O'brien Paradigm or Format?
 

Hey just got my '11 Paradigm today, however while I was waiting for it to come I was having second thoughts about my choice. Before I open it up..... should I keep it, or exchange it for a Format?

I have yet to try the paradigm, but my younger brother shreds the 2011 format. I've used it a couple times and its really fast with its delta base making it feel like a continuous board. The wood stringers going from nose to tail really give it a good amount of flex for those landings and POP feel. What I didn't like about it was how the boards (fin) tracking was to tight for me(I ride the decade finless) BUT the 2012 formats fins are now 0.5 compared to the 2011s 0.7. So that will be a big improvement. Hopefully Gnarslayer will be able to shed some light on the format as well, I believe he's still tearing it up on the format.

Like wise with Sean Obrien, he rocks the paradigm.

I have been on the Paradigm all summer and fall. I love the thing. Super fun ride. Nice and stiff between your boots with loads of flex in the tip and tail. I hate to toss a monkey wrench into your thoughts but the Baker is INSANE. Very similar flex pattern to the Paradigm but with molded fins. JB is in love with the Format. I have taken the format for a few rides and it is super fun, but completely different than the FLX boards. I really depends what you want/expect out of your board.

I'm use to riding a Player and a Cartel (Coda). I love the Cartel and the way it handles. I went with the Paradigm to try something different ...
Couple of questions.
What the edging like? and the pop?and landings?

My boat doesn't put out a huge wake so I'm trying to get the most lift out of my board.

The Paradigm has a real good edge feel too it. It releases from the wake awesome. It will feel a bit differnt than your Coda and player at the wake but the pop is HUGE. Landings are buttery soft. To really break it down the pop on the coda is more of a front foot pop on the paradigm your going to find the pop is a bit more centered, i.e. right between your feet. Takes a set to get used to but, once you got if figured out the pop is giant. Add that to the FLX landing and your in business. I NEVER thought I would be a FLX rider, now I dont think there is anyway I would go back.

I got ya.... what about the Format?
I kinda figure it would ride like my Coda.

And on a side note... no 2012 Player? A sad day.

I feel you on the Player. But it was time for it to go. One of my favorite boards of all time hands down.

The Format is going to ride a lot more like the Coda, Hopefully JB will pipe up and give you his take.

For sure.. think the graphics on the '07 138 was the best.

Has any of you tried the contra yet? looks to me like they just added a couple off fins to the format.

And will agree the Baker looks awesome... not to mention the 3.35" rocker for a 144!
Maybe next year... not a fan of the graphics.

Why are people using FLX instead of just typing flex? The FLX is an actual board by LF. It's a "FLX" board. Stop it with this stupid abbreviation please :mad:

If you look at an O'brien catalog You would see that it's referred to as "FLX technology" sorry to offend but that's the way it is.... deal with it. Besides this is an O'brien thread and if someone is cofusing it for a Liquid Force thread, well.... then they can't read that well can they.:rolleyes:

And I can't spell. :o

Confusing

Damn, no way! I learn something new every day :o

lol, Like I can't spell?! No big deal, I'll learn eventually.

FLX is an O'brien FLX Technology. And SNAP, this is an O'brien Thread!

Hey now, don't forget about Obriens DELTA BASE technology! I still call it the original name CHEVRONS

On another side note, why did they change the name of the cartel to coda?

If you look at the '08 Coda it says it was renamed or legal reasons.

I quote " Due to some legal rabble babble with its name, last years Cartel comes back renamed the Coda."

Damn drug cartel! Haha

:))))))))))))

welll the format is definitely my favorite of the 2!

format is my boat board and the paradigm is my cable board!

i have ridden the format on both cable and boat. i have also ridden the paradigm on both

the format is definitely a better boat board in my opinion, but the paradigm is still good, i really just like that the format is stiffer.
the format has huge pop and super soft landings and tracks like god!
the paradigm has a looser feel than the format which is tons of fun and it also flexes super well but with all the flex i feel like it has a bit less pop than the format. the landings are also very soft.

the format on cable is better for air tricks but somewhat sticks on the rails, and cant take the same beating as the paradigm

the paradigm is decent for air tricks but you can slam rails all day and not even worry about damage.

i have had both boards for all of 2011 and havent broken either one i have hit up some concrete ledges and rocks on the paradigm and have taken a ton of boat sets on my format. they are both extremely tough, the paradigm is probably a bit tougher than the format though.


sorry for my bad grammar, i really just felt like blabbing about the boards

oh and the DELTA base... wow! i used to think it didnt really do anything, but dang i was wrong! i rode a newer valhalla then an older valhalla w/o the base then back to the new one again!

