Firewire Slater Designs Omni Review

Firewire x Slater Designs Omni Surfboard Review: 

In this episode from Surf 'n Show Noel Salas gets two Slater Designs “Omni” surfboards sent down for review. One board is a stock 5’4” with FCSII fin plugs and the other is a stock 5’3” with Futures.

"Both boards feel good under foot and I couldn’t really feel the difference in paddling between the two even though the 5’4” has 1.1 liters more foam. However I did notice a difference in transition from turn to turn and the 5’3” had a bit more snap to it. When I talk over the waves on these two boards I can really see the difference."

"I also spend some time comparing the attributes on the Omni to the Cymatic because they look so similar. After gathering some knowledge and surfing both models in similar wave conditions my conclusion is they surf completely different."

"The Omni surfs more like a HPSB with a little more entry rocker and excels in steeper more hollow waves. I found the Omni to be a little more demanding (harder to surf) compared to the Cymatic. The Omni wants to be surfed off the tail compared to the Cymatic and favors a back footed surfer due to its board design. The Omni has a round tail so it holds speed through turns very well and likes to carve. On the down side I felt it struggled to go vertical in the pocket due to the natural characteristics of a round tail wanting to do rounder turns by design."

"I found the Cymatic to be a bit more user friendly (easier to surf) and faster compared to the Omni because its double Bat Tail design and less entry rocker. The Double Bat tail has a Flyer (Wing) on the tail so it has a great pivot point that allows the water to break free from the rail enabling it to turn board quickly and get it vertical in the pocket freely. I also believe the Cymatic favors a back footed surfer but offers a bigger sweet spot on the tail making it easier to surf. You move your foot around on the tail of the Cymatic and still get precise surfing compared to the Omni. The Cymatic is faster because it has less entry rocker and more surface area in the tail making it more versatile for smaller flatter waves compared to the Omni. All in all the Omni is a fun board and it excels in 3-6’+ hollow waves and I recommend it as a HPSB for intermediate to pro level surfers."

~ Noel Salas

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