Kneeboard Surfing USA Community Forum

Anyone tried those self-inflating camping mats in the surf?

To my mind mats just improve your profile at the water surface, so anything flat will do. Inflated mats are nice because they can't catch a rail - they are too buoyant. Trays bury a rail a bit too easily. self-inflating camping mats have a nice soft, buoyant rail, so may be just right (but are they durable?) .

I guess I'll have to try it myself sometime..

[quote="steve burpo"]Kneelorider have you gotten a kneeboard yet??[/quote]
No and yes...I'll explain! I still have an old kneeboard fish in the garage (Sunset, possibly vintage 70s, was a bit beat up so I busted out the paint pens and did a beautiful wave mural on the bottom), and I'm losing substantial amounts of weight due to [proper: read, not a Jenny Craig or Atkins crap diet, just plain ol eating less and doing more: try it sometime, I bet your board will never paddle the same!] diet and exercise, so I just may be able to ride that board comfortably by the summer! Thanks for all your help, guys--I'm definately going to get a mat or new boogie, but haven't brought myself to invest in a KNEW kneeboard yet when I have an old one laying around I'll be able to use well soon anyhow.

I wish I had pictures of the thing, though. The bottom has a bueatiful mural that matches the curves of the pin lines of the board painted right onto the fiberglass (don't worry, I could probably remove it with acetone if I ended up hating it--but I won't!), and the top has sections of a 80s mach 7-7 taped to it with ducktape so that my poor old [read: young] knees won't take a beating. There is some core material (DOW ETHAFOAM), and some polyethelene skins that come out together when I hacked the old dilapadated morey to pieces: truly, beauty and the beast! Bipolar appaerances, I guess.

Thanks guys. You guys rock!

Even if I don't end up getting a new Blast, or Ramonosky, or whatever, this is still a resourceful forum and I heartily appreciate that, and would still post on it! And to the person that offered to go mat riding with me: that would fully rock to have another rubber duck rider out there with me (if I got the mat), but I never get beyond my home breaks as I don't have a car. Sigh! Oh well. Maybe someday when I do we'll meet up! You'll probably be the only other guy laying down that has no foam underneath him. ROck oN!

KneeloRider*

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[quote="Scott MacDonald"]Flex,

Please don't take this as a bash against mat riders. The air mattress the guy was on that day was one of those flimsy $1.99 swimming pool ones
with the built on pillow. From the looks of him that day, I really don't think
he had surfing in any way, shape or form on his mind.

Scott[/quote]
Hey Scott! Got any matt riding tips for me? I'm THIS [ . ] close to getting one (notice the period between the exlamation marks). I'm still corresponding with Dale. He's really almost got me convinced...just need that extra push! I'm thinking a white mat or a camo mat. Cool, eh? Feel free to hit me back, or PM me. Either way. Just the basics would be great, anything more advanced would be spectacular. And yep--I get sick and tired of being stereotyped because I'm a sponger. Just because you wear fins doesn't you couldn't paddle otherwise! Sheesh. And just because you lay down doesn't mean there isn't a reason! I much rather
A) Kneel or stand...those tubes in the upright position would be breathtaking, though I must admit, I would have probably picked the standing because of the skateboarding experience, if it hadn't wrecked my knees because of the same types of balance issues
B) not lay, but maybe drop knee alot more
but medical reasons (ie, the skateboarding health implications, keep me from doing so. But guess what? I'm still smarter and more ocean knowledgable, can get a better wave and do a longer cutback and tuberide than half the sticks out there, and I'm a teenager that has been in the ocean for only 1/4 of his life. Chew on that, damn sticks! (Not kneelers--I've never had a problem with one of them, oddly enough--they must recognize my duckfeet that I sometimes wear and be like, Oh, he's cool ). Later...

Anyone PM me with tips, mat riding style? That would be cool.

KneeloRider*

[quote="Beeline"]Did George Greenough ever ride a bodyboard??[/quote]
I think Dale made him one of the TriPlane Solomonson bodyboards with built in keel-tyep skegs. Like actual keel skegs...ones that go quite the length of the board. But I'm not completely sure. It may have been Tom Morey and some other rider that he showed and tested them to/with. However, David Rastovich calls mats "extreme vehicles of pleasure"--Dave is a bit eccentric (well, according to the mags), but apparently I think

MAT RIDING WILL BE FEATURED AT LEAST IN A LIMITED SENSE IN THE JACK MCCOY ANDY IRONS/DAVID RASTOVICH RELEASE "BLUE HORIZON".

Cool eh? I'd love to see a famous pro surfer ripping it prone and NOT be ashamed about it. Stoked.

KneeloRider*

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Today i went out at rincon on my kneeboard but, I was wishing i went out on my new mat! :wink:

Been riding one of Dale's Neumatics for over a year now, here and in Hawaii. They are a blast but they do take getting use to since they are a completely different beast than anything you have every ridden including old style matts. Just staying on top of the matt the first day will be a humbling experience for you. The matts work best at about 60-70% inflation which means they look 'limp" without a rider on them.
You will have to change your way of thinking about surf craft since this thing is like ridding a big bubble. It's very fast and will amaze you with it's ability to catch waves and glide over the flats and chop.
It's very demanding in terms of technique since it is not an intuitive surfing thing.
You will control turning alot by squeezing the matt corners at times to increas and release air pressure to the back corners during turning and acceleration.
I could go on and on.
Dale's matts are about 20 oz' weight and extreme durable and well made (read $$$$) but they are are worth it. Fantastic for travel.

[quote="gsurf"]Been riding one of Dale's Neumatics for over a year now, here and in Hawaii. They are a blast but they do take getting use to since they are a completely different beast than anything you have every ridden including old style matts. Just staying on top of the matt the first day will be a humbling experience for you. The matts work best at about 60-70% inflation which means they look 'limp" without a rider on them.
You will have to change your way of thinking about surf craft since this thing is like ridding a big bubble. It's very fast and will amaze you with it's ability to catch waves and glide over the flats and chop.
It's very demanding in terms of technique since it is not an intuitive surfing thing.
You will control turning alot by squeezing the matt corners at times to increas and release air pressure to the back corners during turning and acceleration.
I could go on and on.
Dale's matts are about 20 oz' weight and extreme durable and well made (read $$$$) but they are are worth it. Fantastic for travel.[/quote]
Thanks man! Semi-unfortuantely, I've decided to go the bodyboard route. My one true [surfriding] love! I think that way I'll be more versatile--you can stand, lay down, drop knee, kneel, whatever on those things, all within the comfort of soft surroundings! However, I'd love to unwind a mat in the South Bay sometime over the summer. Rest assured that if I get the money, I'll sure look funny, but I'll be the one having all the fun on my mat--that's that!
Keep the replies coming, though, as I don't plan on getting one now [ie, right away], but if my B-day money is enough, I'll not only have the sponge as a present, but I'll have the mat as a buy-it-yourself thing. Cool, eh?

Later...keep on rocking those mats...and keep the tips flowing...KNEELORIDER*