Surfskates have revolutionised the skateboard and longboard market. Over the last few years we have been able to witness the launch of several surfskate brands that have flooded the market with models of all ranges and prices.
In this surfskate buying guide, we are going to give you all the keys so you can choose the best surfskate that suits your tastes and needs.

What is a surfskate?

A surfskate is a skateboard designed for surfing on asphalt. Thanks to its special front truck, a surfskate allows you to make very tight turns and manoeuvres that are very similar to those you would do on a surfboard. However, even if you are new to surfing, anyone can get the hang of it quickly and intuitively.

One of the main characteristics of Surfskates is that they allow you to move without the need to propel yourself with your foot on the ground, as is the case with a skateboard or longboard. By making a rhythmic and carve movement with the body, it is possible to move in an agile and fast way. It is also possible to make very fast and tight turns or slalom in a very agile way, making Surfskate something really unique and a lot of fun.

Surfskate, skate and longboard, what is the difference between them?

Surfskate, Skateboard and Longboard are very similar to each other, but they are also very different. They all consist of a board, usually made of maple, two trucks  and 4 wheels. The big difference between the three is in their use and behaviour:

Skateboards: The skateboard mounts a relatively short, double kicktail board (the board is bent upwards at its ends) and mounts short and stiff trucks with small and stiff wheels. This design allows you to do flat tricks, jumps, slide over rails and kerbs and, to do all kinds of street or skatepark stunts. On the other hand, it is not very suitable for use as a means of transport.

Longboard: Although there is a great variety of longboards, with very different characteristics between them, they are generally longer than skateboards, have wider trucks with more mobility and bigger and softer wheels. Their use is mainly to be used as a means of transport, to glide at high speed or just to ride around enjoying the ride. Therefore, they are much more stable and faster than Skateboards and have a better and widder turning radius.

Surfskates: As we indicated before, Surfskates are designed to imitate the movements of surfing on asphalt. If we compare them to a skateboard or longboard, they have a much larger turning radius, they are more agile "carving" and even allow you to move without pushing yourself by pushing with your foot on the ground. They are designed to be used for turning at medium speed on smooth or slightly rough surfaces, making coordinated movements of tight turns.

Which Surfskate is best for me?

There are many different models of Surfskates that differ mainly in the size and shape of the board and the trucks . For experienced skateboarders or surfers who have tried several different Surfskates, the choice of their preferred Surfskate is mainly based on their experience.
For all other surfers who need advice on which surfskate is best for them, we have compiled the following sections to help you choose which surfskate to buy.

What size of Surfskate do I need?

Depending on your height and weight, you should choose one length of Surfskate or another. Keep in mind, however, that this table is a guideline and that there may be changes based on the use we want to make of the Surfskate. For example, if we are a small size, but we like to have more stability and wider turns, it is totally correct to opt for a larger board. Or on the contrary, if we are tall but want to use our Surfskate for agile surfing in the city, we can buy a smaller size.
In any case, this board can give us a good clue as to which Surfskate is best suited to our wingspan.

Choosing a Surfskate by type of use

Among all the models of Surfskates that we can find, some models are designed for one type of use or another. In principle, we will distinguish between two types of use: surfing and general use. With surfing we mean Surfskates designed to imitate the movements of surfing as much as possible and, therefore, indicated as a training method for surfers. In this case, the surfskates that are best suited to this use are those of the Yow brand, thanks to their shaft with a very high turning radius and reactivity.
On the other hand, for a more versatile and urban use, the most recommended brands are Carver, Miller, Long Island and Hydrophonic, among others.

Choosing a Surfskate based on our skating level

Apart from the size and the use we are going to give to our Surfskate, our skating level can influence the Surfskate we buy.
If you are a beginner, that is, you have never used a Skate, Longboard or Surfskate or you have only used it occasionally, it is better to choose a first price or medium price Surfskate, a little bit bigger than your size and from less demanding brands than Yow or Carver.
On the other hand, if you already have a lot of experience skateboarding, you can choose almost any model based on the recommendations we have made so far.

Surfskate components

Surfskate boards

Surfskate boards are very similar to longboards or cruisers. To know which board is ideal for you, we have to take into account several factors such as the length of the board, its wheelbase, its width and shape.

Board length: As mentioned before, the length of the board you choose depends on your height. Generally speaking, we have to take into account that the longer the board, the more stability we will have and the wider the turns we will be able to make. If you come from the surfing world, for example, you will feel more comfortable with longer boards that better mimic the movement of surfing.