The base speeds you up a ton, but what i really noticed was how much energy you save. i feel like you get so tired quickly without the delta base but when i ride with it i feel like i have a cardio boost ha.

i donno but the delta base is awesome!

By all means babble need the input. Would you compare the Format to the Coda? And If I already own a Cartel do I need to one just like it? hmmmm.....

Yeah I forget the exact reason but as I recall there was a issue with Burton and the Cartel Bindings.

Good Point JB in the past I was good for 5-10 boards breaks a year. This year I was out with some injuries but I did not break a single board all year.

Yeah I remember burton having a winter clothing line called cartel as well. Which boards were you breaking Andy?

One of the reasons I chose the Paradigm was the p-tex base... I really didn't need it cause I'm not hitting rails, or sliders but I almost all my boards have little nicks on the bottom where the laminate has come off, so I figure if it's good for my snowboard, why not my wakeboard.
I just didn't realize how bare the bottom of the board is. I might have to pick up better technique.:eek:

Jamie,

The Paradigm will force you to learn proper edging if you are not doing so already.

DC,

Mainly Decades. Casing Double Ups, Trying Backside Off Axis 5's and 3's. Before that it was Players. But I am not built like your average wakeboarder, 6'3" 215lbs.

I appreciate all the advice.... Rippppp!

Think I'll keep it. I can always but a Format. No offence to JB your input was valuable, as always.
I was looking for something different, and that's what I got . Thanks for all the input Andy, and the heads up about how it rides..... Unfortunately I have to wait for spring to try it.:(

Should be a light set up, especially with my Ones.

On a side note what do you guys use to get the stank out of closed toe bindings?

Hahahahahaha, get new Bindings!

Thanks..... not!
Thinking of taking the liners out and hand washing them, just need to know what.
Maybe I should call Ronix.

They told me to wash them in warm soapy water, and air dry. Interesting considering people say that using soap on liners wrecks them.

Hmmmmm..... Honestly for what its worth My O'brien Boots never Stink. Do you keep you board in a bag?

Bag?.... No I'm not that fancy. I think it might be the water I ride in...it's a cloudy lake. And I don't think it's the liners... more between the boot wall and liner you follow? That's why I'm gonna take the liners out and give everything a good scrub.

Dang Andy! Destroying Das Decade! Where on the board is it breaking? I cant imagine my decade breaking, it feels rock solid to me. then again im 5'6 and 165. (not a fat joke)

Jamie, Try putting a dryer sheet in each binding between rides.....took care of my Ronix Cell stinky issue.

I'll try that. Like I said they didn't start till the end of the season.... will take then apart and give them a good cleaning.

DITO

AND dry them out good after returning home. a buddy of mine built me some boot driers out of left over computer parts, using the fans from the computers. they work great!
here is his build if interested
http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=788197

Andy, what do you and JB think of the Decade? was thinking of getting one from the house.

Decade or Format?

After the Player riding the player for years I didnt think a board could get better, I rode the Natural for about 3 months and never felt 100% cofortable on it. Then I rode the Decade. Hands down for me, the best foam board on the Market. So much speed, huge predictable pop (true front foot pop of a 3 stage, soft landing). I never rode it with fins, I thought it released great from the wake (maybe a it tighter than the Coda but not as tight as the player). Landing are awesome very soft, complete opposite of the harshness you could get from the player. For what it's worth I think it's faster than the Paradigm.

Can't wait to get on the Baker.

Thanks for the input.... am hoping for a good sale price on friday. :)

from the player to the natural, and then the decade. is evolution of making a great board become a better board, into the best board! you cant go wrong with the decade! as gay as it may sound, five other riders/friends of mine rock the decade. great minds shred alike?

Great minds do Shred a like.

So... Which one of you guys is gonna be the first to ride and report on the new contra???

Looks sweet doesn't it?

