The surfskate market has grown exponentially in the last few years with more and more board options to choose from. Making the question which surfskate you should buy a bit more complex but also interesting. With this guide, we want to help you make the choice of your next surfskate as easy as possible. We have collected the most frequently asked questions and answered them with our point of view.
RIDING SKILLS, STYLE AND GOALS
The first questions you should ask yourself are:
- What are my current skills
- Where do I want to be or what do I want to learn?
- What is my preferred riding style?
Are you a beginner wanting to get into surfskating for the fun of concrete surfing. Are you a surfer wanting to use surfskating to improve your surf skills? Do you like smooth, mellow rides and or want to challenge yourself with radical turns and manoeuvres? Try and answer these questions and keep them in mind for the next points.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF SURFSKATE TRUCKS?
There are three basic types of surfskate truck systems used for the front truck of a surfskate: bushing-based, mechanical spring-based and springless & bushing-less technology.
Bushings are rubber parts used in regular skate/longboard trucks. Several surfskate trucks use bushings for their turning mechanism – bushings are used to pop the truck back into position in turns. They are flexible and can be adjusted by losening or tightening the screw that holds them together. One downside is that they can start to squeak and don’t transfer all your power into the truck.
Most surf trucks, however, include a swing arm compressing a mechanical spring in the front truck to push the arm back to neutral position in turns. Spring-based surf truck systems are more surfy than bushing-based trucks with more rotation and flow, but they also come with drawbacks such as lower durability. Note than spring trucks also use bushings for cushioning.
The third type is the innovative and patented Curfboard system that uses no bushings or springs. The truck self-adjusts to your weight and riding level. No tightening, maintenance or manual adjustments needed. At higher speeds, the truck becomes more stable and prevents speed wobbles. Also, without the need for bushings or springs, all your pumping energy is directly converted into forward movement. And even during the tightest turns, wheelbites (wheels touching the board) are a thing from the past with our special surfskate truck.
WHAT LENGTH OF BOARD AND WHEELBASE SHOULD I CHOOSE?
Besides surf truck systems, the board’s size is an important factor when choosing your surfskate. We recommend basing your decision on your level and riding style. Here are a few tipps:
- Shorter decks and decks with shorter wheelbase generally allow for tighter and faster turns. For example doing a slash on a bank. Surfers who surf shortboards often prefer these shorter decks
- On the other hand, a longer wheelbase gives you more leverage for pumping and more stability at speed, but will result in wider turns. These can loosely be compared to surfing longboards
- A shorter wheelbase allows easy pumping from a standstill or for riding uphill, but can quickly get exhausting for distance. Longer wheelbases are better-suited for distance pumping but require more effort to pick up speed at first.
WHAT KIND OF WHEELS WILL SUIT ME BEST?
The type of surfskate wheels will affect traction, roll speed, high rebound for energy feedback in pumps. If you want to go for more grip, softer wheels are better for you, while harder wheels will roll faster and slide easier.
Looking at the surfskate boards out there, most surfskates use wheels with diameters between 62-70mm and 78A to 82A in softness.
WHAT TYPE OF BOARD SHAPE SHOULD I GET?
If you’re a surfer you know how important surfboard shapes are and how they greatly differ in riding performance. In contrast, surfskate shapes do not play a huge impact on the riding performance.
However, there are a few things to consider when choosing your surfskate regarding the shape. The wider the area where you place your feet, both in the tail and in the front, the more comfortable they will be and the more stability they will provide. So if you are just starting out you may be interested in wide boards, And finally, if you plan to hit the skatepark, you will be keen to get a board with a good tail that allows you to support you well and gives stability.
DOES MY WEIGHT MATTER?
Based on our experience, this is not a very important factor to consider as an adult. However, when choosing a board for kids this becomes important in terms of truck sensitivity. If you’re weight is between 20-100 Kg, Curfboard’s self-adjusting trucks will leave you worry-free. No need to adjust. Simply choose your board and ride on.
