Operator Owned Business Feature : OMNA

October 28, 2015 0 Comments

THE RAIDER PROJECT WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT OUR OPERATORS WITH MONTHLY OPERATOR OWNED BUSINESS FEATURES. OUR FIRST FEATURE: THE OMNA SURF LEASH TOURNIQUET 

How long have you been open and how long have you been in your industry? 

We have been open since February 2014, but the idea and conception began in 2012.  We created a surf leash specifically designed to save your life.

What made you decide to create your own business? 

While on vacation from work in Iraq, I went on a surf trip with some friends and we had to take a boat across a river to get to a surf break. The surf was epic, and we surfed until it was dark out. When we finally got out of the water and back to the edge of the river mouth, all the boats were gone for the evening. We decided the best option we had was to get in a tight group and paddle as fast as possible to avoid any sharks or crocodiles that were known to frequent parts of that river. We all made it to the shore safely, and it got me thinking that if something had happened, we had no way to deal with the trauma effectively. I started to work on incorporating a tourniquet into the surf leash, and made the first prototype while in Iraq during downtime from work. Later, I realized that the device had more applications outside of surfing, so I developed a variant known as an Amphibious Tourniquet that can be worn or pre-staged. It’s ideal for all other water sports like scuba diving, spear fishing, boating, etc. It can even be used by military units, especially amphibious units that need a reliable, versatile tourniquet that can withstand harsh salt water environments.

"who doesn’t want to be their own boss. I think it’s important to continue to represent the community outside of the service because the recon creed still applies even if you aren’t on active duty."

Where did the name come from? 

OMNA is an old acronym we used at 2nd Recon Bn. We would call someone an OMNA when they had been schooled out and could do everything. It stands for One Man National Asset. I felt that the name was appropriate because out goal is to make people self-sufficient and ready to deal with crisis. It also pays homage to the reconnaissance and raider communities.

What is your goal?

Our goal it to be a disruptive innovator in the surf accessory market with an intent to earn significant market share. We feel that our leashes and tourniquets are the next step in the evolution of direct pressure tourniquet devices. For a long time people in the water have been susceptible to dangerous marine life, and when encounters happen, they are left to fend for themselves and attempt to make a tourniquet. Leash cords and other materials are not effective tourniquets and their small diameter can produce detrimental pressure gradients that can cause additional tissue and/or nerve damage. Therefore, with OMNA’s devices surfers and anyone who uses either variant will have immediate access to a tourniquet that is able to be secured in place effectively, has a mechanical advantage, and sufficient width to ensure proper pressure is applied . We will be selling through e-commerce via our website and other mediums such as Amazon, business-to-business sales, and contracts with government or any other type of organization. Our goal is to remain scalable and not to develop a company that is typical of many bureaucratic corporations. We want to save lives in and out of the water. Our intent is to also give back to the community, and support other socioeconomic projects in the future. 

What are your next steps? 

Our next steps are to get our pre-orders fulfilled, and fill our e-commerce retail inventory. Simultaneously, we will be working with different organizations and retailers to get our products into retail stores, Gov/LE/EMS contracts too. We have a number of surfers who we will begin sponsoring through supply of gear and apparel.

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