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Surf skating – 14 frequently asked questions about this awesome sport.
Surf skating is an eye-catching way of riding skateboards. There are, of course, haters, but there are plenty whose interest is pricked. It looks funky. And as was described to one of NCW’s team recently the pumping and carving movements are hypnotic. Yet there’s a lot of misinformation and a lack of knowledge about surf skating, which is why we’ve created this article.
Waterborne Skateboards Dream surf truck (front & rear).
Original price was: £139.00.£99.00Current price is: £99.00.
Waterborne Skateboards surf skate rail adapter (for front & rear trucks)
Original price was: £88.00.£59.95Current price is: £59.95.
Table of Contents
What is a surf skate and surf skating?
A surf skate is a hyper manoeuvrable skateboard designed to mimic teh same movements and feels you get when surfing. Surf skating is where the rider uses a surf skate to replicate what they do on a wave. This can be done either on flat land or by using transitions such as skatepark ramps.
How does a surf skate work?
Surf skating is all about the trucks – particularly the front one. Surf skate front truck offers increased when the rider engages it. Somewhere around 30% more lean in fact than with a standard skateboard truck. Surf skate trucks can be bushing-based or have more mechanical moving parts. Which you choose is down to personal preference.
Waterborne Skateboards surf skate rail adapter (for front & rear trucks)
Original price was: £88.00.£59.95Current price is: £59.95.
Is a surf skate the same as a longboard skateboard?
A longboard skateboard is about covering distance, dancing (if you’re into that), cruising and bombing hills. Surf skate trucks can be fitting to longboards to make them more carvey and increase the pump. Without, however, longboards are their own type of riding.
Even though you can retrofit surf skate trucks to longboards a proper suf skate setup is usually shorter and wider. There are no rules to any of this. Rather, the aforementioned is simply a generalised description of the differences.
Does surf skating help your surfing?
Surf skating can help your surfing if you ride a skateboard the same way as you surf. Some skaters who surf and skate, however, approach each discipline differently. The movements and motions they employ for surfing don’t translate to Terra Firma. Equally. Surf skating could be about your approach and attitude.
Hitting your local skatepark ramps in the same way you attack a wave could prove beneficial. If you really want to improve your surfing then spending time doing that is the best approach. Surf skating can then be a complementary way of riding boards when the waves are flat or blown out. If you want to use your surf skate as a surfing training tool there are plenty of exercises and drills you can find online that could help.
Is surf skating good for beginners?
To the uninitiated, surf skating may appear super wobbly and inaccessible. But pretty quickly it’s possible to ride a surf skate and get the feel. With practice, riders will learn how to carve and pump – thereby not having to kick at all – which will lead to more confidence.
Compared to a street skateboard, surf skates are arguably more accessible, if you approach them for what they are. We know plenty of skaters who’ve switched from street setups because of this. We also know plenty of fledgling skaters who gravitate towards surf skating and have more fun riding this type of sled.
What type of surf skate is best to start with?
Surf skates come in all shapes and sizes. From a beginner’s point of view, you ideally want to match the wheelbase to your overall height. Too short a board may feel too twitchy. Whilst too long could prove to be difficult to turn.
Your height plays a big part. Although, we should add, far too many riders get hung up on wheelbase. The best thing to do is contact us here at NCW and chat through your requirements. We’ve been surf skating for a while and have tested lots of different setups.
Isn’t surf skating expensive?
Surf skating costs are relative. If you compare a full surf skate setup to that of a street setup then there’s a significant difference. But when you compare it to a brand surfboard it’s not as high. And within the many different ranges of surf skates there are more cost-effective options.
For instance, the Santa Cruz surf skates we have (see below) listed in the NCW shop are pretty affordable. Alternatively, buying a Waterborne Skateboards Fin System allows riders to retrofit fit both front and rear surf skate adapters to their existing setups.
Santa Cruz Flame Dot Shark CX surf skate complete
Original price was: £219.00.£140.00Current price is: £140.00.
Which wheels are best for surf skating?
To reiterate: there are no rules with surf skating. You’re free to modify your setup as you see fit. That said, if you’re starting out then we’d suggest wheels between 65mm and 75mm are a good place to start. Any bigger and you’ll be needing risers to avoid wheel bite. Smaller and you lack control during carves. Wheel durometers can affect performance.
If you’re unsure about hard or soft you should have your wheels then give us a shout to discuss. Some NCW riders prefer big wheels. These can work great as you get better as they offer a high top speed and more stability. Especially on transitions. Smaller wheels are better if you fancy getting into the sliding game and want quicker acceleration.
Do bushings matter?
Bushings are the small conical bits of urethane that fit around the truck’s kingpin and allow riders to pivot and ride smoothly. As with wheel durometers, bushings have different hardness and softness ratings too. Swapping these out for different types can alter the feel and your surf skating experience.
In the past bushings were just bushings but these days there’s much more emphasis on them and their ability to customise the feel of your ride. Once you have the basic surf skating skills down and are thinking about modding your sled it’s worth looking at bushings in more detail.
Do I need to get my wheelbase length right?
Back to the wheelbase debate and once you’re beyond the beginner surf skate stage you can alter this depending on what you’re looking for. Wheelbase is measured from the front of the back truck bolt to the first bolt attaching the front truck. If you lengthen your wheelbase you harden up your ride and make it potentially more stable. Reducing your wheelbase gives a looser and more twitchy feel.
All elements of your surf skate can be tuned. Tinkering and modifying setups is something that appeals to many riders. There are infinite ways you can customise your surf skateboard. If you need advice then talk to us.
Where’s best to learn surf skating?
There’s no right or wrong answer to this. You may be a nervous starter. In which case, smooth, open flat land will serve you well. For those with more confidence and perhaps a little prior experience skate parks will be your chosen environment.
In all cases, we’d suggest wearing impact protection as you’re likely to slam (at least until you’re dialed in). There are loads of surf skate tutorials online.
Can kids learn how to surf skate?
Surf skating is great for kids. The manoeuvrability of surf skating is arguably better for children who have less power than adults. They’re more stable and can help nippers develop all-round skating skills from teh off.
If they then want to pivot to street skating they’ll already have a good grasp of board control. Equally, sticking with surf skating kids tend to improve and excel rapidly.
Can kids learn on an adult surf skate?
There are kiddy-specific surf skate setups now available. Which can be a good bet. However, getting to grips with the sport aboard mum or dad’s setup is fine. It just may be the wheelbase is too long so in a short space of time they’ll need something more applicable to their size.
Anything more to add?
We’ve said it already but we’ll say it again: contact us here at NCW’s Rubber Shack to discuss anything surf skate related. We appreciate it can be a minefield if you’re new to the sport. Also, for those with more experience riders looking to upgrade their setup we can guide along the right path and make sure you end up with something you love.