The Beauty of the Surf Mat

Well, it's certainly not the fact that you can literally throw it on the ground, along with your fins, as you suit up. Or maybe it is. Surf mats take a licking and keeping on ticking.

My point, actually, is that there are times when the surf mat is the best weapon for the task at hand.

Today's wicked windswell waves had me shaking my fist at the ocean each time I got stuck inside. Duckdive after duckdive after duckdive. And so on and so on and so on. I'd just about get to the outside . . . when a good set would come and push me back to "Jail" (i.e., the impact zone). I didn't pass go. I didn't get my $200!

With that said, it was an excellent session on the mat. The waves were pitching rather nicely on the outside, thus I didn't have to work hard to catch them. (I only had to work hard to get back to them after each ride.) Once in the wave, the faces opened up slowly and rather perfectly even though the shape was on the funky side. I mean, we are talking about windswell.

I really need to get batteries put in my surfing watches. I keep two of them in the car. The second one died today. I paddled out thinking I could easily keep track of the time on my own. Wrong!! Time slows way down when I'm in the water. I'll think I've only been in for 45 minutes, only to find out I'd gotten in two hours earlier! This wouldn't be a problem if I didn't have to be at work after my sessions.

Fourth Gear Flyer Omni—best mat ever!!!