last week my cheapo surfmats arrived. i didn’t want to spend 300 bucks on one of dales mats with out having at least tried one of these. for 8 US dollars you can’t go wrong. plus i have discovered why they are the best wave riding tool to travel with: you can sleep on them, and they roll up to the size of a shoe.
do you have the site where you bought one for 8 bucks? I want one too now 
tonybanger,
The following are a few links for mass-produced surf mats which are widely available and very inexpensive:
http://www.waveblasters.com/surfridermats.html
http://www.landandsea.com.au/Home_page/catalogue.html
Dale,
Just have to say - VERY COOL of you to chime in here and direct others AWAY from your product.
I respect you for doing that…
Like all aspects of surfing - start em out on a pop-out and when they gain a bit of sophistication they’ll search out the best shaper for their needs.
I started on mats - after hanging on to my old man’s neck in the shore pound - and am thinking about a trip back - to the future!
Best,
Pete
That’s the truf!
Pete,
Even when discussing my competition from China, I usually avoid describing their mats as “pop-outs”…
hee hee
My first introduction to wave-riding was on those cheap yellow and blue canvas mats we bought at the grocery store at the beach. We’d turn them sideways and 3 of us would kick and paddle as hard as we could and always end up getting pounded. Just riding the whitewater it was so much fun.
Don’t forget your rashguard! I rubbed all the skin off of some rather sensitive spots on my chest riding one of those things at Myrtle Beach back in the good old days… We would stay on the raft for hours!
I gotta get one now - they were FUN! Boogie boards just aren’t the same.
It’s OK to say “Titty Rash” cause that’s just what it was/is.
I remember having scabs on my nipples for whole summers…
What we do for fun!
Pete