funny Mat notion.....

It seems sometimes when I’m paddling out or around in the lineup that anyone 35 years and up will inquire about the mat. The story usually goes something like, “Hey, I grew up riding one of those!” or, " I had one when I was a kid, it was bitchin’!!! " or , " Yeah, they used to haul ass!!" It’s just a funny notion that somehow I’m connected to these people’s stoke when they we’re much younger …and that It’s what i choose to ride to this day so I like to think it’s the Fountain of Stoke!

It seems sometimes when I’m paddling out or around in the lineup that > anyone 35 years and up will inquire about the mat. The story usually goes > something like, “Hey, I grew up riding one of those!” or, " > I had one when I was a kid, it was bitchin’!!! " or , " Yeah, > they used to haul ass!!" It’s just a funny notion that somehow I’m > connected to these people’s stoke when they we’re much younger …and that > It’s what i choose to ride to this day so I like to think it’s the > Fountain of Stoke! If you dont mind, Ill ask you the same things I asked barkingwave in his thread, “Reasons NOT to try a surfmat”. Havent heard back yet, so maybe you can share? what surf conditions does your mat work in? Do you ride in the whitewater or on the wave face? Without hard edges or fins, can they hold in well enough to turn? What you`ve written some interesting things, but difficult to believe. No offense here- are you a beginning surfer or experienced? Thanks in advance.

Farralon, Dale’s surfmats really aren’t limited by specific ocean conditions. You can fine-tune the mat by adjusting the air pressure. This will allow you to maximize the mat’s effectiveness in a wide range of wave types and sizes. The surfmat’s versatility is most noticeable in choppy, twisted waves. Instead of being slowed by bumps on the wave face, the bottom surface of the mat conforms to lumps and ridges, gliding right over them. I’ve had the time of my life surfing all alone in waves that other surfers considered too ugly to ride. The surfmat’s flexibility and lack of friction allows it to travel far out onto the face of the wave. It takes very little effort to generate speed on a mat. If you relax and let the surfmat do its thing, it will naturally find the fastest, purest line on the wave. On long, peeling waves, the mat will often accelerate on its own! Although there are no hard edges or fins, the surfmat is capable of extremely tight arcs and long, carving bottom turns. My hands and feet rarely drag in the water while turning. The way to maneuver the surfmat is to squeeze and release the forward rails and corners. This firms and softens the rear rail, giving you that “edge” for drive. Dale compares it to flexing and relaxing a muscle. I’ve been surfing for about 13 years on a variety of different surfcraft. I’ve never experienced anything that comes close to the feeling I get from Dale’s surfmat. I look forward to many more years of learning and pure fun!

Farralon,>>> Dale’s surfmats really aren’t limited by specific ocean conditions. You > can fine-tune the mat by adjusting the air pressure. This will allow you > to maximize the mat’s effectiveness in a wide range of wave types and > sizes. The surfmat’s versatility is most noticeable in choppy, twisted > waves. Instead of being slowed by bumps on the wave face, the bottom > surface of the mat conforms to lumps and ridges, gliding right over them. > I’ve had the time of my life surfing all alone in waves that other surfers > considered too ugly to ride.>>> The surfmat’s flexibility and lack of friction allows it to travel far out > onto the face of the wave. It takes very little effort to generate speed > on a mat. If you relax and let the surfmat do its thing, it will naturally > find the fastest, purest line on the wave. On long, peeling waves, the mat > will often accelerate on its own!>>> Although there are no hard edges or fins, the surfmat is capable of > extremely tight arcs and long, carving bottom turns. My hands and feet > rarely drag in the water while turning. The way to maneuver the surfmat is > to squeeze and release the forward rails and corners. This firms and > softens the rear rail, giving you that “edge” for drive. Dale > compares it to flexing and relaxing a muscle.>>> I’ve been surfing for about 13 years on a variety of different surfcraft. > I’ve never experienced anything that comes close to the feeling I get from > Dale’s surfmat. I look forward to many more years of learning and pure > fun! If something isa square, soft little air booger then it CANT be fast. No eff'n way!!! Real perfromance equipment all have that certain rad "look". Sillyass logs dont, your middle-aged whateva fun(joke) board sure dont. Pozers, dude. Yo, kids, heres todays big lesson: some "get it" and others never will. Lifes a bithch innit?

If something isa square, soft little air booger then it CANT be fast. No > eff'n way!!! Real perfromance equipment all have that certain rad > "look". Sillyass logs dont, your middle-aged whateva fun(joke) > board sure dont. Pozers, dude.>>> Yo, kids, heres todays big lesson: some "get it" and others > never will. Lifes a bithch innit? A bro in Hawaii swears that he heard a guy say he saw Laird Hamilton riding Kelly Slater like a surboard at Pipe the other day. Now the rumor is that he’s going to take Slater to Tahiti because it’s cheaper to buy him a seat than pay freight charges on 25 surfboards and a jet ski. Progress is amazing.