Some surf mat talk

Another situation at mi4le when the waves were "good enough to surf" but I opted for the surf mat. I have recently repaired the crushed valve stem on my Neumatic, so I was amped to get it back in the water. I broke it right around the time I got my 4GF mat, so I switched to riding the new mat and therefore have little experience to compare the two. So, back on the Neumatic out in the waves that work best on the mat.
One thing is that the Neumatic is larger and therefore gets into waves easier. The flip side of this is that it's a bit harder to duck under waves. This became an issue when I went to the point and got caught (more than once) by 7' set waves. Going from the right spot to way inside in the course of three set waves is a bummer. I got pushed out of position for any more set waves and had a struggle to get back to the outside. But, when I got one, it felt good. The one thing that was most noticeable was that the Neumatic feels like it's easier to turn. Like it was more rocker and rolls from rail to rail better. Using surfboard language to describe surf mat riding and design doesn't translate well, but that's the best I can do. I also think the Neumatic is faster, but I can't say for sure without more testing. MORE TESTING!
As a fun comparison between surfboards and mats, I'll describe what happens when the lip hits. On a surfboard if you are in the tube and the tube pinches shut and hits the nose of your board you are suddenly launched up and forward. The lever action of the nose going down lifts the tail, and when the nose goes down the forward momentum of the board stops and your body continues. But since you're inside the tube you quickly hit the twisting lip and get sent to the bottom of the ocean.
In contrast, when I am in the tube riding a mat and the lip comes down on me, the process is slower. The lip hits the front of the mat and the mat deforms sending air to other parts of the mat. I can feel the mat bending down and I try to pull it upwards. Inevitably the mat sinks front first and I'm flung into the twisting lip and to the bottom of the ocean. The difference is only a fraction of a second, but that time is spent fighting the inevitable with the hope and belief that maybe this time I can save myself! So far it's just a hope, never proven to be true.
And:
Daniel Thomson is a crazy good mat rider and makes me want to invest in a Krypt mat.
Greame is making cool looking mats for a pretty penny (or pound actually) in the UK.
Dale Solomonson is still missing. (Sad face, no link, ITS GONE!)
Paul Gross is giving a wonderful "History of Surf Mat Design" over on his blog.
Plus many other low end sub $100 mats out there for the curious.
And a new friend, http://californiasurfcraft.com/, who makes handplanes, paipos, and mat(s).
Stacy down at Sawyer carries mats (and other alt surf) and rides them as well.