Inside or outside design.

It's just how my brain works, inspiration comes at times you least expect it and so when I was at the local Aquarium I thought about how a fish has a soft exterior built around a skeleton and I thought it could add another riding dimension by putting a component inside a mat. As the mat inflates the sides are drawn in between 5% to 20% of the original length/ width and a flexible frame inside would be held by the forces of inflation. Of course the thicker the mat inflates the greater the reduction in width so each mat design would have its own frame shape and size. Fr'instance, a flat, empty mat 111cms X 61cm loses 5% of its length and 10% of its width at a 90 degree inflation it's also 3.75 in thick. And at full inflation the mat is now 5 inches thick, loses no more length, but loses 20% of its original width.

Mini surf mat

A friend said he wanted to try a small surf mat so I whipped up a Tube Mat for him, its 15 in wide X 22 in long. The Tube mat design is so much easier to build than the traditional two piece, deck and hull technique. There is just one piece of material that forms the hull and the extra wide sides fold over and join on top to create the deck with just one straight weld or glue line. Using the Tube Mat concept eliminates the flaps around the perimeter of the mat and when you seal the ends you can choose to add a flap or not. If you do the two piece technique both sides have to align perfectly and when joined need to be connected without any stretch or inaccuracies. Makes me value the skills of the mat guys who still build them by hand ! Instead of a series of longitudinal I-beams Ive connected the deck and hull with vertical posts only an inch wide, the posts reduce the amount of material used inside the mat and so reduces the weight as well. It also creates a flatter mat when inflated because there are no valleys between the pontoons. Ive been able to take advantage of the 'post design' by designing a completely contoured shape where the front and back edge of the mat is tapered into a sliver and the rails are a different thickness to the middle of the mat. That's real customisation, a lot of work to initially figure out how to do it, but it would be easier next time round. I was going to give the Mini Mat a test ride but the surf was crap yesterday so I posted it off. Hopefully I'll hear how it goes.

Swallow Tail Surf Mat.

Learning a lot from looking outside the rectangle... Built in touch of nose rocker. I even added a clear window to look for innovation from within the mat. Construction is basically using 'seam-seal' tape that's used to build yacht sails and rolling the join flat. Half-deflated and the rails are built by overlapping the top and bottom rather than flat welding that leaves a perimeter flap. I always forget to take pics when a mats finished and this ones being ridden daily. Ive learnt that new techniques bring new performance and there's a lot more to discover about speed and controlled manouver ability.

The simplicity of mat making.

Mats can be very technical to build, and the wilder the design the more accurate the planning, measurements and construction techniques need to be. So in the construction of a mat there's always a top piece and the underside piece of material, but what's with all those I beams ? On paper it all looks simple enough but when you get down to getting all the parts exactly positioned, it can become a very intricate 3-D creation. So how simple can a mat be ? Sure you could just get a garbage bag and give it a go, but how simply could you build a reasonable mat with the fewest parts... If you accept the essential of a hull piece, (and maybe it's not actually essential) then well start there. This ones ribbed for your enjoyment. A flat piece with the pontoons evident for illustration purposes. Add a Second piece, maybe as the deck. And weld / glue the two together to form 6 pontoons. Now add a third piece over the top creating another level of pontoons. So the 3rd piece becomes the deck and the 2nd piece is in the middle. And inflate. Now the 2nd piece in the middle creates a series of triangular pontoons, which as a stand alone concept opens up questions about how the shape of the pontoons concentrates the vertical energy transfer between the wave / mat / surfer and back again. There's only 3 pieces to connect and its a simpler build and a more stable platform with angled beams. I'd make one today but it will have to wait until I come back from holidays in the UK.

New Concept Surfmat -Asymmetrical.

I love asymmetrical surfboards and surfmats, they're not a generalised shape that works for left and right waves but specifically crafted for one direction of wave and sometimes even a specific wave break. So I'm doing an asym-mat with my usual variations... Pinched inside rail, reversible for lefts or rights, massive valve for instant deflation, blind sleeve with glassed batten, knee loop and instead of I-beams, a new technique of internal structure using fine nylon filaments called Tensairity. Apart from the new ideas the mats fairly standard. The Tensairity filaments are planned out in a cross hatch pattern so there's no grooves from the straight I beams or propensity for the mat to fold in any direction. The pattern connects the deck and hull from top to bottom, from side to side and creates a flatter surface under the mat with less drag and gives a greater overall rigidity to the mat without increasing the internal pressure or volume, with Tensairity its possible to ride a mat that holds its overall shape but skims on a sliver of air.

