Vanguard - Fastest board of the bunch for me, but does not draw a very curvy line, if that makes sense. I liken it to a fish, great speed in a straight line, doesnt draw the best turns.
I've never ridden the Vanguard so I don’t have any input on this one.
El Tomo - ?
DUAL FIN: For me – I liked the El Tomo (dual fin) but I struggled with getting the right size and right fins and ended up moving on to other models. I’m not really a twin fin guy, but I’ve always wanted one. I liked the 5’5 size the best with the Akila Aipa fins. I just recently purchased one of Dan’s personal El Tomo dual fins so I can revisit the design. We’ll see how she goes.
QUAD FIN: I loved the El Tomo Quad. It was very easy to ride and really fast. The tail was really wide so you had to make sure your foot was all the way back, but it went really well. Lots of hold through your turns. Really grippy and fast.
Vader - Had one for a short time, but never clicked with it - got a Cymatic which made the Vader feel obsolete. Maybe I missed out on the Vader's virtues?
For me the Vader was a board that needed to be surfed top to bottom. I love the Vader but I think models like the Cymatic and the OB1 are better and offer more control. However, if you’re a Tomo fan I think the Vader is a board that you must try.
Evo - Slower than the Vanguard, but draws nice smooth lines. Rocker seems to be tuned like a hybrid: pretty flat, so it works in average conditions, but I struggle to use it on anything steeper.
The Evo is a great board. You’ve ridden it so you know how it feels. I rode the Evo for about a year straight and it really helped improve my surfing.
I think the new Revo is a huge improvement and might be something you’d be interested in. It's supposed to handle better conditions well. Its supposed to be a more refined version of the Evo. It might be something that you'd be interested in. XTR and Dan is AUS can make this one. That one is definitely next on the list.
Omni -?
Omni was a fun board but I think the Hydroshort roundtail is a progression of this design and I prefer the longer rail line of the Hydroshort and the torpedo nose profile. However, if you like really short boards or blunt nose boards then the Omni is a great board. Timmy says the Omni is one of the best barrel boards he’s every ridden.
Cymatic: Demands a pocket, great rocker/tail, very whippy/snappy.
Sounds like you know this board as well. I rode a Cymatic for a year straight too. Such a great board! The rocker, battail and everything about this board is excellent.
Hydroshort -?
This is my new favorite board. I think the design and the helium tech make this model amazing. Longer rail line so you can ride it in overhead surf. Turns great. Super fast. Very light weight. The construction is strong and durable. The rocker isn’t too extreme so it handles smaller waves well. This board is probably a 1 board quiver IMO. I always have fun on this board and it has worked in every condition.
Bonus, for any others that you think of!
I’ve heard the Deathstar is the fastest board out of the bunch (@jkb ).
I’ve also ridden the X-wing and that’s a fun board… if you like a board with low tail rocker and nose rocker.
The OB1 custom from AUS is another one of my favorites. It feels loose like a fish and turns really tight and smooth with that nice diamond tail. It does get a little skatey, and has a lot of lift, when the waves are powerful. But it’s a fun board for turns in about head high to a little over head surf.
My personal favorites at the moment are Hydroshort and OB1. But im testing the new model and El Tomo dual fin… so we’ll see.
