Mat review

A few weeks back I picked up a 4GF brand, 5GF model. The 5GF is supposed to be better suited for steep waves and since I've been pushing the limits on the Neumattic and finding myself failing to make barrels, I felt the specialized mat was a justified purchase. In the past I've gotten harsh responses from people when I shared my opinions and observations online, so I've been holding back on talking about this but I think I'll give it a try. To be clear my surf history is 10+ years of log riding, 10+ years of shortboard riding, with scattered experimentation with bodyboards, bodysurfing, plypo, handboards and, recently, a fair bit of surf mat riding. I originally bought a Neumatic mat back in grad school when I lived on Long Island in New York. This puts the date as pre-2005. Since then I've ridden the Neumatic about 5 times plus 6 times in the last 7 surf sessions. With my amateur status in, mind here's my "Mat Review."

When the package arrived I fairly tore into it needing to know how it was different than the Neumatic. The first thing I noticed was that while the bottom material was similar to my first mat, the top material on the 5GF was thicker. The bottom material is windbreaker thin and the top material is canvas like. Thin and pliable on the bottom seems like the right way to go so I decided I agreed with the makers choice that the top material didn't need to be ultralight. Second was the deck coating. The Neumatic has stripes of deep texture which are apparently something called Vulkem while the 5GF has wax melted into the deck material. (Link to article from 4GF website giving a list of things he's tried, a great read.) It had taken me awhile to get used to the ultra grippy Neumatic deck so I wondered if I would prefer the smoother 5GF deck. I also wonder if the 5GF would be smooth enough to ride without a wetsuit, since the Vulkem on the Neumatic gave me a belly rash when in the tropics.
The valves were different too. The Neumatic has a "micro-adjustable" valve plug with a small hole which allows air to escape when the plug is pushed into the hole in once direction, twist 180 deg. and it seals tight. The 5GF is a simple stopper. I've never used the micro-adjustment on the Neumatic and usually have to twist the plug and check to make sure it isn't leaking. The extra care required for the Neumatic plug is offset by the knowledge that someday I'll appreciate being able to slowly bleed air, when I reach that skill level. At my skill level the 5GF simple stopper is all I need.
And finally the Neumatic comes with a custom bag and your initials stenciled on the side. This is a nice touch for sure, like getting a fitted board bag with a surfboard purchase.
The next thing I did was unroll both mats and lay them on top of each other. (This is a terrible way to compare anything about mats except what size they are when deflated and flat.) The Neumatic was slightly longer and narrower, no more than an inch total in any dimension. My first thought was how a surfboard for hollow waves tends towards a longer and narrower template, which worried me that the 5GF was not going to be better than the Neumattic in hollow waves. But once I inflated both mats the dimensions changed and the Neumatic ended up being wider (but still longer.) The Neumatic has a natural rocker and the 5GF is flat.

Surf test was next. The waves were really good at OB with light offshores and 6'+ swell creating hollow walls. I took out the 5GF and right away noticed that the deck wasn't as sticky as the Neumatic. Sometimes this is a good thing like when trying to get back on top of the mat, sometimes you want to stick to the mat like when the whitewater hits you. It's a noticeable difference but not one which I have yet developed a preference one way or the other. The 5GF duckdives noticeably better. I don't know why, and my initial guess was it had to do with the different pontoon arraignment, but folding the mat lengthwise (lead by hands at the front corners, elbows helping) I was able to punch under waves better than I expected. Still, matting in 6' beachbreak, or any beachbreak, is more work than at a break with a channel. The minor advantage in duckdiving was welcomed. The smoother deck also allowed me to sit ON the mat, like sitting on a surfboard. It took some struggling to do, but on the sticky Neumatic deck I never could pull it off.
So how does it RIDE? Well, to be honest I can't point to anything different that I noticed that first day. The thicker deck on the 5GF feels stiffer, but that thought never crossed my mind while riding waves, only while paddling around. The next surf was on the Neumatic (previous post) and I still can't name anything different in the way they two mats ride. Maybe someday I'll get someone else to mat surf with me and we can trade mid-session and the differences will be more obvious, but for now it's beyond my powers of observation.

Check out this guys history of postings for another mat comparison.
http://magictowelride.blogspot.com/

Much more important to how the two mat's ride is technique and inflation. Body english, fin drag (or not draging,) hand draging and recently body dragging are all more important to the ride. I've also gone in reverse to what many surf mat riders describe and found I prefer riding the mat with more air in it rather than less. Perhaps I'm just coming around to where I should have started and now that I'm on the right track I can work towards less air.