What's your favorite board for small days ?

[bgreen]

The learning curve is a steep-one. My mat hides under the house. I haven't taken it out for a few years..

[zensuni]

In the Winter I find the waves too big and gnarly, then in the Summer it is much better but they may be too small sometimes, plus I have to deal with the crowd (might be dangerous to surf a wooden board in the middle of surf beginners, they are everywhere). Might be frustrating sometimes. For too big conditions I stopped trying . For small days when it is so small that the paipo just doesn't work, I hope the surf mat will bring me some fun. I have read a lot about these, it definitely sounds like a challenge to master.

[Nels]

Forget trying to "master" a mat, just enjoy the ride and learn as you go how to get more out of it.

Mats aren't like bodyboards, for instance, where you can master the basics pretty quick...but it takes a lot of time and good waves to really excel. With mats there seems to be a fairly endless amount of learning...which is a good thing because you constantly have the joy of discovery. I think that's what keeps the really long-term "masters" of the practice at it decade after decade. The mind stays engaged.

Nels

[zensuni]

Forget trying to "master" a mat, just enjoy the ride and learn as you go how to get more out of it.

Mats aren't like bodyboards, for instance, where you can master the basics pretty quick...but it takes a lot of time and good waves to really excel. With mats there seems to be a fairly endless amount of learning...which is a good thing because you constantly have the joy of discovery. I think that's what keeps the really long-term "masters" of the practice at it decade after decade. The mind stays engaged.

Nels

"to masterise" might not be the right word, I think "to control" is better. In French, to masterize something (maîtriser) just means you have the control on it, but not necessarily like an expert.
I agree about the joy of discovery session after session. That's what I appreciate with paipo boarding. Even though I always ride the same board, and quite the same kind of waves, every ride is still different.

[GeoffreyLevens]

Yes and do read that riding guide I posted link to as it can be very helpful. When actually in the water on your mat, your mantra should likely be "Less is More" as a reminder to make all control actions gentle, fairly small, and smoooooooooth.

Soon enough you will likely be saying

[zensuni]

I spent the weekend at Biarritz, this is where they surf in France in "the endless summer 2" movie. Small conditions, 2-3 feets, but well shaped. I confirm that the surf mat is damn hard to control, I spent an hour just being able to take off. Surf mat is so unknown here that the lifeguards didn't allow me to use it in the surf zone, so I had to use it in the swimming zone. Couldn't really argue given my mat riding skills . Felt like surfing a jellyfish in a crowded wave pool. But I'll keep trying, really want to feel this "boost acceleration" I have read about. The next day (early morning, to bypass the lifeguards validation), I used my plywood paipo, worked great, even though the waves were still quite small. I just had new swim fins, a little stiffer, felt like it made a big difference.

[flojo]

The mat takes a very long time. George Greenough says he is still learning how to ride it.

[zensuni]

Plenty of small days recently, good time to experiment. I took the surf mat most of the time (mainly because I find it less dangerous in summer crowded peaks), it is definitely not easy at all. My son switched his bodyboard to a plywood paipo, so occasionally we switch boards in the middle of the session. Comparing to the mat, holding a line with the paipo is a lot easier. I really like riding the paipo in small, slow but well shaped waves, the ride is slow but it gives time to feel the rail biting the face of the wave. Catching small waves is not really a problem anymore with the paipo to me, I started doing it like I do on the mat, being in the water, paddling like hell with my fins and holding the board forward, flat hands, works great.

[Hugo]

10' noserider
Looking at 54" Beater. Any opinions on those? I believe they're shaped by Tom Morey not sure.