Slater Designs "S Boss" Surfboard Review Ep 156

[@TravisVarga]

Another banger Noel. Thanks for the hard work from your team and the collaborators. Still haven’t had a chance to get on the S Boss but it’s on the list for sure. Cheers.

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@TravisVarga Cheers

[@conormcgrath87]

Thanks for sharing the collab review Noel! I have ridden the 5'9" 30.1L SBoss three-four times in punchy, sucky, beach waves in the South West of Western Australia. Riding with a Medium Endorfin Quad set. In 2-5' the board projected out of bottom turns and up into the lip with remarkable drive and speed. The flow was smooth and gave me great confidence to hit sections hard. However, on the larger sets I found the board started to slip sideways - going both left and right - on my bottom turns. I'm 6" and 154 pounds with a fairly neutral stance and riding style. Context: my daily driver is a 5'6" No Brainer 28.7 L, Medium Quad - also a Dan Mann shape. The last surf on the SBoss was in overhead, racy and barreling (think Supertubes) 6-8' beach break. I'd lost my confidence with previous side-slipping but I still managed to put myself into a standup barrel and found the board was going forward and sideways simultaneously - I put this down to the raised centre 'V' that you demonstrate with the ruler, together with the parallel rail outline. I love this board 98%, but with that 2%... the board is in the shed waiting for me to decide its fate. LOL Perhaps the 5'9" had too much volume (but only 1.4L more)? Did you vary board lengths during the review process? Did you encounter any 'slippage' to note?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@conormcgrath87 One thing to remember in hollow surf when your board does not have a lot of rocker is stand closer the rail that is engaging the wave face. This will give you extra traction. For example if you were surfing a finless surfboard where would you have to stand on the board for it to have hold and not slide down the wave face? Closer to the rail that is in the wave face. If you watch the best surfers in the world surf Pipe or waves like Pipe they always set their inside rail by standing closer to the rail they are trying to set into the wave face. You will see them stand closer to the heal side rail going backside or they stand closer to the toe side rail when going frontside. With this being said… learning to use the rails and fins with proper weight transfer is how we keep the board from sliding out. The Vee bottom helps with rail engagement and makes it easier to keep the board on rail longer.

[@KennyTang125]

The regionality of the reviews is very helpful. great collaboration idea.

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@KennyTang125 I enjoy having a team of good surfers to help describe the boards. I think we all like seeing the boards ridden in other wave types too.

[@jamesk9087]

Awesome review and breakdown as always Noel. Cheers! 🤙

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@jamesk9087 🔥🙏🙌

[@andrepaganine]

It reminds me the JS Bullseye a little bit! Amazing work again!

[@FrankTankFlinns]

or JS 107 great board

[@rallnaude642]

Thanks Noel what a great review. I must agree with the feedback from Florida, the board can surf smaller waves. I am definitely going to experiment more with fins 🤙🏻 I loved the DM2 but found it would slide out sometimes in hollow take offs. Thanks for all your time & effort with these reviews 🙏🤙🏻🏄‍♂️

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@rallnaude642 Thank you for your comments… it will help others.

[@bigparty432]

Thanks for the review Noel 🙏🤙🔥

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@bigparty432 Yewww… fun episode

[@garydevauxofficial]

How about an FRK + review? What would really be nice would be some comparison vids like maybe a Lost Driver 2.0 vs an FRK +. Not sure what others think, but I would really be interested in hearing your views on different boards pitted against each other in similar conditions. Keep up the great work! Looking forward to more reviews.

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@garydevauxofficial Agreed

[@DanDanNo1]

Thanks for this review, best review as always! I’m torn between the GWT & Sboss as a daily driver for average waves in shoulder high range. Would you say the GWT is suited to smaller waves & Sboss could be a slight step-up or are they meant to be surfed same volume/length & cover the same range?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@DanDanNo1 They are both made for the same wave range. The GWT offers more performance in the pocket. It will surf more vertical. The S Boss carves better and paddles better too. I think the S Boss is easier to surf. I personally like the GWT better as it suits my style of surfing better out of the two.

[@form2644]

hey noel your videos are greaat, my coaches reckon ive improved really fast swapping to the happy everyday you recommended awhile back, i got it in a swallow because i like the feeling of surfing on a tighter area rather than a wide squash. i do tend to be on the front foot a fair bit so i dont hammer the tail, id like to know if you have any recommendations for a good wave board/ hp stick for that front footed style of surfing to get into 4ft to 6ft wave range

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@form2644 You can go Two Happy with a swallow tail

[@josesnowsneves5132]

Great review !!!

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@josesnowsneves5132 Cheers… glad you liked it.

