MATS & MAKERS

Modern surfmats have evolved into lightweight, durable, wave riding vehicles that are fast, fun and fascinating to ride. There is a common misconception that mats are effectively inflatable bodyboards, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, bodyboards bare more resemblance to surfboards than to surfmats.

Surfmats are highly pliable craft which can mold themselves to the shape of the wave and the rider, always making the most of the energy available.

You can read more about how they work on our Surfmat Anatomy page.

If you are serious about mat surfing then you need to get yourself a proper modern nylon mat. We've given info on some of the brands available below.

Fourth Gear Flyer Surfmats by Paul Gross. Paul is a highly inspirational member of the mat surfing world who has long been a friend of George Greenough. In the past he has been a professional surfboard shaper and is still recognised as a world authority on displacement hulls although today pretty much exclusively rides and builds mats at his home in central California. He runs the excellent Surfmatters Blog which is a great resource.

Paul has over 25 years of experience in mat design and manufacture, and has developed a wide range of mats to suit riders of all sizes and abilities. Many top mat surfers ride 4GF, including Greenough.

These mats are sturdy, coming with a thicker 1000 denier canvas style nylon deck which provides a naturally grippy surface, backed up with a brushed hot-wax finish. The bottom fabric is a thinner nylon twill which provides a highly pliable material which can respond sensitively to the wave and the surfer.

Prices start at $330 USD. Paul also offer deals on multiple orders, so buying a quiver or buying as part of a co-operative can save money!

Each 4GF mat is hand made by Paul Gross, who is more than happy to discuss which model will suit a given surfer and conditions and is able to make custom tweaks.

Website: surfmats.com Email: fourthgearflyer@yahoo.com Blog: surfmatters.blogspot.com
Instagram: @4thgearflyer

G-Mat Custom Surfmats by Graeme Webster are individually designed and hand-built in the UK for mat surfers all over the globe. Cornishman and long time mat surfer, Graeme (better known as ‘G’) cut his teeth working in the surfboard industry back in his youth and has been building mats since early 2011, having been schooled in the art by Dale Solomonson (Neumatic) and, latterly, Paul Gross (4GF). G is a dedicated aficionado of these craft and is the man behind the creation of this site and it’s predecessor UK Mat Surfers movement, organising a number of iconic ‘matmeets’ which set the ball rolling for the formation of the UK surfmat community.

G has a number of models available, but each G-Mat is individually designed and tailored to the specific dimensions to suit the rider’s body size, the waves they surf and their style of surfing using extremely lightweight materials.

Custom G-Mats are suited to experienced mat surfers who are looking for the extra sensitivity and responsiveness of lightweight mats.

Custom mats take a long time to design and build so are more expensive than standard models, with prices starting at £290 GBP plus shipping. Around half the price of a surfboard.

G-Mat also have a stock model called the G-Mat RFT which comes in 3 sizes and are built under license by Tom Jennings in Cornwall, UK. This is mat is G’s 5 Star General design but the construction and finishing is outsourced to a craftsman in the UK. These mats are exceptionally good and are available in our store and others for £240 GBP.

We also stock G-Mat AirPlanes which bring the magic of mats to bodysurfing! You won’t believe how well these go!

Website: customsurfmats.com Email: surfmatbuilder@gmail.com Facebook: facebook.com/customsurfmats Instagram: @surfmatbuilder_g

Warpmats Surfmats by Matt Fedden are handmade in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. Matt is committed to building surfmats that are personally customized to each surfer and the waves they ride.

Matt has quietly developed his art over a number of years, bringing a fresh eye to the craft. When he’s not building, you’ll usually find him hidden away in some obscure cove.

In addition to designing personally customised mats, Warpmats also have stock designs, an All-Rounder called the GP and a Lightweight model, aimed at new or experienced mat surfers wanting to add versatility to their quiver.

Matt builds all custom Warpmats in close collaboration with the rider. The conversation back and forth with each surfer allows Matt to explore nuanced or experimental design ideas and aesthetics.

Matt says he wants to, “create customised surfmats that are beautiful, strong, super-lightweight and really fun so you can catch and surf the best waves of your life.” Warpmats start at £200 GBP plus shipping.

