Omen SuperMarine | Flux DNA, Bigger Design, and a Mid-Length Board That Rips

There's an ice shelf along the beach on Lake Michigan, which makes it dangerous and difficult to get to open water to go ride right now, but thankfully Tucker has already had many opportunities to get out on the new Omen SuperMarine. This could be an interesting choice for your quiver, or it might even be a one-board quiver for the right type of rider.

What Is the SuperMarine?

The SuperMarine is essentially the big brother to the Omen Flux, a shop favorite high-performance mid-length board. Tucker really enjoyed the Flux as well, but as a heavier rider in an area that gets light wind much of the summer, could see an opportunity to size that up a bit. He chatted with Greg from Omen about it, and the SuperMarine was the result.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Omen Emissary, a surfy mid-length board that's even more high-performance than the Flux. It's a high wind shredder for the waves, while the SuperMarine is for bigger riders or newer riders. The SuperMarine has a bit more volume and stability, is beginner and intermediate-friendly, and can cross over among wing, parawing, light wind, and even SUP for the largest size.

Even though it's the longest board in the lineup, the SuperMarine is still considered a mid-length board. It's a little thinner than many boards with a similar volume, which can make it feel smaller than it is when you're up on foil, but it still has enough volume for those light wind days. A good rule of thumb for a mid-length board in light wind is to go with a volume equal to your weight in kilograms, give or take 5 kg. If you have adequate wind, you can drop down to something 20 to 20L less. For example, Tucker weighs 95kg and likes a board around 90L in winds less than 10 knots. A newer rider would want to size up a bit more than that.

But more than the volume, the length is key for mid-length boards. That is where your stability and easy planing is going to come from. You'll be able to build speed more easily until you can lift off.

SuperMarine Features

Traction Pad

The SuperMarine has Omen's new brushed diamond traction pad, and it's got plenty of grip without the need for wax, even in booties that don't have a lot of grip on the soles. It's not so aggressive that it'll tear up your knees or wetsuit, but even on inland lakes with slime and algae, Tucker had no issues getting a grip. He could slide his feet around, but also really lay into it when he wanted.

Strap Layout

There are inserts for straps if you choose to use them, and they're laid out to give you plenty of options. Down the back is a simple straight line. A lot of people may opt not to use a back strap since you probably won't be doing a lot of high-level freestyle jumps on this board, but a foot hook can be nice to have back there to slide in and out of when you want to send a jump.

The front can accommodate a V strap, and has independent side options as well. When he does use a strap, Tucker likes to go with a long strap to position his dominant stance in the perfect zone with a little wiggle room. Most of the time, though, he likes a completely clean surface with no straps, but the options are there for those who prefer to use them.

Construction

Omen boards are designed and tested in the United States, then built one at a time in the Appletree factory in Portugal. If you are familiar with Appletree, you know their boards are built by riders who go the extra mile to make the best product possible. The core is 100 percent waterproof high-density foam; there's no sandwiching with PVC or EPS. There's just a solid CNC-machined core in there. That results in a bombproof, lightweight board that's easy to repair and won't take on water if you do get a ding.

As a bonus, it transmits a Foil Drive signal very well even though it's a carbon board. If you're thinking about using a Foil Drive, this board is a great, compatible option with no modifications needed.

Colorway

The art design of this and the other boards in Omen's lineup is quite simple, but in a good way. The white tail splash on the black carbon board is quite striking on its own, but it also gives you a perfect canvas for customization. You can do something as simple as writing your contact info on it in case it floats away from you, or you can bust out the paint pens and get creative, let your kids draw their vision on it, or hire an artist for a unique piece of art. Be sure to send us a pic if you customize yours!

Where the Carbon Meets the Water

Of course, the real magic happens on the bottom of the board. The 95L is 6'1" long, 22.5" wide, and 5.1" thick while the 105L is 6'4" by 23.5" by 5.2", but that's only part of the story. Most of the volume is centered under your feet to keep you floating up on the surface in those lulls. If you've been on the 84L Flux and liked it for light wind, but could have used just a bit more volume, the SuperMarine should be just the ticket for you. You can even taxi out past the wind line on a small inland lake while standing instead of kneeling.

The bottom shape gets a lot of the credit for this being such a great light wind board. The very low entry rocker comes almost halfway down the board for incredible efficiency. It will plane at very low speeds and bounces off chop almost like it's skipping rather than hitting and slowing down in a jerky motion. It's a much more fluid design.

The chine starts out rounded towards the front, then flattens out further back in the planing area. This helps with stability, efficiency, and release as the board lifts off the water. There's a slight bit of rocker out the back to help it release from the water and get the nose up, and the chines get much harder to help release the flow cleanly and give you your maximum speed. This also helps to keep the rails out of the water and reduce drag.

Track Boxes and Fin Box

The track boxes are placed a little further forward than they are on the Flux since the board is a little longer, but you will still be riding from the middle of the board so there's less nose to swing around. Where you'll be planing on this board is a little more central as well, whether you're still on the water or up and flying. Not having to shuffle to re-center yourself is part of this board's ease-of-use for newer foilers.

The track box is also quite long. If you are on a foil with a lot of lift or you have a long fuselage, you'll need your mast to be a bit behind your foot, and this track accommodates that very well. Most of the time, the mast will be close to centered in the track, so there's plenty of room to adjust for outliers.