My local shop is an obrien dealer and is hooking me up with a new contra and nomad bindings as soon as he can. From what Ive heard from him ,the soonest it would get to me is December 25. Merry Christmas to me! I haven't heard anything on this board except was was talked about at surf expo. Its suppose to be a souped up version of the format, supposedly stiffer and less forgiving with more pop. Any other information from anyone whose rode the board would be great!

dang dude obriens makin a comeback! cant wait to see everyone on one! finally people are realising how sick the product is :) chris johnson is the king of board shaping!

alot of yall asked about the decade. i have only ridden it without fins and it is great! tracks super good on edge but is also very forgiving because of the rolled edge in the center. i feel like this board probably has the most pop on the obrien line. i really love this board! i only have experienced a problem or so with it, when i do petes and roll2blinds i feel that there is so much vertical pop my arm wants to rip off when doing these tricks haha. im sure most of yall arent as scronny as me and wont experience that problem! pretty much the board is sikkk!

VALHALLA...... this is a board you guys havent talked about much, but i strongly encourage everyone to try it! everyone i have let ride it loves it, no matter what style of riding they have. the board is super fast has loads of pop and just feels right when you hop on it. i feel like i am the most consistant on the valhalla out of all the other boards on the line, i just feel super comfortable on it.

It's sad how under rated these boards are. Some guy want to buy one of my boards and then told me that O'briens weren't real pro model boards cause they're to plain....... Just about hit him.

Those are fightin words son!

No doubt... So is the '10 decade lighter than the '11 due to the lack of hardwood stringers? Which one is better?

just noticed too that for '12 they took the wood stringers out.

Interesting..... I never even knew that. I thought the board was pretty darn light already . Andy or JB, any idea?

i didnt really notice much about the weight cause thats not really my main ride haha but its the same shape thats for sure. the weight of the board doesnt really effect me too much unless its outrageously heavy... and i also think the weight of the bindings matter more than the board especially if they absorb alot of water

haters are gonna hate.... at least we know that the obrien gear is super sikk... people will turn towards obrien soon enough, especially with Chris Johnson pushing out these awesome new shapes.

here in austin texas there used to be slim to none obrien boards on our lakes, but finally they have been picking up. Buck Ashcraft our local rep has been pushing the product a ton and the boards are in a lot more shops throughout texas.

i always encourage at least one person on the boat to try my format... smile on their face every time!

Same here, I've got a Clutch, 2 Players, Cartel, and now a Paradigm..... everyone I take out loves to ride them (especially the Clutch).... When is O'brien gonna send me some demo boards?... come on! I wish I were sponsored,it's getting darn expensive.:)

I am with JB I did not notice a differnce in the boards weight from year to year. Chris Johnson is a visionary when it comes to board shape and design. The guy is just pure magic. I have been on O'brien since 2004 and would never go back, even if I had to buy the boards at full retail I would. Best boards on the Planet.

Hey JB what shops in Austin carry O'brien? Ski Dock? I would love to demo one.

Was just curious as to why they put wood stringers in one year and took them back out the next.

south austin marine is your best bet they have the largest selection

just got my 2012 paradigm in monday. going riding sunday i think to ride it. pretty stoked. coming from a company vandall and before that a decade. I really like the loose feeling of all these boards and hope that the paradigm is the same way.

Plus sean said if i didnt like it i could blame it on his bad design. lol.

Could not agree more. Chris Johnson is the man!

I just converted two of my crew to the Decade and they have theirs on order.

Let me know how you like it.

Chris Johnson is the man!!! I've loved the boards he's designed and haven't ridden any other brand since 2003.

Wiatowski, I switched to the the Format last spring after riding the Vice for the past 5 seasons (really bummed that they discontinued it). It took a little adjustment at first because the Vice was a little looser and more forgiving because it was finless (IMO). The Format edges like it's on rails, BUT I'm stoked that for 2012, Obrien is making the Format with the .5 fins instead of the .7's because that should help a lot and make it feel looser. It's also very fast and has a consistent pop off the wake. Landings are soft! Not as soft as the Paradigm from what I hear, but still soft.

I've never ridden the Paradigm but my friend rides it and he said he loves it. It took him a little getting use to at first since it's really loose except when on edge. But he loves the way it pops and the landings are super soft. He said he's totally satisfied and happy that he switched to the Paradigm. Like Andy stated, it pops from a different part of the board.

In the end, it comes down to what board characteristics you're looking for and how it suits your style. Obrien has a variety of boards in their lineup that will accommodate to anyone's needs.

Hope you had a great first experience on your Paradigm!

