THE BOARD

Campbell Bros said :

“The Alpha Omega is a Bonzer Twin Fin. The template was based on what MR was doing, and we combined it with our Bonzer Light Vehicle bottom design. With a combination of jest and bravado, we named it the Alpha Omega. It is a supercharged twin fin. If you like Twin fins, you’ll get a charge out of the Alpha Omega.

We said :

The Campbell Bros Alpha Omega is an interesting board, especially if you’re looking at it with the bottom up. It’s a twin fin, and quite possibly the fastest twin fin I’ve ever ridden, thanks to the unique bottom contour that is the ‘light vehicle design’ from the Campbell Brothers. 

The specs on the one I rode was 6’3 x 20.5 x 2.75 @ 37.7L

It came with Futures in it and a set of T1 Honeycomb Twins. The board also had a marvellous minty fresh resin tint that always quite nice to look at.

Stats were:
18 sessions
107 waves
Top Speed of 33.5km/h (Currumbin Alley)
Longest ride was 347m (Currumbin Alley)

SHAPE

Interestingly the outline is standard looking. I stay standard as most twin fins you’ll find the wide point sitting more forward, especially ones from the late 70’s (when the AO was initially created), but the wide point on the Alpha Omega isn’t as forward as other twins. 

The board runs a traditional beak nose, which the more I was looking at it the more I smiled. Something about a beak nose that makes me happy, probably showing my age, I guess. There’s a flat deck, which runs the foam out evenly out to the rails (vs a general rolled deck in most shortboards), and the volume is a bit more forward than most shapes which helps with paddle power (and wave catching!)

The real star of the design is the is the bonzer concave and rail channel combo which is the light vehicle design that the Campbell bros came up with. The concave and rail channel combine to give you Ferrari levels of speed but still leaving you able to hold rail through your turns. 

WAVE TYPE

The conditions I surfed the Campbell Bros Alpha Omega in varied from 2ft high tide Dbah off the wall, to 3ft Greenmount and Kirra to 4ft North Wall. So I got a pretty good range of conditions and the waves it really shined were around the 3ft+ mark, playful type waves with push.

You can enjoy this board in a wide variety of conditions, but it really excelled for me in waves that have ‘push’. Might have been because I rode mine about 4 inches longer that perhaps I should have but I found when the waves had more push the better it performed…  to a point. This board doesn’t enjoy sucky waves, or anything wildly fat/chubby.

It’s not really for short and done waves either, but excels when it’s running on a bank (think point break or similar) and has areas of downtime on the wave. Which is easy to say because pretty much every board should go on a point break right? True, but with the Campbell Bros Alpha Omega there’s a certain magic you get when riding it on a point or long stretched out bank – the speed, flow, even the ability to trim and just enjoy the scene of it all. I even caught myself trying to get highline trims happening more than focusing on turns, just to enjoy the speed rush.

Overall Best Conditions:
2-4ft waves with an open face and a bit of push. Anything sucky or super fat will leave you struggling in my experience.

PERFORMANCE

Stats were:
18 sessions
107 waves
Top Speed of 33.5km/h (Currumbin Alley)
Longest ride was 347m (Currumbin Alley)

Ferrari fast without the performance level. 

You can rip on it, but the Alpha Omega loves a more lateral approach to surfing than a vertical smash and grab approach. Carves, big open faces and coming from behind sections due to how fast you’re traveling are the things that I loved about it.

Riding this board, I found I could take off deeper and make longer sections than on a general thruster (or a twin like the Lane Splitter) without triple pumping, etc. The only thing I could put this down to was the bottom contour and how it ran water over it, probably something I could explain better if I knew more about hydro-dynamics. I definitely felt like my surfing was smoother with this board. 

Going fast is rad, obviously, but how does it perform? Is it good for some Chris Brown Wraparounds or are you just bogging and falling over yourself?  Get yourself an open face and you can lay this thing over like your Ethan Ewing. With all that speed the board generates you’ll find yourself pushing through a turn that leaves you thinking you’re deadest ripping until you see photos of yourself actually not, ha. Photo of myself below for proof, I thought I was burying the rail deeper than the ocean itself in that turn. 

You do have to pay attention when riding it though, this board isn’t for the lazy surfer. if you’re a lazy surfer you should find another board to cruise on. (may I suggest the CI Mid?). The Alpha Omega commands your focus and if you give it, it’ll perform quite well. It’s a board that needs you thinking about where your feet are as it’s got a specific sweet spot and if you’re not in it, you’ll know about it. Plenty of times I would put my foot to far back and just stop or be too far forward and bog through a cut down or cut back. But find that sweet spot and hit a carve and it’ll leave you feeling like you’re ready for regional Qs. 

If you’re at an advanced level with your surfing, or even late stage intermediate, and want a board that gives you a unique feeling when surfing, the Alpha Omega is a great selection. 

I rode a 6’3, which is long for me and I probably should be riding a 5’9 or 5’10 and I imagine if I had that I’d be a little more performance focused in my approach. But at the same time, I prefer my twins a touch longer and enjoyed the length of rail on offer. I could cruise, or push, depending on what was on offer condition wise. 

VERDICT

If you have the cash to spare or are interested in some different equipment under your feet, then the Campbell Bros Alpha Omega is a good buy. If you don’t or aren’t, then maybe leave this in the rack and look at something else that suits your current needs. 

It’s a board that goes wildly fast, lets you draw out turns all while giving you the feeling that you’re really laying it over on your rail. All elements of surfing that are thoroughly enjoyable for us all. I do think if I rode a shorter version, say 5’10, I would have been a little more performance based in my approach. So that into consideration when ordering… 

The biggest catch, I imagine, for most surfers will be the transition period it takes to get used to this board and enjoy riding it. The Alpha Omega takes a bit to get used to, the combination of the complex bottom contour and coming from a thruster (if you’re coming for a twin, it’ll be a touch easier) 

With a board like this I look at like at it like a toy, and toys are to be played with. While I had a ball on it, someone else might not. Point being, with a board like this go into it with an open mind and enjoy the different feeling (and speed) it provides for you. If you’re in a funk, it might be the spark you need to really enjoy your surfing again.

The Wins:

  • FAST
  • Loves big, open faces. 
  • An interesting addition to your quiver

The Challenges:

  • Takes a while to get used to coming from a thruster. 
  • Not for the intermediate/beginner surfer
  • Might be hard to find a spot for it in your quiver. 

The Campbell Bros Alpha Omega isn’t widely available, you’ll have to know where to get one or who to order from. In Australia that’s via Rhino Laminating, and in the US it’ll be Campbell Bros direct (sorry Europe, I got no idea). Alternatively, hit up their retailer page for more info.

Price wise you’re looking at around $1300 AUD, which ain’t too bad considering this is a board that’s got a wildly strong glass job (mine has been ridden non-stop for quite a while and it’s held up really well) and will no doubt last you a long time. If you are getting one, make sure you spare enough cash to grab a set of the Futures T1 Honeycombs twins (or if your FCS, hit up a set of Power Twins) – they make a big difference to the performance of the board, and they look nice too.

5’8” x 19 3/4” x 2 1/2”
to
6’4” x 21” x 2 7/8”


If you enjoyed this review you can visit our Product Reviews page for more, including the most recent review of the Channel Islands Fishbeard (in Spinetek) along with buyers guides of Springsuits and Boardcovers. We’ll have more Surfboard reviews coming soon.

Again, if you’re interested in buying the Campbell Bros Alpha Omega hit the links below ::

Buy from Campbell Bros Online Store
Check Campbell Bros Stockist list