Too Grip or not to Grip?

I am often asked  ‘dont you find those Krypt surf mats too slippery to ride ‘ ?? Well after riding them for the past 4 years, in some of the biggest and also smallest surf possible, my is answer is NO! I also having been riding kneeboards, paipos and displacement hulls ( edge spoons) for the past 30 odd years as well,  and guess what? I apply either wax or  some form of deck grip, to enhance the grip on the surface, so even with the dolphin skin deck on the Krypts, I still use wax to help with the grip, and also wear a rubber type vest or wetsuit, that wont allow me to slip around on my mat, so its not rocket science when you think about?

I received my new Series V MT5 the other day, and as you can see pictured below compared to the old Series IV, I had well and truly worn the old deck down to a smooth and shiny surface. 





So with Eric da Bolt in mind, I decided to try gripping up the older mat with some Bostic FC polyurethane joint sealant, that I sometimes use in my trade as a flooring contractor.





The Thunder Birds ‘fairy bread’ was born.

Happy 61st Birthday da Bolt

With Eric being its first  test pilot pictured below, he found it to be to his liking, with plenty of grip, but when I rode, I found I missed that slip factor that I need for kicking in and taking off on waves,  too grippy for my liking, so with it starting to just lift down near the tail, I decided to strip it off and leave it as it was.













So with my brand new Krypto sitting at home and unridden, I decided to try another product called HYFLEX NS, which is made by HYCHEM INTERNATIONAL , who manufactures all my epoxy resins and polyurethanes that I used in my trade of installing impervious , seamless floor systems for the food and beverage industry. This product comes as a two pack, neutral colour, so that I can add the same colour pigment that I am using on the floor, but in this case I left it neutrals in colour for this trial.

‘HYFLEX NS is a 2 component epoxy polyurethane joint sealant with a good balance between joint movement capability and hardness to ensure long life in high traffic environments’

There is another sister product called HYFLEX LM, which I think would be better suited, as it designed for below grade tanking and pools , but the NS seems to work fine and it  gives me that slip factor that I need !


image below by Justin Spittle

Installing New Hyperflex Hipster Grip

Before masking up my new mat for grip installation, I gave it a good clean and wipe down with grease and wax remover to remove any contaminants. A problem  can arise if the mat material is impervious, but with skid resistance of the dolphin skin, I took the punt and did not sand it before masking up.





just simply mask up and apply HYFLEX with scraper






 


remember NOT to brush teeth during installation





I used a old tooth brush to swirl the material .





After allowing to cure for 2 days , I rode it out in some testing conditions, with great success…..

http://vimeo.com/105404323

Fathers Day Slides

New Krypt MT5 Series V

I had forgotten how well a new mat flys!
this baby is a little speed demon, just add juice and conditions, and hang on tight!




Brand Spanking New





with not much difference between the IV & V










new valve and rubber cap















Hints and Tips













and how does it ride?

View below



Dad's Day - Flipper Tip Control from adam williams on Vimeo.


















Representing at Huntington Beach USA
Tommy Fish





Wollongong NSW Australia
Justin Spittle