Epic Oxygen 135X47 vs Spleene Session 141
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 5:57 pm
So, yesterday I got a session on an Epic Oxygen board and can compare it to my Spleene Session 141.
The Oxygen is 135X47 which is pretty short and wide compared to the Spleene at 141X43.
The Spleene is the normal shape for the door type boards, the edge being concave just a little bit, and with very square tips to give you amazing upwind ability.
Been on a Spleene for light wind since 2008.
I was under the impression that you really had to have that shape to get great lightwind performance.
So the Oxygen has a shape like your normal sized twintips do, the sidecut is convex for good carving and at 135cm, I thought it was too short to do the job.
WRONG!!!
I was shocked and pleasantly surprised by what the Oxygen did.
First off, it is light, flexy and lively... it did not feel like most dead flat, square, no carve lighwind boards. Wood core with a nice flexy tip and the tips have a shape that releases off the water really, really well, and somehow help make the board not feel like it is 47cm wide.
It carves and transitions like your regular board does, and better than many.
The construction looks very good, the board comes with two sets of fins, the smaller ones were on this board. The pads and strap combo are very good, held my feet nicely with my booties on and the foot pads are exceptional, the toe grip was great.
It also happens to be a graphically good looking board.
The best thing I liked about it, was that you I could go out in wind as light or lighter than what the Session can, but it jumps like a regular sized TT, which is huge for me.
Being of very basic talent as a rider, I can use all the help I can get, and when I get on my Spleene on the light days, after having ridden my Shinn Luigi most of the time, my feel for jumping on the Spleene is just not there, it releases off the water crappy and I sometimes do those fancy one footed board off tricks even when I don't mean to!!!
The first jump on the Oxygen felt totally normal, not like I was on a lightwind board, it edged and released the way you want a board to. It did not feel large or heavy in the air and it was easy to land. It also slides around to toeside very smoothly for carvy transitions.
I came back in and rode my Shinn Luigi for a few minutes, just to make sure I was not imagining things.
So if you don't ride your lightwind board unless you absolutely cannot go out without it, I recommend trying a modern shorter wider lightwind board like the Oxygen.
I was told that this idea works but I was skeptical.
I tried a few short lightwind boards in the past that sucked.
The Epic Oxygen just changed the lightwind game completely, for me.
I can go out and actually have fun on a lightwind board.
That is a big deal to me, for sure.
So who wants to buy my Spleene????
...because I've gotta get some Oxygen.
The Oxygen is 135X47 which is pretty short and wide compared to the Spleene at 141X43.
The Spleene is the normal shape for the door type boards, the edge being concave just a little bit, and with very square tips to give you amazing upwind ability.
Been on a Spleene for light wind since 2008.
I was under the impression that you really had to have that shape to get great lightwind performance.
So the Oxygen has a shape like your normal sized twintips do, the sidecut is convex for good carving and at 135cm, I thought it was too short to do the job.
WRONG!!!
I was shocked and pleasantly surprised by what the Oxygen did.
First off, it is light, flexy and lively... it did not feel like most dead flat, square, no carve lighwind boards. Wood core with a nice flexy tip and the tips have a shape that releases off the water really, really well, and somehow help make the board not feel like it is 47cm wide.
It carves and transitions like your regular board does, and better than many.
The construction looks very good, the board comes with two sets of fins, the smaller ones were on this board. The pads and strap combo are very good, held my feet nicely with my booties on and the foot pads are exceptional, the toe grip was great.
It also happens to be a graphically good looking board.
The best thing I liked about it, was that you I could go out in wind as light or lighter than what the Session can, but it jumps like a regular sized TT, which is huge for me.
Being of very basic talent as a rider, I can use all the help I can get, and when I get on my Spleene on the light days, after having ridden my Shinn Luigi most of the time, my feel for jumping on the Spleene is just not there, it releases off the water crappy and I sometimes do those fancy one footed board off tricks even when I don't mean to!!!
The first jump on the Oxygen felt totally normal, not like I was on a lightwind board, it edged and released the way you want a board to. It did not feel large or heavy in the air and it was easy to land. It also slides around to toeside very smoothly for carvy transitions.
I came back in and rode my Shinn Luigi for a few minutes, just to make sure I was not imagining things.
So if you don't ride your lightwind board unless you absolutely cannot go out without it, I recommend trying a modern shorter wider lightwind board like the Oxygen.
I was told that this idea works but I was skeptical.
I tried a few short lightwind boards in the past that sucked.
The Epic Oxygen just changed the lightwind game completely, for me.
I can go out and actually have fun on a lightwind board.
That is a big deal to me, for sure.
So who wants to buy my Spleene????
...because I've gotta get some Oxygen.