[@HoStevie]

*Ultimate SoCal stick 🤙🏼*

[@albertoc5882]

Thank you Noel 🤙!!! For years you’ve been producing the best surfboard reviews, thank you so much. I was ready to buy a Firewire Dominator 2.0 but really liked the shape of the S Boss. I know the Dom 2.0 is one of your favorites. Loaded question… which would you purchase, the Dom or S Boss?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@albertoc5882 I personally like the D2 better as it suits my style to surf more top to bottom. The S Boss likes to carve more.

[@Adu00909]

For me the flow on D2 is next level, never surfed a board that was so easy to transition from turn to turn, make me look like a better surfer than I am.

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@ The D2 has great flow

[@Craig-t2g]

@@surfnshowreviews7777 Local Firewire retailer here says there is a longer more refined Dominator 2 coming out. So, for example, a guy I know has on hold a 5'11 at 31 litres.

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@ That’s what I heard too

[@shannonessers1723]

Please review the Too fish. All I'm waiting for before I buy it is your review🙏😂

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@shannonessers1723 I don’t think that board is on our radar. More of a classic style fish and not performance enough. More cruise and carve type board

[@tomhalesphotography5122]

Ace review! Please could I ask how it compares to ci happy everyday seemingly same volume/ wave range

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@tomhalesphotography5122 Boards like the H E that have performance outline will always do tighter turns in the pocket. It will also surf more vertical too. The S Boss carves better due to it rails and bottom contours

[@coldseamonster]

Noel , another amazing one. Kind of eye opening for me because I typically do not like that kind of foil / outline. Blunt up front and pin in back seems strange.

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@coldseamonster Thankfully it’s a bullet nose…. Not super wide.

[@stok-ed70]

Hi Noel, which one would you pick between this and the GWT?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@stok-ed70 I like the GWT… it draws sharper lines in the pocket.

[@karlus30]

Hi Noel, great show as ever :) , coul you please advise me size wise, Im 5'8 160 lbs , 47 years old, Im a decent surf and surf for more than 20 years, id say Im intermediate + . I have a chilli middy 6'2 for small days in 35 liters and as my DD a 5'9 Firewire Sci fi 2.0 in 30 liters that Im going to sell to buy the S Boss, i want a litle bit more of paddle power to compensate my back issues but dont want to sacrificate performance, should i go with the Sboss in 5'9 30 liters or size it up to the 5'10 31,4 liters ? Does it paddle much better than the Sci fi 2.0 or not much of a diference ? Thanks in advance, keep up the good workout 🤙

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@karlus30 Yes the S Boss paddles better compared to SciFi. Your liter range is 30-32L. I say go up and make it easier on your back. The S Boss is easy to shred…

[@karlus30]

Thanks Noel , Im a FCS guy but Firewire is futures only, i want to use the board as a quad, i have nothing in futures, do you think the Mayhem Evil quads, Will go good in this board ? Or What set do you advise ? Im from Portugal cant buy your fins unfortunally .

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@karlus30 Get Performer side fins size Medium, get Medium Reactor Quad Rears.

[@karlus30]

Noel sorry i have options in FCS but Firewire in Portugal is futures only and i have to buy a quad set in futures, What do you think about futures Mayhem Evil quad set ? Or futures Rasta quads ? Any advice 🙏 ?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@ Get Kelly’s Endorfins 5 fin set.

[@SkipClem-o1m]

I love the Frk+ but got it big. I want to get the Frk swallow cause I love the plus . It’s be for smaller SoCal beach break. Is it worth it?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@SkipClem-o1m Yes… it’s a fun board.

[@connorm3457]

Some similarities to the Revo. Does it feel similar to it all?

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@connorm3457 Yes but the S Boss has more hold and it won’t slide out in cutbacks for heavily front footed surfers due to its pulled in round tail.

[@catinthehat8412]

have you tried this fin set up twins in front and two stableizers in back

[@rallnaude642]

I have seen a few clips of people riding twin at the front x2 stabilisers at the back. Going to do the same with my S Boss.

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@catinthehat8412 I have not tried that. Sounds fun… give it a try and let us know how it goes

[@catinthehat8412]

@surfnshowreviews7777 it works really good 🤙

[@rallnaude642]

@ what is your setup? 🤙🏻

[@rallnaude642]

@@catinthehat8412 what is your fin setup and brand? 🤙🏻

[@josephtube24]

I had the Channel Islands Wizard 5’8 and 5’10 back in the day, I regret selling them!

[@surfnshowreviews7777]

@@josephtube24 I remember mine needing a bit of a wave for it to go good.

[@allsurf]

🤙🏼

[@eatsurfsleeprepeat5485]

Ive heard this many times over, “a board like this, with parallel outline, surfs longer”….ok so show me a board that isnt generally straight through the wide point and 1 foot either side of the wide point. I would bet that approx 80% of boards under 5’10 have this exact characteristic by default. Unless youre riding some kind of weird disc thing!

[@Adu00909]

Lot of hybrid kind of shape like rhe seaside by fireIre maybe ?