Airslide vs opti slide

[Jonathon v]

So I was messaging trav4oilers and he said the Airslide slides better than the opti slide and it slides more consistently. I thought it might slide a little more consistently cause it goes through bad ice but I thought the opti slide slides good across all ice even still pretty good when it’s choppy

[BadAngle41]

19 minutes ago, Jonathon v said:

So I was messaging trav4oilers and he said the Airslide slides better than the opti slide and it slides more consistently. I thought it might slide a little more consistently cause it goes through bad ice but I thought the opti slide slides good across all ice even still pretty good when it’s choppy

I'm not sure how many guys can speak to both firsthand... but I will say that there is no substitute for trying them yourself. Just about all pads slide better than they did 3-4 years ago. Opti Slide, Speedskin, AIRslide, QUICKslide, take your pick... they're all better then their predecessors. Sliding will only be one of many factors involved in a decision when buying new pads (I'm assuming you're in the market for new ones.) Maybe something slides well but doesn't seal as well... or maybe you don't like the strapping... or the rebounds (or lack thereof)... you get the picture.

Also... trav4oilers always thinks whatever he is in right now is the absolute best... so take his opinion as well as anyone else's with a grain of salt. 

[coopaloop1234]

19 minutes ago, Jonathon v said:

So I was messaging trav4oilers and he said the Airslide slides better than the opti slide and it slides more consistently. I thought it might slide a little more consistently cause it goes through bad ice but I thought the opti slide slides good across all ice even still pretty good when it’s choppy

1. Take anything Trav4Oilers says with a grain of salt. While he's one of the most popular goalie's on youtube, he's not a great personality, nor a great ambassador for the position. He also doesn't seem to be the most knowledgeable in the gear department.

2. People seem to have varying opinions on which pads slide best. Hell, I've seen a video from @Hills where he was upset with the speedskin on the new P2's because he had a hard time sliding in them on hard ice (but didn't have this issue with the eflex line). It really comes down to each person's opinion. Plus, most slide great anyways, it's only marginal differences and marketing hooplah.

[ThatCarGuy]

So I can't verify how well either of these slide but AIRslide should be more consistent because while Opti Slide is simply using a different material, AIRslide is actual slots in the Jenpro. I have no idea how AIRslide and Opti Slide compare on a perfect, fresh sheet of ice (in theory the Brian's will be better) but AIRslide should be better when the going gets rough.

[BadAngle41]

1 hour ago, ThatCarGuy said:

So I can't verify how well either of these slide but AIRslide should be more consistent because while Opti Slide is simply using a different material, AIRslide is actual slots in the Jenpro. I have no idea how AIRslide and Opti Slide compare on a perfect, fresh sheet of ice (in theory the Brian's will be better) but AIRslide should be better when the going gets rough.

To be fair... Opti Slide is more than just Primo material (although Vaughn is using the same material on the SLR2 QUICKslide.) It is also the material being used on the internals of the landing. What they're using is very dense and therefore aids in a more even distribution of the load being applied across the face the sliding surface, as opposed to a few points of contact carrying the load and thus increased friction on those specific areas like we had in softer landings. Essentially... Opti Slide is a combination of the Primo and Hard materials on the landings. Same idea Bauer has used successfully on the Supreme and Vapor lines.

[Jonathon v]

7 minutes ago, BadAngle41 said:

To be fair... Opti Slide is more than just Primo material (although Vaughn is using the same material on the SLR2 QUICKslide.) It is also the material being used on the internals of the landing. What they're using is very dense and therefore aids in a more evenly distribution of the load being applied across the face the sliding surface, as opposed to a a few points of contact carrying the load and thus increased friction on those specific areas like we had in softer landings. Essentially... Opti Slide is a combination of the Primo and Hard materials on the landings.Same idea Bauer has used successfully on the Supreme and Vapor lines.

Do you think primo in general is better than flat jenpro. I’ve read for example between the speedskin on the p2 and opti slide on the optik, the optik slide very well across all qualities of ice even if bad ice, but the p2 slid better than optik on perfect ice, but not as good on bad ice. Is that true and is it the same concept (kind of) with opti slide where primo will slide over all qualities of ice good but Airslide will be the exact same across all ice kind of

[Yzueblin]

anyway the guys is probably get paid to give you this answer loll

[BadAngle41]

5 minutes ago, Jonathon v said:

Do you think primo in general is better than flat jenpro. I’ve read for example between the speedskin on the p2 and opti slide on the optik, the optik slide very well across all qualities of ice even if bad ice, but the p2 slid better than optik on perfect ice, but not as good on bad ice. Is that true and is it the same concept (kind of) with opti slide where primo will slide over all qualities of ice good but Airslide will be the exact same across all ice kind of

For sliding? Yes, Primo will out perform standard Jenpro. Same can be said for Speedskin. But keep in mind there is almost always a trade off of some sort and it's likely durability. AirSlide use Jenpro but reduces the surface area in contact with the ice while at the same time trying to evenly distribute it over what surface area is there. So what I'm saying is... everyone is trying to figure out a proprietary way of getting you from A to B along the ice faster w/ less effort. It, along with hotter rebounds, are the flavors of the day. Getting lots of marketing focus, but at the end of the day it's just just one facet of a pad's performance... specifically as it relates to you and how you play.

[jayluv54]

I can't speak to Optislide, but from what friends have told me, its quite similar to weave in terms of sliding, just more durable.  So I've got all weave pads, speedskin pads, air slide pads and all jenpro pads.

I would rank AVERAGE sliding ability as 1. air slide 2. Weave 3. Jenpro 4. speedskin

By AVERAGE, I mean, not perfect ice or wet ice or dry ice or chewed up ice, but from beginning to end, rink to rink, etc...on average, this is how I would rank them.  However, I have found that for me, the pad itself matters as much or more.  The rigidity of the pad matters and the softness of the boot matters.  The easier it is for me to grab an edge, the easier the pad will slide no matter what its made of...but this is a personal thing to me and my style of play.  So I often find myself more mobile and sliding better in my Jenpro pads simply because they are easier to move in.  This is why it doesn't matter what other people say or what their experiences are.

My current set that I play in the most..the speedskin.  Why?  Ice seal is better and faster than the other 3 sets, good for those 1 or 2 extra saves I need a game.  Again, this is for me, my preference and what I feel is more important than sliding ability.  I'm a beer leaguer, I'm not facing lightning quick backdoor passes and one timers all game, I don't need to slide across the ice at warp speed.  I don't have an ultra wide stance or wide butterfly, so the faster I can get the pad down, sealed and staying sealed, the better for me.

[Ollie]

Trav4 also says a lot of bs as he gets some sort of money from retailers. All i know is the airslide is worse then bauers slide, but the opti slide is supposedly better then bauer. From personal expirience I dont think the airslide is that good on choppy ice at all, and the pad itself also developes torsional flex.

[SaveByRichter35]

Do some leg workouts and you won't have to worry about which material is better.