Krypt Surf Technology Master Class with Surf Mat Master Mark Thomson

Krypt Surf Technology Master Class with Surf Mat Master Mark Thomson

Custom Krypt Grip, Hip Grip, and other Designs

Customizing the grip on your surf mat is simple and easy.

Although the proprietary Dolphin Skin non skid deck of the Krypt MT5 surf mats works well, like anything, it does wear out over time.
This short and simple lesson shows how to increase the grip around your hips whilst still allowing you to slide up onto the mat.
Contrary to what others have had to say about this process being expensive, messy and difficult, this lesson shows that you can customize the non skid on your mat quickly and cleanly and using your own personal design if you want to.

Stuff You Will Need
One Ice cream Bucket
Small plastic container
One roll of masking tape
Scissors
Cleaning fluid
Clean rag
Vulkem 116 or other Sticker Flex or Marine Urethane Sealants

Preparation
Wash your mat with fresh water and allow too dry.
Inflate your mat to maximum pressure.
Clean the deck surface with Isopropyl Alcohol, Methylated Spirits or if available I use Toluene.
Toluene is nasty so wear gloves and use in a ventilated area.
Allow to dry.

Grip Design
You can now apply masking tape to the mat in the design of your choice.
Keep it simple like this lesson or be creative and inventive
If you have an artistic streak you can use cardboard to make a stencil and apply double sided tape to the stencil.

Application Of The Grip
Cut the lid of the ice cream bucket to make a small squeegee.

Squeeze a small amount of Vulkem in to the small plastic container. You don’t need much it goes a long way.

Get small amount and work it into the fabric.
Repeat the process and add more Vulkem.

Do long even stokes applying medium pressure along the design to get an even thickness of material.

Use a sponge and dab it onto the job to create texture on the Vulkem

All that remains now is to peel the tape while the Vulkem is still wet. This is where your ice cream bucket becomes the waste bucket and comes in handy for cleaning up the sticky mess
Allow to dry for 24 hours before surfing.

I prefer to use 1 inch strips as this process, if done incorrectly, can add significant weight to your mat.
With the MT5 surf mat weighing only 500gms, the designs we have chosen to use are strategically placed and add as little weight as possible whilst still providing ample grip.
For this lesson a few friends brought along their mats and attended the Master Class also.
My Series 3 mat is over a year old now and pretty thrashed so I needed more grip through the middle.
The others non skid is still in good condition and they only needed the hip grip so we made a short strip design on the rails to provide more grip allowing greater confidence in larger surf and bottom turns.
We also did one using a basic circular stencil.

Well now you know how to do it, have a bit of fun and give it go.

My old mate Waka couldn,t wait to give it a go!!!!

Being a master in floor coatings he came up with this awesome epoxy urethane sealant.

 

 

 Heres a few fine examples of Wakas handy work.

 

 

The lads are stoked on their new custom Krypts 

  Good on ya Waka!!!!

 

 

As you can see anything is possible and its only limited by your imagination.

So give it a go and we look forward to seeing your new grip designs in the water.

Small Mats and Rocker!

Small Mats and Rocker! 

 

by Robin Thomson

The Captain has generously taken the time to take images and provide informative material in relation to the smaller mats he designed and the role of rocker in surf mats. The first pic shows the MT2 and MT3 he had made by Dale Solomonson to his very specific instructions. It also shows the 15 4GF surf mats that MT has demolished over many years as he evolved his own ideas on surf mat design. I think I wouldn't mind living where MT does too, as the view is pretty spectacular.

The 2nd two pics provide further visual detail of the MT2 and MT3 and a sweet looking pair of mats they are too! Both are restricted breathers with the MT2 a round nose/round tail and the MT3 with a round nose/square tail. MT states that the early 4GFs were 3' 8" or 71/2" and the 5GFs of the day were 3' 8" and narrower. The MT2 and MT3 were a big step down into uncharted territory at 3' 51/2"  X 19" X 4". Both these mats were concaved with a flat rocker and it wasn't until the MT4 that rocker was introduced in to the design.


                                                                                

The prototype MT5 went back to a flat rocker before the production MT5 design was settled and included a further tweaked concave and reintroduced the rocker.
The MT5 was the break through design that found the perfect aspect ratio of a mat that was 2 inches shorter than those original 4GFs and 20" wide for the most efficient planing surface. You will also have noted that the MT5 has very square rear corners. This design is the best for fast speed runs and carving turns as it releases the laminar flow for the least amount of drag. On that note, he states that the MT5 is designed very specifically to suit his style of riding and the conditions that he generally rides in and that it may not suit everyone. But I have found that, like board riding, experiencing a range of mat types can only add to your mat riding knowledge and skill set.

The role of rocker in a surf mat

The  Bernoulli formula of ( L=CL  P/2  SV2)  states:
As the (V) Velocity of the fluid  increases, (P) Pressure of the fluid decreases, therefore creating (L) Lift and is the fundamental principle of all aviation..

Rocker is based on this principle in that it amplifies the fluid and creates lift by decreasing the pressure of that fluid. In the pic you can see MT flexing up the rocker so as he can attack the lip. I guess if a subtle curve already exists in the bottom of the mat then it is only going to enhance being able to carry out a move like this. To my question as to when rocker is at it's most effective MT replied "It"s always working to lift you up and out of the water to get planing and up to speed!"