Getting so comfortable after a year

Yesterdays session was notable for the lack of waves and any that came through were closing out. I amused myself by taking off as early as possible on as high and oblique a line as I could but restraining the forward motion of the mat in an attempt to get in that momentary little tube that forms in the wave as it closes out. Not very successful but such a lot of fun. As I was hanging around waiting, I found myself reflecting on how completely differently I and the mat get on now since I first attempted to get on the Fatty and promptly fell off. At the time, it just seemed such an impossible object to deal with and the notion that one could actually catch a wave on it, let alone be thinking about attempting what I describe above seemed a nonsense. How a year can change the state of things! I feel less comfortable on a board now and ironically when I first get on one again after being on a mat it seems a clumsy object to deal with and the notion that one could catch a wave on it seems a nonsense. There is none of the feel and nuance that you get lying on a mat as it all just feels hard and unyielding. In comparison to a mat, catching a wave seems an overwhelmingly difficult and cumbersome task to achieve. I takes me a while to get used to not being able to feel what is happening in the water beneath me and when I am first up and riding I am find my self intently trying to feel through my feet what the heck is going on as the board interacts with the wave. All I can feel is a numbness so I give up!
Well one year down and I look forward to many more great rides and experiences on the mat.