Ian Jermyn is an Australian illustrator with a degree in marine science, and he loves riding waves with mats even if it means paddling out in the cold dark waters of Ireland.
It's an inflatable wave-riding craft, and nowadays, it is only ridden by an elite group of water sports enthusiasts.
Jermyn is a member of the mat club, and he has been exploring a few opportunities along the Irish coastline.
The art of mat surfing was born in the early 1960s when George Greenough rode his first waves on a small air mattress.
Back then, he didn't realize he was opening the way for the "invention" of bodyboarding.
Ian Jermyn rides hand-made MC Surf Mats by Matt Fedden. His recent video clips reveal how fast a semi-inflated mat can go down the line in clean chest-high conditions.
"This day wasn't that big, but by crikey, was it fast, providing you were on the right equipment," explained Jermyn.
I've still got a little idea about what is going on in that bubble between my belly and the wave. It's like you're flying a soap bubble across a razor's edge - any moment, it could all go wrong."