Website: warpmats.com Email: matt@mattfedden.co.uk Facebook: facebook.com/warpmats
Instagram: @warpmats

Valley Pool Toys by Zac Garfield are hand-crafted in Santa Cruz, California. Designed and formulated after talking with the rider about their needs, performance, and the waves they surf; each VPT is 100% custom. What started from a ceaseless need to make, remake and remodel, turned into a full-blown rabbit hole dive and Zac has yet to come out the other side.

Ever developing and evolving based on external and internal feedback, Zac is obsessed with chasing unattainable perfection in both the tools for mat making and the forms they make. He finds the greatest reward in taking a seedling of a concept through iteration to a tangible object yielding a new sensation.

By day Zac works as a development engineer and industrial designer which he brings to his mat building. Unsurprisingly Zac put the time in to learning before launching his brand having read extensively about surf-craft hydrodynamics, reading articles by Dale Solomonson, Lindsay Lord, Paul Gross and Graeme Webster as well as communicating a lot with the latter.

Zac has a number of base models which can then be adjusted and tweaked in dimensions and materials to suit the rider and the waves they are surfing. VPT’s start at $420 USD

Email: valleypooltoys@gmail.com Instagram: @valleypooltoys

Eye-Beam Surfmats by Alex Karaivanov are custom surfmats made in Brittany France and Bavaria Germany where Alex (AKA Heidi Barclaid) builds each mat to suit the rider and type of wave.

Speed and maneuverability being the main focus, Eye-Beam surfmats come in a range of customizable shapes with vibrant colored grip. Built as either 200/70 or 70/70 configurations with the option to vary internal venting depending on the rider’s preference.

Eye-Beam surfmats are tested in french South-West coast beach breaks and on Breton barnacled reefs. Robust yet light, Eye-Beam mats are built to survive poundings yet glide smoothly in any conditions.

There are a range of base models available, from designs focused more on biting through gnarly hollow sections to comeout whizzing through with tears of joy in your eyes, to mats that devouring the flat sections gliding like a bar of soap, and everything in between.

Eye-Beam Surmats custom and standard models start at €280 plus shipping.

Website: https://surfmatseyebeam.wordpress.com/ Email: alexandrekara@rocketmail.com
Instagram: @heidibarclaid

Neumatic Surfmats by Dale Solomonson were built by the man who first pioneered the use of lightweight TPU coated nylon, Dale Solomonson. Dale, who sadly passed in 2022, embodied the true meaning of the word genius and we all owe him a debt of gratitude. If you are lucky, you may come across a Neumatic although they are an increasingly rare sight. A second hand ‘Neu’ is well worth grabbing if you get the chance. They will be pricey!

Krypt Surf Technology are mass produced in Asia. They come in adult and junior high performance Surfmats (called the MT5 and JT5 respectively) which are and are relatively inexpensive and commonly available in surf shops.

The MT5 is a fairly versatile mat, although it does favour better waves. It is also not always suitable for heavier/taller riders as the original was designed with a short rider in mind although plenty of taller people get on well with them.

Krypt mats can be pretty slippery so owners often add some form of grip to the deck.

GoGo Surfmats are designed as entry level mats that go a step above the cheaper options out there. Built with 200 denier nylon bottom skins and I-beams and heavier PVC decks, these are very accessible for people new to Surfmats who are keen to give them a go without breaking the bank.

The slick deck will need wax to stay onboard. Being non-porous adding sealants will not be a goer.

GoGo mats are available from gogosurfmat.com and various online retailers.

Filnally, these need to be given a mention as they are out there. Heavy canvas mats such as Redbacks, and the old style rubber Surfoplanes can be a great introduction to mat surfing, but really don’t even come close to the performance of a nylon mat. There are also a number of inflatable bodyboards on the market which are super fun to ride but are not mats in the real sense. From time to time, people come to the mat world with the idea of revolutionising or updating the surfmat design but as you will see if you read our Surfmat Anatomy page, many of the design points which are seen as ‘the problem’ by some are actually what make mats perform the magic that they do. That’s not to say that things are standing still and Surfmats are constantly evolving thanks to the hard work of our band of committed mat builders.

If you are new to mats then do your research before you buy. There are a wide range of models around which each have unique properties, far too many to list here. Also new builders are popping up all the time with the recent ‘mat boom’ so check the credentials and experience of your builder and consider these in relation to how much money you want to spend. At the end of the day, like all surf craft, it's a case of horses for courses so we’d strongly recommend hooking up with other matters and trying out as many models as possible. Mat surfers are generally more than happy to share.