat rider cracks the righthander at Golden Gate Park on nothing more than a well-proportioned bit of cardboard!

Style points for proper leg positioning, full-wrap shades, and Pepsodent smile! With a extra credit thrown in for later participating in the park's eternal drum circle. :)

Riccardo Cassin

1909 - 2009

Sea Urchins for supper...

...on the hill. My fellow EPA members took a break from the Animal House that is Saturday surfing to partake in some snorkel picking.

The 4th Gear Flyer adventures never end round ere.

RS

From Hal in SC ...

Hi Paul,

Sort of don't want to show you this, knowing you're still mostly landlocked but...

Here's a few shots of the finished Terry Martin balsa board.

50" X 21½" X 2"

It came out so pretty, my wife didn't want me to even get it wet! But we compromised and I'll keep it in the house when I'm not using it.

Terry's super talented BIL John Cherry had a pair of Simmons profile keel fins left over from one of the repro's they'd done together, and he cut them down just a bit to fit the smaller shape...and did a bitchen bead on the edge...

I made the blank from some really stout balsa I found at my usual yard in Santa Ana. Terry said it was the hardest, densest balsa he's ever worked. And that's from the guy who's going on 75,000+ surfboards!

And even though Moonlight's superb glass job was fairly light...it still weighs 18lbs! The wood's so tough the guys at Moonlight said it will be VERY hard to ding it. It even has chatoyance!

The only problem I have with the weight is lugging it up hills after a surf! Paddling out, it flattens the whitewater right down and being so dense, it duck dives real easy.

On a wave, once it's over the edge it really wants to GOOOOO! It rides like a souped up Cadillac!

It tasted it's first salt last weekend, at the paipo gathering at Plaskett Creek. We had a great time. The weather and waves were just OK, but we still enjoyed excellent surroundings, company and grinds.

Best Regards,

Hal

Note from "EC" ...

Greetings, and a hearty "cheerio" to everyone in the mat riding world!

I'm facing a bit of dilemma with my recent transition from a music-based lifestyle to one focused on surfing inflatable air mattresses here in the UK.

As a young child, I was quite happy...

But as I matured, my mood became more sullen...
Even with my prescription reading glasses on, things seemed bleak and out of focus...


I then tried perscription meds in hopes of brightening my mood. As you can plainly see...no luck.

Then, quite by happenstance, I gave "mat surfing" a whirl on a sunny afternoon at Brighton Beach. I broke into a smile for the first time since, well, my baby teeth came in!

My issue is that, previously unbeknownst to me, I appear to be a bit of a cheeky monkey when I grin!

Now, I am hooked on mat surfing...and I can't stop smiling! My friends, co-workers, and family are having quite a jolly time making sport of my newly found geekdom.

I have no intention whatsoever of giving the heave-ho to my passion for mat surfing, but the price I'm paying in the dry dock world is so steep, I may have to resort to drastic measures.

Do any of you fine chaps and birds have any suggestions what these drastic measures might entail? (I am on a limited budget, BTW.)

Thanks to you for your time,

E.C.

Ripley, Surrey