Surf Mats... What's the Deal?

[nedsurf]

Duckfin if they fit. I ended up shaving and carving mine so they stopped giving me holes in my anklebone and on my feet. You can pretty much modify any fin for fit. Fin socks help. DaFin comfy foot pocket for me, less thrust than the Duckys, never a fin sock, decent thrust. UDT's work but are overkill for small surf that I ride.

By the way, I have a pair of black/yellow UDTs that I want to sell, local to SD/Oceanside only. PM if interested. I think they are XL, will check for sure.

 

[surfingcattle]

Duckfin if they fit. I ended up shaving and carving mine so they stopped giving me holes in my anklebone and on my feet. You can pretty much modify any fin for fit. Fin socks help. DaFin comfy foot pocket for me, less thrust than the Duckys, never a fin sock, decent thrust. UDT's work but are overkill for small surf that I ride.

By the way, I have a pair of black/yellow UDTs that I want to sell, local to SD/Oceanside only. PM if interested. I think they are XL, will check for sure.

Thanks for the offer. Those will be too big for me though and I'm not local. I'm gonna go look into the duckfin

 

[TonyPR]

One should try different fins until one finds the best fin that works for you, not for anyone else. Throughout the years it has consistently been MS Vipers for me though you need strong legs for them, the only drawback for me is I have to use them with socks, not because they cut me but because of fit, no biggie but it’s just an extra I don’t really need in the warm waters of the Caribbean. That’s the reason that lately I have been using DaFins ML which are the only fins that fit me perfectly without socks. Great fins for bodysurfing too, I prefer my MS Vipers but when I’m feeling lazy I just put on a pair of DaFin.

For bodyboarding I switch between the MS Vipers and regular Churchills with socks.

This has all been trial and error and believe me I have tried many different kinds of fin but like I said at the beginning, everyone is different.

 

[longboardkook]

Have scored some fun mat surfing lately. Newport Beach early Oct, the surfmat meet up in Ocean Beach (San Diego) the other week, river mat surfing a now "green faced" wave in Salida, Colorado last week.. So wish I could do it all: live at the beach; live near the river waves; and live up in the mountains (snowboarding/snowkating/powsurfing)...

Newport Beach, CA on a small fun morning.

Duck walking (I never bodyboarded before so these fins are hard for me to beach navigate). Scored a real nice set of Yucca ultra soft flex fins that work so well barefooted. I have a set of XXL Yucca ultra soft fins I use in the river over 7mm booties for the cold water.

Was such a cool surfmat meetup. Worth my flight and room points used!!!

Surfline shots of the surfmat meetup. Matsurfers on the black ball-near side of the jetty.

All matsurfers in this pic!!! At one time I counted like 30+ mat surfers in the line-up sharing the joy of riding bags of air for fun.

Salida, Colorado "Scout Wave"- this river wave is so fun now it has been renovated to a glassy green wave.

Hahaha, me w/ my Avs beanie (Stanley Cup Champs!)... Actually wore this hat while mat surfing Ocean Beach.

 

[nedsurf]

Have scored some fun mat surfing lately. Newport Beach early Oct, the surfmat meet up in Ocean Beach (San Diego) the other week, river mat surfing a now "green faced" wave in Salida, Colorado last week.. So wish I could do it all: live at the beach; live near the river waves; and live up in the mountains (snowboarding/snowkating/powsurfing)...

View attachment 50464
Newport Beach, CA on a small fun morning.
View attachment 50465
Duck walking (I never bodyboarded before so these fins are hard for me to beach navigate). Scored a real nice set of Yucca ultra soft flex fins that work so well barefooted. I have a set of XXL Yucca ultra soft fins I use in the river over 7mm booties for the cold water.
View attachment 50466
Was such a cool surfmat meetup. Worth my flight and room points used!!!
View attachment 50468
Surfline shots of the surfmat meetup. Matsurfers on the black ball-near side of the jetty.
View attachment 50469
All matsurfers in this pic!!! At one time I counted like 30+ mat surfers in the line-up sharing the joy of riding bags of air for fun.

View attachment 50473
Salida, Colorado "Scout Wave"- this river wave is so fun now it has been renovated to a glassy green wave.
View attachment 50471
Hahaha, me w/ my Avs beanie (Stanley Cup Champs!)... Actually wore this hat while mat surfing Ocean Beach.

Did you run into James (Matitude) at Salida? Yesterday we talked about his Colorado trip last week, he had a blast. I may be back in Co in Nov but probably won't bring my gear, water will be too cold for my 3/2. I faced that same location quandry in my 35 years in Co but finally moved back to California when my wife refused to drive Boulder Canyon anymore in the winter. I realized about 1:00pm that day that I had spaced the mat meet at OB, was depressed the rest of the day.

 

[longboardkook]

Did you run into James (Matitude) at Salida? Yesterday we talked about his Colorado trip last week, he had a blast. I may be back in Co in Nov but probably won't bring my gear, water will be too cold for my 3/2. I faced that same location quandry in my 35 years in Co but finally moved back to California when my wife refused to drive Boulder Canyon anymore in the winter. I realized about 1:00pm that day that I had spaced the mat meet at OB, was depressed the rest of the day.

Yep, got to matsurf with James at Salida last week. Rad dude, I need to catch an ocean matsurf with him, and you. November starts to get cold but actually the flow should be increasing in Nov. Consider bringing your mat and fins. Maybe rent a thick wetsuit And gloves…

 

[PeakMaster]

Rafts for kids by any other name...haha

 

[longboardkook]

Rafts for kids by any other name...haha

Hahaha…. I prefer blow up dog bed…. So fun though.

 

[606venezia]

Link to Youtube that won't preview in the forum software

 

[longboardkook]

Think you have to make the vid public to so we can see it.