Always out!

Of late, I have been trying my best to contain my excitement and enthusiasm for mat riding so as not to piss people off but buggar it today I am letting fly as, like many others, I am so stoked to be a mat rider.
I have been riding my mats pretty well every time I go out which is up to 4 times a week as the conditions are pretty reasonable for the mat at this time and this is why.
It is just stunning how a mat can turn seemingly poor waves in to great rides.
Recently I had the point to myself, as it was a week day, the waves appeared a little small, and were probably a bit quick for the stand up surfers in any case as the tide was a bit low.
But a mat find ways to get on to the face even if there does not appear to be much in the way of one to get on before closing out and I had some terrific fast high line rides.
In contrast, on another occasion, it was quite big at the point and there were quite a few crew out. In the past my strategy has been to use a bodyboard to successfully poach waves off the masses. But now that I am more experienced and confident on a mat I decided to take the Tracker Roundtail out as the waves were not particularly quick but had some size.
I was subject to the usual array of surprised looks and the odd outright derisory one also.
I have the pleasure of announcing that we did well together. Very well! On one occasion, I had the pleasure of calling 3 other riders off a wave, a shortboarder and a couple of bodyboarders, yelling "Get off my wave, those things are too slow!" as I sped straight across underneath them. The bodyboarders just couldn't believe their eyes and from then on watched everything I took off on.
On another wave which had a fair bit of size, I took off across the face so fast that the momentum shot me straight across into the rip running alongside the rocks that normally I would have to kick and paddle across to after going left at the point. As I made my way back out I just couldn't quite believe what had just occurred.
How is it that I can go so fast on something I blow up before I enter the water and deflate to a rag on the way out? Amazing!
I am also getting the hang of lightening fast changes of direction too and it is such a buzz!
The mat and I seem to be functioning as one unit together as I find myself manipulating it almost by remote control only having to think about it and it happens.
Magic Towel is right!
Nowadays, when I go to check out the conditions, I am able to consider a far broader range of conditions than I have been able to in the past as mainly a stand up board rider.
So while others don't go in I choose to and am always rewarded and this is why I am usually always out!