Thanks.... only 5 more months to wait.... Winter stinks:(

I'm going to FL in Jan. and am going to take a lesson or 2 down there... thought about bringing it, but I'd rather ride a board I'm comfortable with rather than try to figure out a new one, especially cause I want to make good use of my time.... and I'm paying for it.

I'm jealous, have a great time in Florida!!

Damn...it's been a long time since I have been here. It's nice to see O'Brien getting some love!

I have ridden the Format for the last two years, hands down my favorite O'Brien board to date. I did ride the Contra a few times and it was good, but to me didn't seem to land as soft as the format.

42 years old with 2 blown out knees and I need it as soft as possible.

Yes, Chris Johnson is the man, his board designs just keep getting better and better!

Speaking of riding, I am going riding on Saturday in Seattle WA, on lake Washington, should be fun!

And I rode the Paradigm before the Format. Very fun ride, but for me, just too loose on landings. I switched to the Format and never road better!

Hey! A J sighting! J, I bought my first O'Brien, the Natural, based on your posts about it. I've converted two of my riding buddies to O'Brien now too. Thanks for making wakeboarding that much more fun for me!

The Paradigm is like a bar of soap without fins, so I would go with the Baker. I see what people mean about the crappy graphics. Why do people like looking all Bob Marley these days? Maybe we have too many pot heads in wakeboarding.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...P04z1-lsNKA1HV

I agree that the Paradigm's graphics are weak, but that's a small sacrifice to make for the killer ride it delivers. It's an awesome board!

If you're buying a wakeboard only because of its graphics... You might be a power Turner!

word

If you use a proper edge the Paradigm is easy to ride without fins. Who cars about graphics. For what it's worth I like the Paradigm graphics nice and clean.

J - WHERE YOU BEEN BUDDY! Hope all is well with you and yours!

Josh B, thanks for spreading the O'brien Stoke!!!

Think he was referring to the Bakers graphics. I would say that graphics having a bearing on buying a board... why should you pay $600 for a board you have to paint or put a skin on.
Paradigm graphic are nice.... plain is always better

this is my beautiful girlfriend... :)

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...76546535_n.jpg

If I don't like the graphics on a board, I'll ride it anyway. Graphics matter, but they're one of the least important factors when choosing a board, at least for me.

Finally! got to take my Paradigm for a spin!!!!I've bee redoing my new to me ride. - an 86 Supra sunsport. love it love the pop the smoothness everything. Also got to try out my new decade.... I have no idea which one I like more.. however I need to take the fins off the decade, I found it a bit to tight for my liking. thanks for all the advice... happy O'brien boarding everyone.

Before
http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/...i/IMG_1091.jpg
http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/...i/IMG_1092.jpg
After
http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/...i/IMG_1268.jpg
http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/...i/firstrun.jpg

Last season I rode the Format and absolutely loved it. I had some of the best sets of my life on it. This season I've tried a few more, I tried out the Baker to see how it felt, it was a super fun and playful board with pretty good traction, but I just wasn't the biggest fan of the pop off the wake. After that I switched to the Contra which I've loved. It gives traction like the Format; holds your edge but doesn't lock in like a freight train. I definitely notice more pop from the Contra compared to the Format, but with that there are much harder landings. Now I'm about 2 hours away from trying out the Paradigm for the first time and I'm stoked! I've always heard amazing things of the board and can't wait to give it a go! If it doesn't suit me it'll be a tough choice between the Format and the Contra though! And the O'Brien boots are on a whole other level. Having bad arches my feet would kill after 10 minutes using any boot, but with the support in the baseless system, my feet felt like a million bucks even during the first use! I'm sworn by O'Brien and I'm super stoked to see tons of people realizing how amazing the product is!

The 2012 Format comes with .5 fins instead of the .7 like on the 2011 model. It wouldn't seem like it would make that big a difference but it does, at least to me. I feel like it releases from the wake much cleaner and is more forgiving on the landings.

Went riding today, used both boards.... I'll tell you I'm really leaning more towards using the Paradigm permanently.... it's got such a nice release and pop off the wake. :)

I will say this... last timeI was riding was in Janurary when I was i FL..... My timing or something is way off.... I even stuggling right now with w2w I don't know if it'sjust getting use to the new set up or the new wake.... pretty frustrating when nothing seems to be going right... anyone else suffer from this?