There's also an actual FCS2 fin box centered just forward of the track box. It's a clever solution to the drag a carry handle hole can create. Now your fin is your carry handle, and it adds almost no drag. In fact, the fin is optional; if you don't want it, you don't have to use it. But when you do have a fin in there while riding, it adds drive and directional stability while your board is in the water. In light winds or for new riders, this is a big help and keeps the board from feeling squirrely. It gives you something to push against to gain apparent wind and stay upwind. It's a feature that's unique to Omen and is a nice option to have.

Rocker Line

The rocker at the front of the board is very mellow. It's not a snowplow that's going to push water, but rather a natural curve for efficient planing. The center where your feet are is its lowest point, and that lowers the center of gravity for extra stability. Then there is a smooth, uninterrupted flow out the back until you get to the angled tail. This keeps the tail from creating drag and stalling you out just as the nose rises and you're about to lift off onto foil.

Leash Plug

The leash plug is on the deck rather than the back end of the tail like some of the Flux models. On a bigger board like the SuperMarine, this gives it a more secure hold and it will be less prone to pulling out in really heavy conditions.

Tucker's Review

It is no exaggeration to say that the SuperMarine would not exist if Tucker hadn't seen an unmet need in Omen's foilboard lineup. Too many wingers were struggling to progress in the light winds their area often delivered, and Tucker believed the Flux could be refined to better support these riders and their riding conditions. No detail was overlooked in his talks with Omen designer Greg, from strap placement to the foil box, and of course the dimensions. Even though it's a first-year model, it's quite refined, and Tucker hopes it's well-received.

As for himself, Tucker loved the board from the moment he jumped on. While 95L is a bit more than he needs at his experience level, it felt much smaller once he was up and ripping around on foil. To him, it felt like most 70L boards on the market due to the central stance and its ability to swing so cleanly through the air with its thinner profile. It's got the excellent low-end range and ease-of-use that they were aiming for.

With a 3m parawing, which is notoriously hard to get going on as a heavier rider, the SuperMarine was able to gradually keep building speed due to its excellent planing ability. So many other boards need you to stay vigilant for that gust that's going to get you up, leaving you feeling rushed and pressured to do everything just right so you don't miss your chance, but the SuperMarine isn't like that. It just keeps rolling and picking up speed until you're ready to calmly lift off. It's nice to be able to size down on your parawing so it packs up even smaller when you're not actively using it for power, and if you get a tangle, you've got enough volume to sit on your board without sinking and work it out.

A lot of boards with a volume around your weight in kg can get a little weird and quirky, but the SuperMarine was very stable on the low end, especially for its size, which is essentially a compact downwind board. If you primarily ride an inland lake or lower winds, this can be a one-board quiver for you. Although it's a great board for new riders, it is also a board that you'll come to appreciate more as you progress rather than growing out of it since it does deliver for such a wide range of conditions.

It's even fun for prone downwind riding. While it's twice the volume that Tucker would normally take out for prone surfing, it's easy to pump out and catch waves like you're on a longboard. You'll even be riding waves that aren't breaking. If you're a smaller rider, the 105L is even an option for SUP.

Although the SuperMarine would be overkill for a rider like Tucker in many conditions, if he had to pick just one for his quiver, this would still be it because it's rideable in anything from a light 8 knots to blasting 40. He can wing, parawing, and prone on it and have a blast. It pairs very well with the Foil Drive. No matter what you want to do, it's going to be fun on the SuperMarine.

Tucker's Nitpicks

You'd think that Tucker wouldn't have anything bad to say about a board he helped design, but he's always looking for things to improve, and he did find a couple for the SuperMarine. First, it only comes in 95L and 105L, and he feels it could use both bigger and smaller options. Bigger sizes would make SUPing and light wind riding accessible to more riders on this board, and lighter riders could enjoy this board if it had some smaller options.

And then there's the price. This is a premium quality board and the price reflects that. Now, if you factor in the number of years you'll be able to use this board due to its durability and versatility, it's going to have a very low cost per hour on the water compared to other options, but the initial "investment" is still quite high, especially for something that many new riders would be interested in. It's a great choice if you know foiling is for you and you will be needing a light wind board, but it can still be difficult to pull the trigger on something so expensive for a new hobby.

The nice thing is that it's going to hold onto its lively feel much longer than the average board. If you're a skateboarder, you know the feeling. You get a new board and it's springy and reactive. It flexes and rebounds. But over time it loses that and you find yourself shopping for a new board to bring that lively feel back to your skate sessions. The SuperMarine isn't a board you're going to be replacing anytime soon, if ever, and that's easy on your wallet over the long run, and better for our planet, too. Really, it's hard to go wrong with anything that comes out of the Appletree factory. Make a smart choice in your size and that board will be your on-the-water companion for life.

Final Thoughts

Be sure to pick up a day bag for this. To get the longest life from your board you should protect it from UV exposure whenever you're off the water. Of course, that's good advice for any board, but the black carbon can really soak up the rays. Take care of this board and it'll take care of you.

Shop Omen Gear

MACkite Subscription Links:

YouTube  |   Instagram  |   Spotify Oddcasts

Contact MACkite Below:

800.622.4655  |   Kiteboarder@MACkite.com  |   LIVE Chat Messenger