NB2 vs Cymatic Vs Phantom Vs Untitled v2

Mar 6, 2012
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Thinking of adding one of this to my quiver...

NB2 vs Cymatic Vs Phantom Vs Untitled v2

What are the pros / cons of each?

Leaning more toward the cymatic and the nb2 but since I usually surf beachbreaks 2 - 6 feet with usually some wind the epoxy is not convincing me...
 

daave

Gerry Lopez status
Dec 28, 2002
1,159
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These are all kind of different boards. Adding in your uncertainty about construction makes it tougher. Phantom and Untitled more versatile. Others have a pretty unique feel. People seem to either love or hate those two.

NB2 - short, full board that feels pretty loose. Not a ton of drive IMO.

Cymatic - short, undersized board that feels very loose. Quick and fast down the line but not drivey at all. More twitchy than the others.

Phantom - chunky, slightly wider shortboard that has surprising upper range. Drivey connected feel. Paddles the best out of this group (like really really well).

Untitled - Not quite as full as phantom but rails are full. People love these in a wide range of waves. Again good upper end. I personally prefer the phantom but that’s just overall feel of the board. They both work and have similar ranges.
 

waxfoot

Michael Peterson status
Apr 21, 2018
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Love the Phantom - as @daave said, it's very drivey. Being super critical, one could say it's slightly better suited to points than beachies. It's not fin sensitive in the slightest, basically anyhting you put in it works, from thrusters to quads, to mismatching quad sets etc ... it just works.
 

ANIMA

Legend (inyourownmind)
Feb 11, 2020
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Planet Earth
Cymatic. :jamon:
Twitchy is a good description. Super fun board tho with the right fins. The LFT handles wind and chop pretty well.
 

ChaseTMP

Billy Hamilton status
Apr 6, 2014
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S. Redondo
I love my 5'8 NB2 (Varial) and find it has plenty of drive. I run MF large twin with a KA medium center, which I preferred to: FT large, AM Aircore large and the MF large set.

I Awayco'd an Untitled V2 (Future Flex) and thought it was pretty fun, but found the rails a bit too full for my liking and felt it didn't have the wow factor compared to a CI Spine-Tek Fever, which I ended up buying.

I traded a few waves with a shop employee that was demoing a Cymatic when they first came out. It was a little undersized for me, but it felt really hot (more like tepid) and cold, where I'd feel like it was something I may like to try more waves on, to "can I please get my board back, I feel like a kook".
 
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freeride76

Michael Peterson status
Dec 31, 2009
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Lennox Head.
Cymatic. :jamon:
Twitchy is a good description. Super fun board tho with the right fins. The LFT handles wind and chop pretty well.
totally disagree, the LFT feels fucking horrible in wind and chop.

took a Cymatic to the Ments. Rode as quad. it was spicy as all hell in small clean surf, such a good small wave option. So much fun at small clean Maccas.

But I butchered so, so many waves trying to ride it in bumpy windy surf. Basically unrideable unless I nursed every turn. V. unreliable handling. also found the same here in bumpy, join the dots point surf.

pu/pe Stacey Wave Slave, or Ghost or Lost Sabotaj all felt heaps, heaps better.
I know v. different designs but the pu/pe was so much more friendly in chop and bump and there was a lot of S wind that trip.
 
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oeste858

Phil Edwards status
Sep 11, 2017
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I'll chime in for the Cymatic. Very fun beachbreak board. Not a grovel or mushy wave board, but if your spot has some push, you should be fine. Fast, lively, responsive, and almost impossible to pearl on late, steep drops. Agree that it could feel hot/cold until you got used to it after a few sessions- and get the fins right: go with quad, not tri (per Dan), and smaller fins than you normally ride. But for me, still one of the most fun boards I've ridden. Makes you feel like you're ripping! LOL
I've been curious to try a Phantom. Don't think I'd really use a Ghost enough here, but step down version sounds pretty good for SoCal.
 
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jkb

Tom Curren status
Feb 22, 2005
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totally disagree, the LFT feels fucking horrible in wind and chop.

took a Cymatic to the Ments. Rode as quad. it was spicy as all hell in small clean surf, such a good small wave option. So much fun at small clean Maccas.

But I butchered so, so many waves trying to ride it in bumpy windy surf. Basically unrideable unless I nursed every turn. V. unreliable handling. also found the same here in bumpy, join the dots point surf.

pu/pe Stacey Wave Slave, or Ghost or Lost Sabotaj all felt heaps, heaps better.
I know v. different designs but the pu/pe was so much more friendly in chop and bump and there was a lot of S wind that trip.
I feel like the unreliability in chop is more a function of the shortness of the board and not the LFT.

I have a regular pointed nosed SKX in LFT and it works fine in chop. I hate all my other shorter Tomos in chop.
 

urchined

Nep status
Jul 20, 2019
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Sure you mean, "small ments - Driver 2.0 or Shadow?" ?
Freeride mentioned he preferred pu/pe Stacey, sabotaj or ghost in small ments due to wind. I was wondering which one he would pick in such comditions between ghost and lost? Off topic question for the thread so maybe I should have kept quiet.
 

tedshred5

Michael Peterson status
Aug 5, 2015
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I've owned a PU NB2 and demo'd a FF Untitled and I'd say Untitled has more spark. That being said the FF felt too 'bouncy' in windy beach break. But, you could always order one in PE
 

freeride76

Michael Peterson status
Dec 31, 2009
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Lennox Head.
Freeride mentioned he preferred pu/pe Stacey, sabotaj or ghost in small ments due to wind. I was wondering which one he would pick in such comditions between ghost and lost? Off topic question for the thread so maybe I should have kept quiet.
similar tools.

I prefer the Ghost rocker.

Sabotaj is probs slightly easier riding .
 
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waxfoot

Michael Peterson status
Apr 21, 2018
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Freeride mentioned he preferred pu/pe Stacey, sabotaj or ghost in small ments due to wind. I was wondering which one he would pick in such comditions between ghost and lost? Off topic question for the thread so maybe I should have kept quiet.
My point was more to do with the fact that neither of those are ideal for smaller ments, but boards in the same family might be more suited.
 

Hazrus

Nep status
Sep 23, 2016
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I've got a FF Untitled. Never ridden the others.

Surfed it in windy head high yesterday. Definitely doesn't like bump. Wished I had my Cabianca pupe
 
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