New mat heads in St Ives

Hi and a warm hello to everyone on here.

My partner and I recently caught the matting bug after borrowing a mate's 4GF standard. I've never even surfed before and have been completely stoked since I caught my first wave on the mat and felt like I was being shot out of a cannon towards the beach.

Unsurprisingly, we're now looking at getting a couple of mats of our own (fatty, tracker roundtail) and being based in St Ives, Cornwall we are looking forward to some matting action on Porthmeor beach and other spots down this way as well as meeting other mat surfers.

Ironically we are both veteran UDT Duck Feet users having realised the benefits of their power for long-distance snorkelling and surface swimming. I was aware of the Duck Feet/mat surfing connection but never had the opportunity to try them together until this week.



Very best to all of you, James and Al

Welcome off board!

I'm in Plympton but sure we can sort a hook up. A few local to you down there.

G

Ace dude, I know Cookson has a load of Duck feet in the shed, there old skooooool. I live in St. Erth and Cookson in Nancledra. Defo arrange a hook up fella!

07866883344 send us a text I'll let u know when I'm going or were going!

Cheers for the link G

Phil

yep,often west of here.Bring Bagpuss,I'll supply The Flumps...

cheers chaps.

Phil, I will send you a text as soon as I can get some reception lol. I could do with some advice as we are about to buy a mat and were looking at a fatty or a tracker roundtail. The standard seemed a bit on the small side for me and my legs seemed to be dragging behind a bit. Granted, my technique was probably awful and i may need to get further forward on the mat.

What are people riding as a good overall mat for Cornwall?

Standard for everything.

Your a very strange lad Ian

What are your dimensions?

G

That question was aimed at James by the way.

Also, who did you borrow a mat off?

G

piskian wrote:Standard for everything.

Im with you on that Ian.

Ah the magical mouse organ one of my all time favourites

Two more matters, good to to know theres more of us out there

GRAYMAN wrote:What are your dimensions?

G

6ft tall, about 180 odd pounds. Yeah we are borrowing the mat off one of my girlfriend's work colleagues who is from the Hayle area. Seems they bought it from the US but weren't using it.

James H wrote:
6ft tall, about 180 odd pounds. Yeah we are borrowing the mat off one of my girlfriend's work colleagues who is from the Hayle area. Seems they bought it from the US but weren't using it.

If the Standard suits you then stick with it. If it feels like it bogs then you may do well with a Tracker Roundtail, or perhaps a Fatty. Does the Standard suit your girlfriend?

G

Yeah she'll be fine with the standard, I think were going for a standard and may be a fatty.

Anyone else here ever use UDTs?

Aloha James and Al

Clare and I are heading down to St Ives in a few weeks - will drop you a pm if you're up for a mini matmeet?

Get those orders in and enjoy a brave new world!

James H wrote:

Anyone else here ever use UDTs?

Not for me. I value my ankles to highly.

These are more my style:

http://ukmatsurfers.org/html/dafin_fins.html

G

GRAYMAN wrote:

James H wrote:

Anyone else here ever use UDTs?

Not for me. I value my ankles to highly.

These are more my style:

http://ukmatsurfers.org/html/dafin_fins.html

G

Yup I'm with ^^^^ on this. V hard on the ankles and feet, and need a bit of work to be useable. I got mine direct from Deets in the US, but could never warm to them. Sold them years ago. Still looking for the right fin, using Flips at the mo, but still rate my old Turnbulls for comfort.

Am I right in thinking Flips lack an edge rail?

G

GRAYMAN wrote:Am I right in thinking Flips lack an edge rail?

G

yep nothing at all. Just a flat piece of fairly rigid plastic with a complicated webbing system to hold em on. Comfy though but a bugger to get right and keep tight. Take up no room in a flight bag though

That's a shame. I like the used of the straps but would miss the hold.

G

UDTs... They are not fins to f**k with as they can cause bad cramp. You have to avoid too much ankle flex when using them and let your thighs and calves power them.

I used to do a fair bit of freediving and spearfishing with long fins and by comparison I had worse ankle problems from those than my UDTs. I gave up on other fins when I realised just how much thrust and power UDTs have in them when finning on the surface, fighting currents, negotiating shallow reefs etc.

Kudos to Deets for keeping UDTs alive and kicking

Not UDTs , but wear the original duck feet which have been modified to make them easier to get on and have more flex. Starting to think that fins should not be used for hold like bodyboarding and have lost my fins a few times when I have tried it. Fins are for getting out back and catching waves only for me

Sounds like you must have some pretty special rail control there Jerry. Hydro fin savers not keep your fins on?

G

Maybe try wearing them on feet rather than hands?

Nah, before I got the hydro fin savers and was using the NND string and toggle type savers.Leg nearest to rail have trailing the other leg try and keep it out of the way and out of the water but still think the fins add little or no control it,s all about body position but I am a kook

So Hydros didn't keep your fins on?! I may have misread that.

On fin hold, certainly the aim for optimal riding is to have fins clear of the water. Look at the likes of Greenough, ASB and Warren Pfieffer. And the big round rail gives a lot of hold when firmed up.

That said, all of those dip a fin to give hold when needed. I don't think its accurate to say that fins play no part in that though.

Anyway, it sounds like you've gone up another level or two in your riding Jerry.



G