Wheelbase: The wheelbase is the distance between the trucks. This distance also determines the board's behaviour. The longer the wheelbase, the more stability and the wider the turns. With a shorter wheelbase, the board will be much more reactive and accelerate better.

To find out which wheelbase is best for you, put yourself in the position you would be in on the board, and measure the distance between your feet.

Width: The width of the board is also very important because we control the board by putting pressure with our feet on different points of the board. If we have big feet, it is better to look for wide boards so that the supports are not positioned correctly.

Shape: The shape of the board is a matter of personal taste. There are surfskate boards with a shape more similar to a surfboard and others with more rounded shapes. Some boards are completely flat and others have kicktail to do ramp tricks like we would do with a skateboard.

Surfskate trucks

Surfskate trucks are the key element that will determine its performance. There are many different models that are usually directly associated with the brand that manufactures them, although there are models of axles that are mounted on different brands of surfskates. The main models are the following.

Kingpin Reverse truck

The best known Kingpin Reverse truck is the CX model from the Carver surfskate brand. It is a truck without springs and stands out for its simplicity and lightness. It is very similar in construction to traditional longboard trucks, but with much more twist. Although Carver started the way in this type of trucks, other brands such as Long Island or Miller have released very similar trucks with similar performance.

Trucks with compression springs

This type of surfskate trucks regulate their movement thanks to some kind of spring that can be tightened or loosened in order to adjust the movement of the truck to our liking. Compared to the Kingpin reverse truck, it is mechanically more complex and heavy, but it allows a much more precise adjustment and the movements are more fluid.
There are several models of this type of trucks such as the Carver C7, Slide 3.0 or Smoothstar Truster trucks.

Torsion spring trucks

This type of surfskate trucks also use a spring to control the rotation of the truck, but they do it with a torsion spring instead of a compression spring. The best known brand to use this system is Yow.

Surfskate Wheels

Surfskate wheels are very similar to longboard wheels and are based by 3 important factors: size, hardness and shape.

Size: Wheels are measured in diameter and width. The larger the diameter, the more speed we will be able to achieve, losing acceleration. The greater the width, the more traction we will have. Typically, wheel diameters range from 66mm to 70mm and widths from 51mm to 57mm. We have to take into account that the larger the wheel diameter, the less the imperfections of the ground will bother us.

Hardness: The hardness of a wheel is indicated by a number followed by the letter "A". For surfskate, wheel hardness usually ranges from 78A (soft) to 82A (hard). The lower the hardness, the more reaction we will have, the smoother the rolling will be, but the less speed we will be able to acquire. If our intention is to skate in skatepark, it will be better to opt for hard wheels because the surface is very smooth.

Shape: For surfskate, we have wheels with square, beveled or rounded edges. Square-edged wheels offer more grip and are more stable. It is the ideal type of wheel for long rides. The wheels with beveled edges, on the other hand, facilitate turning and skidding, making them ideal for skatepark or for tricks in small spaces. Finally, wheels with rounded edges are similar in behavior to beveled wheels but are usually manufactured in smaller sizes.

Which surfskate brand to buy?

There are more and more brands that have launched to produce surfskates. In general, all the surfskate models that we sell in Inercia, have good quality and will make you enjoy the most of the sensations of surfing on the asphalt.
However, if we talk about brands, the most famous among surfskate enthusiasts are Carver and Yow. The surfskates of these brands are usually high quality models and, therefore, of high price. They are models designed for experienced surfers. It must be said, however, that Carver trucks are mounted on surfskates of other brands such as Loaded, which is not the case with Yow.
If our budget does not allow it or we still do not have a great level of skating, it is better to start with surfskate models of Long Island, Miller or Hydrophonic, which for considerably less money, will make us enjoy the most of urban surfing.

Recommended accessories and add-ons for your surfskate

There are countless accessories that can help you get even more out of your Surfskate. We list the main ones

Protections: We will not tire of repeating the importance of having good protections. Starting with the helmet and continuing with knee pads, elbow pads and gloves. Everything helps to skate with more confidence and avoid injuries.

Tools: Whether to adjust the truck rotation or to prevent a wheel from coming off, it is essential to have a T-tool.

Backpacks and carrier straps: For when we are not on our board and we have to transport it, nothing more useful than a backpack with skateboard straps or a carrier strap to carry the Surfskate as a shoulder strap.

LIght Wheels: If we like to skate at night, there are several models of wheels with LEDs that light up when turning. They may not be the wheels with the best grip, but for night skating, they allow you to see and be seen.

Do you need more help to choose a surfskate?

If you have come this far but you are still not sure which surfskate to buy, contact us and we will advise you to choose the best surfskate that suits your characteristics and budget.