Skateboards mimicking the feeling of surfing have been around since the 1960s.
But modern surfskates have made a comeback in the past few years.
Below is a quick summary.
What is a surfskate?
In the simplest terms, a surfskate is a type of skateboard that mimics the feeling of surfing. Depending on the brand, it could be spring-based or bushing-based.
I’m going to assume you know nothing about surfskates.
Most surfskates out there have a spring-based pivoting adapter that attaches to the front truck.
As a result, your turning radius increases dramatically. Most popular surfskates allow you to pump from a standstill.
For Example…
Let’s take a look at the YOW surfskate adapter (below).
Notice how the front truck is attached to their surf adapter? Well, that surf adapter has a spring inside of it, which makes the truck pivot side to side. This allows you to get into a pumping motion, similar to pumping down the line on a surfboard.
The back trucks are traditional kingpin trucks.
Type Of Surfskates
So, what type of surfskates are there? Are there different variations?
Yup, the most popular type is…
Spring Adapters
Most people that refer to ‘surfskates’ are talking about the ones with spring-based adapters.
Just like the YOW adapter, I showed you above. These adapters use different types of springs (tension & coil). But there are exceptions, like
Same concept, just a different approach.
Popular Spring-Based Brands
You can find a more detailed look at the best surfskate brands here.
- YOWSurf
- Smoothstar
- Carver
- SwellTech
- Slide
Bushing Based
The second type is bushing-based surfskates. These designs are similar to traditional/reverse kingpin setups but go a little further to get a surfy feel.
For example, Carver CX doesn’t have a spring, rather unique bushings and geometry. It offers harder carving compared to a traditional cruiser, but mellower compared to a spring-based adapter.
Popular Bushing-based Brands
You can find a more detailed look at the best surfskate brands here.
- Carver
- Landyachtz
Surfskate vs Mini Cruiser
Wondering what the main differences are between a surfskate and a mini-cruiser? They’re two completely different boards, that serve different purposes. A surfskate (in most cases) has a spring in its front truck adapter, which makes turning way more aggressive compared to a normal mini cruiser.
Surfskate vs Ripsurf
Another popular question we get is how similar are surfskates and the Ripsurf. They’re both fun, but feel very different to ride. I own both and use my surfskates a lot more because they’re more versatile. On the Ripsurf you can’t do aggressive turns without the caster wheels sliding out. In my opinion, the Ripsurf gets old after a while, so I tell most people to go for a surfskate instead.
Don’t get me wrong though, the Ripsurf is still fun to ride but it’s more of a gimmicky invention than being an actual surf trainer.
My Favorite Surfskates
My favorite surfskate brands are YOW, Carver, Smoothstar and
I’ve also put together in-depth reviews for YOW, Smoothstar and SwellTech, which you can find here. I’ll be adding more in the future.
