Bud Browne, 1959 ...

Bud was in his late 40's when this footage was shot (b. 1912, d. 2008), and he was wearing a home made dry suit. Here's an entry from Legendary Surfers...

"At first we just went in the cold water in bathing suits. Then, I got some rubber from a company called Rubber Craft, made a pattern and glued some suits together with rubber cement. We put on long woolen underwear, then pulled the dry suit over them. You had to be careful, because if you tore a hole in the rubber with a spiny lobster or crab claw, water leaked in on the wool and you started getting wet and cold."

"I saw the first 2 dry suits," Bud remembered, "by Charlie Sturgill, and began making my own from then on."


More on Charlie Sturgill here and here...

Bretto and Michelle Va-Ca Wrapup ...

Hi Paul,

The monsoon was just breaking while we were there so the conditions were very hot and overcast. The water temp is warm and its easy to surf for hours.

This place was awesome fun on the airmat so we spent the next few days surfing there. The Lotus was perfect!

 

 

 

 

By this time it was the second last day so we didnt surf just lazed around the pool. I made up for it though with a 3 1/2 hour session the next day at another unbelievable right hander before packing up and reluctantly heading off to the airport.

This trip I only took 1 standard and 2 lotus, Michelle had 1 lotus, rather than lugging around a heap of mats and it was the perfect quiver. I put one set of fins and one mat in my carry on and i set of fins and 2 mats in my check in, that way if any luggage gets lost Im covered. Also the Dafins pack better than the others so Im very happy. It was a great time.

Cheers Bretto

Lost Footage From George ...

From Benny ...

Hi Paul

 

I received my Fatty today. I can't get out on it till wednesday but I blew it up all the same to check it out!!!

 

I have spent years stand up surfing but due to illness now cannot pop off my wrists as the medication I have taken gives me gout!!!

 

I've been giving matting a go on a redback old canvas thing and have enjoyed it. I can't believe the difference in the mat you have made for me.... Looks great.

 

I can't wait to get it wet. I just hope the fatty is the right model for me and I can make it work!!!

 

Thanks mate,

Stay happy

Ben

From Wardie ...

More From Bretto and Michelle ...

Hi Paul,

We had the most enjoyable trip ever. Here's how it went.

The first place we stayed was a big flash resort, with all the trimmings and family benefits that you would expect from a 5 star hotel, which happens to be in front of a cranking right hander that I like to mat. I had a couple of go outs there on the standard which was fun, it was about head height.

There was a good body surfing wave there as well, these were taken from the hand board camera.

After a few days we hired a car and went to lots of different beaches and surfed a variety of different waves, all just great fun on the mat. We found a good beachy where we could take turns matting, taking photos and minding our daughter.

Here's Michelle on the Lotus.

 

 

I mainly rode the Standard, however these next shots are of the Lotus.

This place was firing for the airmat.

To Be Continued.......

Cheers
Bretto

From Jon in the Maldives ...

Hey Paul

 

Here’s a short video of some rides I had on my Omni in The Maldives recently.

 

Feel free to post if you’d like to.

 

Regards

 

Jon

From Eric ...

Hi Paul

We have had a fantastic run of great waves here on the Sth Coast of NSW.

 

Two of my friends who both ride 4GF mats have been having a ball. Neal Cameron on his "Tracker" and Justin Spittle with his "Standard". They both enjoy getting out of the city into some country air and classic waves.

 

Neal is in his fifties, is a long time surfer who designs, makes & sells amazing spoons and kneeboards. He finds this spot to his liking with the big long fast walls, where he can really build up some speed. 

 

Justin is the youngest in our group a photographer and he also excels out here getting a big laugh out of doing crossovers with us.

 

It can get a bit crowded but most times the local mid week crew will share.

 

Myself and Adam had this spot the day before with 6 others and waves bigger than these shown.

WHAT A RUSH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Regards Eric Dabolt

The Birds and the Bees, According to 4GF ...

Great news from Neil and Audi Pye...the newest 4GF Team Rider was born on November 12, 2014!

 

 Maxwell Johannes Pye

  

 

But how does something like this happen to a "confirmed mat rider" like Neil? Let's break it down...

  

Most cool guys start out on their road to coolness by riding a mat... 

 

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

Then the aforementioned little blokes look around and start to notice...all the yucky girls are riding mats too!

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When blokes get older, it dawns on us... Hey, chicks aren't so yucky after all !

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

It's an awkward age for us guys (any age) so we hang out with weird friends to deflect our insecurities.

 

 Coonskin caps are a slam dunk icebreaker at parties or on the beach...

 

 

But we can't help ourselves when a female mat rider shamelessly toys with our hormones...

 

 

 

 

Our reactions, predictably, are adolescent...

But we mature. Mat in hand, we begin to socialize with more confidence. First in casual groups...

 

 

 

 

Then we start chatting up the ladies one-on-one, usually opening with some douchy line about how close mats are to nature, etc...

 

 

Then we graduate to more serious bullshit, like the time we faced down triple overhead Pipeline on a surf mat...

 

"Twenty feet, and there I was!"

But somehow, someway, we manage to get lucky in spite of ourselves...

 

 

We start leaving mat-centric love notes...

 

Then this happens...

  

So, in a nutshell, here's a flow chart...

Lonely guy (Neil) ...

 

 

...meets hot, single chick (Audi) ...

 

 

 Neil gets lucky...
 

 And a new 4GF customer is born!

 

 

Congrats to Neil and Audi and Maxi !!!