CONTENTS
- Height and weight | Choosing a surfskate
- Speed and acceleration | Choosing a surfskate
- Wheelbase | Choosing a surfskate
- Board shape | Choosing a surfskate
- Trucks | Choosing a surfskate
- Wheels | Choosing a surfskate
Choosing a surfskate can be complicated, so this time we have put together an easy guide to make the choice simpler. If you are new to surfskating, all boards probably look the same to you, and on top of that you will find a huge number of ranges, brands and models that can leave you so confused you don't know where to start.
Thanks to its features, a surfskate is a skateboard that simulates the movements you can make when surfing. It is a great way to have fun when there are no waves, or a good tool for training out of the water.
Height and weight | Choosing a surfskate
The first thing to bear in mind when choosing a surfskate is your own measurements. The strength your board needs is not the same if you weigh 40 kilos as if you weigh 90.
Surfskate sizes vary depending on your height and weight. Carver offers a scale to guide us in making the decision:
Knowing these parameters you can choose the ideal surfskate for your size, but you can also play with this information.
The longer the board, the more stable it will be. Knowing your height and weight, you can also pick the surfskate that best suits your taste. A longer board will give you more stability and wider turns, while a shorter one will allow tighter turns.
Speed and acceleration | Choosing a surfskate
If what you need is speed, a longer surfskate will give you more speed, while a shorter one will give you more acceleration.
Bigger surfskates weigh more, which means that once they get going, thanks to their own inertia, they reach more speed and stability. On the other hand, for that same reason they are slower to start and accelerate.
Smaller ones don't build up as much inertia, which translates into lower speed. Unlike longer surfskates, they let you get going faster.
Wheelbase | Choosing a surfskate
The wheelbase is the distance between the trucks. The wheelbase is independent of the board size: there can be short boards with a long wheelbase and vice versa.
To choose a surfskate you need to find your ideal wheelbase. All you need is a tape measure. Stretch the tape measure out on the floor and place your feet shoulder-width apart so that you feel comfortable. Measure the distance between your feet: that is your ideal wheelbase.
As with the boards, a longer or shorter wheelbase will give us different riding characteristics.
A shorter distance makes pumping easier and gives a quicker board response and tighter turns.
A longer distance gives more stability at top speed, wider turns and more relaxed handling.
Board shape | Choosing a surfskate
When choosing a surfskate, the shape of the board doesn't matter much beyond looks. Basically, what you need to keep in mind is that the wider the board, the more stability you will have.
The shape of the tail on a surfskate doesn't affect handling. The different tail shapes (fish tail, diamond tail) are purely aesthetic. What you should take into account is where you want to use it.
If you like the skatepark, we recommend a board with a kicktail. This upturned end lets you do tricks and gives you good support to drop into the bowl.
Trucks | Choosing a surfskate
What gives a surfskate that surfing feeling is the trucks. The front truck is the one that makes the difference and gives the surf feel; the rear one is usually a standard wide skate truck.
Each brand develops its own style of truck, which makes them very hard to classify. Each truck model offers different characteristics and a unique feel.
Wheels | Choosing a surfskate
When choosing a surfskate, look at the size of the wheels. Wheel size gives more or less acceleration, speed and grip.
Big wheels give more grip. A larger-diameter wheel makes you feel the bumps in the tarmac much less and adds stability. Being bigger, they make acceleration slower. Once you have built up momentum, they allow higher speed.
Small wheels give more mobility. Smaller-diameter wheels are not as stable, but they allow greater acceleration and adaptability for manoeuvres and tricks.