Flat mats Vs Domed Decks,

I did a post a few months ago about how the pressure changes when you get on a mat, it starts out with low pressure inside a set volume but when you're on the mat the pressure increases and inflates the parts you're not lying on. This side inflation often makes it look like the mat is fully inflated but it's just the rails that have filled out. Initially a "90 degree" mat is 3 inches thick And when youre on the mat the rails inflate and you settle into the middle of the mat, but that's why it's so important to spread your weight out so that you keep a constant layer of air between you and the water. Mat rails are about 5 inches thick when inflated, and the bigger the rail, the flatter the curve and the less hold it has on the wave, a bigger rail also holds more volume of air and that resists dojng anything more than skimming the surface. You could design a mat with a concave but how are you going to force that inflated rail under water? However having a slightly smaller rail with a more efficient curve will give more hold on steep waves and during turns. Add a domed deck and you've now got a mat that adds an extra inch between you and the water. These new features are going into the next mat called...The Torpedo ! The Torpedo has a pulled in nose area to keep the control directly under your chest, you won't feel the need to put your arms forward. With your chin on the front edge, the Wide Point is in line with your hips for control and the Swallow tail is a great new feature Ive tried on the 2 previous mats and its an instant celebrity that's going on every future mat of mine from new on. The swallow tail doesn't affect the speed but it reduces the tail bouyancy so you control your turns with your inside leg. Freakin amazing !

Evolution Vs Revolution.

I have a lot of new mat ideas, lots of notes and prototypes, I even make small scale mats to test new ideas.. With this new Invisible Mat Ive designed it so its thinner at the nose and fatter at the tail, in tune with that are angled side I-beams so that at the mat gets thicker the rails get fatter. It's also a Tube Mat Design where the deck and hull are one piece joined on the deck instead of having a complete join all the way around like on conventional mats. Here it is with the nose sealed in a regular outline with curved corners. Its kinda hard to see what's going on with all the clear vinyl so here's a pic showing the 2 side I beams on each side and the two short nose beams. Ive got to finish a few internal tricks and then install the inflation valve and put a loop at the nose for a legrope. The mats covered in notations and measurements so I can replicate or alter the design as I wish. It can seem like there's a lot of science but it's all in the name of fun !

Making mats - Tube technique Vs Inside Out.

With a straight sided mat its easy to do a Tube technique construction where the top and bottom are one piece. Instead of two pieces joined with side flaps , it makes a better mat to wrap a single piece and create the form with a single over lapping join on the deck that's stronger than the flap joins. With any mat that doesn't have straight sides,you can still have a No - Flap shape and have any planshape you like by connecting the deck and hull together and then turning the mat inside out. The join around the mat ends up inside the mat giving a smoother look and a better interaction with the wave. For the Inside-Out technique, put the deck and hull together facing each other... Glue the edges together with a 1 inch strip... And then turn it inside - out. All the sides and the nose are sealed, keeping the unique outline exact with the I- beams inside and you've just got to build the tail shape, which for this mat is a bevelled Swallow Tail.

Making Mats --- The Flying Vee - Mat.

Theres always a new way of doing things, new technology, new materials but it all starts with a new idea, a new concept, a different way of looking at things. Ive always seen the mat as a bit of an undiscovered gem, something that almost everyone has had a go on but few linger to plumb the depths of its potential and every time I ride a mat I think , maybe theres more to discover here..especially with the design and then the performance. First up is the obvious outline, why does a mat have to be rectangular ?, it would be the only surfcraft I can (quickly) think of that doesnt have a curved outline, yet the outline dictates so much of a crafts performance. I looked at how some mats are made using a heat welding machine and theres a lot of heating elements and temperature guages connected to a metal heating bar and I guess it would be a lot of work to make 50 different versions to be able to do custom shapes. So maybe the outline of a mat is more about the constraints of the machinery than the physical possibilities. The Flying Vee Mat is just one concept that has brought about a different way of making mats, I wanted to get rid of the flaps around the perimeter of the standard mat, I dont like the way they look, they dont do anything but theyre a product of the heat welding process and no more. But how to remove them without altering the integrity of the mats strength...? Simple, turn the mat inside out. Its amazing it hasn't been done before. Heres the Flying Vee with the i-beams installed on one side.... So with the deck and hull sides against each other, now weld, or glue an inch perimeter around the top and sides. The mechanical difference between this technique and the Flaps Out technique is zero, both are based on "peel strength" but it matters nought whether the bond is outside the mat or inside.

Free Surf Mats !

Ive had a few people ask about buying my mats but I'd rather give them away. I'll make a few, hand them out and you can pass them around or do whatever with them. Here's another Invisible Mat that will find its way into your hands after Ive had a surf on it... Its a a Tube mat where both top and bottom are a single piece of material so there's no side flaps. If you're interested in getting a free mat as they're passed around or having a spare one sent to you, send me your email and I will put you on the list.

The Invisible Mat Strikes Back.

Fantastic sunny day here in Sydney, light off shore winds, around 30 degrees C, and uncrowded. Why not take The Invisible Mat for another surf...? Riding it without traction isn't easy so I stash a wedge of wax in my boardies and give it a few swipes every few waves. Overall the mats surprisingly easy to ride, in part because of the vinyl but it's also surprising because of the clear plastic and how it disappears when you're riding and all you can see is the flowing water all around you. Its cool but a bit freaky.

The Cult Of Greenough.

Mat making is mostly planning and preparation. Here's the I beams in on the bottom skin. I've never seen any artwork on a mat, apart from coloured Vulkem or printed fabric so I'm dong a spray to see how it goes. Tastefully done Sky Blue and Lime Green for that 70's feel when innovation was an everyday occurrence.... Part of Innovation is Experimentation.

Its what's inside that counts !

Now with the skins cut out its time to do the I-beams. The idea is to reduce the volume in the front of the mat. And by placing them in divergent lines it controls the shape across the width of the mat.