In the mid-70's, both Rip Curl and Merrins were distributing pretty good surf mats (for their time) made in Asia...primarily for the Australian market. They were using nylon fabric with a heavy rubber inner coating. This feature added smoothness to the bottom skin, but also added stiffness. So, it was a mixed blessing in terms of performance.
This ad was unearthed by Kirk Putnam...found in an old Australian surf mag.