Thanks for the tip mate, its only an extra 5 bucks, i’ll do it!!
A lesson from Ambrose; on a hot sunny day a partially inflated mat makes a fine hat.
i’ll keep that in mind , thanks mate ! [today was 41 degreesC]
okay ,
in the absence of a hairdryer , i left the mat [uninflated] in the sun all day
bingo !!
glue on the handles melted enough , to be able to peel off the handles …
Q:
to get the remaining adhesive off the mat … would acetone be okay , or not ?
[“made from natural rubber backed cotton fabric” is what is written on the blurb that came with the ‘bali model’ Redback mat.]
cheers
ben
… now i can roll the mat up instead of folding it … yeeehaaa !!
i reckon this is such a beautiful thread. full of informative input from so many waveriders with vast experience of alternative equipment. thanks for getting it all started chipper.
tha bali mat looks kinda like mine, ik have no handles though. Bought it in Portugal last summer: it was in a forgotten dusty corner of a shop that sold all kinds of inflatable beach stuff for tourists.
Was a real bargain 
It has this amazing piece of rope along the sides:
Quote:
i reckon this is such a beautiful thread. full of informative input from so many waveriders with vast experience of alternative equipment. thanks for getting it all started chipper.
you’re welcome man !
…sometimes i just feel you need all the questions answered on one thread , rather than having to search randomly in the archives for maybe months . So, I hope others with mat questions ask them here too …
cheers
ben
I am now the proud owner of a mat. Im having a lunch at the beach tomorrow with the family, and i will be taking it along. Supposed to be howling southerly ( means messy waves ), and 4ft, so it may not get a run. Oh, and ben, i got the bali style redback one. Will report when i get it out in the water.
P.S. i just happen to have a foot pump ( plastic ) for camping that inflates it in about 2 mins, so no huffin n puffin!
Hi Ben,
Acetone, lacquer thinner, tolulene, mineral spirits, MEK,
etc. can be harmful to latex rubber when used with enough quantity to remove large areas of glue residue.
I’d try a natural citrus-based solvent like this, made in Australia:
http://www.eclipsecleaningproducts.com/…products-solvent.php
thanks Dale !
Also , today , I discovered …
be VERY careful when removing handles , as , when I inflated the mat , I noticed the white [whatever it is …cotton??] underneath the rubber was showing through.
so , I think on the next ‘bali model’ redback , I will probably just keep the handles ON , instead ! [they are not as far back as on the red and blue version mat , so didn’t get in the way as much . Plus … being a ‘double ended’ design , the ‘bali’ model can be ridden with the handles at the BACK of the mat [keeps my legs together better that way , too !]
cheers
ben
beerfan - always carry the mat. you can’t go wrong.
last year i did a family type beachtrip to a house in the Interior here, on a beach that is really good when it happening. thing is during dry season here we don’t get as much swell ( need Souths), and the trade winds are blowing strong - that and the fact the the internet forecast was calling poops on it. (the strong NE trades can produce a wind swell that seems to mask a small long-period swell from the south) Normally i’d take a board or two, but i was like “F it. family trip, prolly no waves… but i’ll throw the mat/fins in the back … easy.”
The point is: there WAS an awesome little swell – perhaps some of the best waves i’ve had my mat in yet (small but beautifully shaped rivermouth sandbar)… and uncrowded cuz peeps now depend on internet forecast before they trek up to this place.
So, after having probably the biggest and best surf i have ever had ( head high + faces, super fast fun waves ), i tried out the mat in the shore. Well, the first few waves didn’t really do anything for me, it was only 60% inflated, and i kept " buckling" the mat, which slowed me down. Then i inflated it a bit more, maybe 85%, and finally got a decent right hander, and went across the wave face. I still had not a lot of control, but it was faster, and much more fun!. Although, the waves were constant, and it was frustrating to keep jumping the foam balls. I think it will be much more fun on a small day, where i can paddle out to the real waves, and try to catch them. Overall, it was a bloody great day in the water!
So, do i count as a matman now?? haha
you’ve been baptized into the brotherhood of the Mat.
you can have a rage on bigger days, Beerfan. But you wanna find a wave with a channel. i’ve even had a good time in 6-8ft closeout beachbreak tho (faces overhead to OH+2ft or so). the mat would get in early, and then one or two fast swoops.
So Chip and Mark,
Have you been riding your mats lately or have they been relegated to the pool?
I see Surfster blade pro inflatables in surf shops and wonder about them.
Anyone out there tried them? Asking because they are after all an Aussie innovation and may offer something different to the traditional mat.
Seems to be a big gap inbetween a Redback and one of Dale’s mats so maybe the Surfster would have its place.
Sadly no mate, my twin keel catches tiny waves, so i use it. However, i will be heading down south at the end of feb. I stay at a place where there is a perfect bay that gets knee to waist high shore breaks in knee high water pretty often. Its way to shallow and gutless for a board, but perfect for my mat. Will definately be packing it for the trip.
I stumbled across this clip of Greenough talking about mat riding technique and found it pretty interesting.
Quote:
So Chip …
Have you been riding your mats lately or have they been relegated to the pool?
i am waiting on the famous ‘sandgroper’ to deliver my next one … then … cheers ben [all three of the ones i rode last year ‘blew up’ !..i’ll try to treat this one better , though ?!]
I know I’m a bit late to this so sorry.
Top reading. Have to say, cheap mat’s are fun but I would seriously recommend investment in a proper nylon mat, Neuamatic or 4th Gear Flyer. You really will notice the difference. They are to Redback, Tiki, etc what swell are to custom boards. In terms of inflation, check the Greenough vid above. Good tip is to judge inflation by how far the mat comfortably bends. 45 degrees for beginners or in steep surf, 90 degrees once you learn to us the mat.
It’s like nothing else on earth. Seriously, the hardest surfcraft to master but SO much fun and really opens up the world of knee to chest high wave in ways which longboards never will.
Also, for those interested, have a look at the UK Mat Surfers forum:
Cheers
G
From a friend of a friend: “Warren Pfieffer and his 10 ounce Racer. The only surf mat of its kind in the world.”
Chicks ride mats too!
My Grandpa,Uncle, brother and I after a day of matting back in the day. (My dad is lying down lighting the pilot light in the water heater. My mom is on the poarch pregnant with my baby sister)
