Lieuwe Boards Oceana 137 x 40cm 2021
Reviews / Twin Tips
3,938
At A Glance
Lieuwe’s Oceana features a stunning natural wood core that is visible throughout the board, with each board displaying its own unique features. Thanks, Mother Nature! If that doesn’t have you falling in love at first sight, the base features an enchanting mermaid artwork, and her gaze had us falling over our feet. Good thing she’ll be facing the ocean when we’re on the water; we wouldn’t be able to handle the distraction mid loop or handle pass! If she doesn’t quite cut it for you, your choice of design is endless, with a plethora of preset options from Lieuwe to choose from, or you can go full Banksy and create your custom design for your new baby. If your artistic skills are lacking, not to worry, you can collaborate with one of their Featured Artists!
Taking a look at the shape, we noticed a distinctly square outline that screams freestyle at us! Paired with a large rocker line, you can be confident that the Oceana will have your back as you’re trying to stick your latest freestyle manoeuvre. It looks like Lieuwe moved their fins closer to the rail on this outline, more so than your average twin tip, and we can only imagine it is to fully secure that deep load before your pop.
Like the Shotgun, the Oceana boasts a 3D top deck thinner in the rail and thicker in the centre, much like the older generation of men. Unlike the not-so-aerodynamic dad-bod, this outline should help to reduce volume to cut through the water like a hot knife through butter.
Another interesting feature we noticed is the four-channel layout on the base. Two wide channels run through the middle of the board, end-to-end, to displace water on those hard landings, coupled with two smaller side channels on the heel and toeside rail to load up for powered freestyle moves. We couldn’t wait to get this cat - sorry, mermaid - on the water.
Sizes: 137x40, 141x41
On The Water
We truly wish we could insert “flat” in that heading, as flat water conditions are where the Oceana would flourish. We did make the most of our sloppy side-onshore spot, though we had our work cut out for us. Freestyle was not our top priority in nature’s hot mess of an ocean, but we headed out on the 30mm fins to put that channel design to the test. We were pleasantly surprised by the additional grip provided!
While 30mm would likely offer sufficient grip in the lagoons of Brazil, we ended up swapping our fins for some larger ones (45mm). That extra 15mm gave us the extra assistance we needed to execute loaded jumps and powered tricks to see what the Oceana is capable of.
The Oceana delivers a fairly stiff ride that, as a purpose-built board, is fitting for the freestylers out there! And it certainly feels like it will withstand being hit by a bus (warranty doesn’t cover being hit by a bus, though). We tested the standard construction, though those who want the maximum stiffness and pop can opt for the extra Teijin Twaron® Aramid reinforcement. Either way, we’re pretty sure you can land hard and feel assured that you won’t have a splintered bottom and a long body drag back to the beach.
A worthy mention, even though we did not have tabletop flat waters, the Oceana pleasantly surprised us for a quick spin in the waves, delivering an intensely fun ride with some fast turn thanks to the rocker dispersing the water. As an aside, we found the Lieuwe Standard Pads to be perfectly simple and the soft, comfy base made for a forgiving ride!
Overall
Let’s talk solid. The Oceana is made to last, and so it will. If you fight in the “boots corner” and love to send it hard, this will do the trick. If you are looking for a freakishly brilliant freestyle machine, this is the board for you! It will withstand almost anything you throw at it, and it looks good doing it too.
Videos
This review was in Issue 88 of IKSURFMAG.
For more information visit Lieuwe BoardsRelated
By H. De Villiers
