The reason most surfskates have a non rotating back truck is to mimic the fins in a surfboard, they create drag and limit your movement, but give you a base to push through when preforming strong turns, and help generate speed.
only a matter of time before the channel really surges imho. super quality stuff. i found this not too long after all the old braille stuff from when all was well. i think people really like if you have buddies and stuff on, too. for braille it was almost a surrogate friend group thing. i found it fun and relaxing and also funny at times. good info, too, and direct real world experience and the flow of how things work like when testing kneepads, doing silly stuff, being with a group at a skate park vs by yourself or with one other person. i'm new to this channel but vids where you also do stuff out in the world (loved the clips of skating i saw in vids so far WHILE talking about the setup and the feel). not sure if you have buddies that may come on the channel or a teach people to skate sort of thing. just good friend chemistry is really cathartic in this crazy world.
Dude this is seriously a really good video. Ive been thinking about getting into surf skate and this is undoubtedly the best video I’ve seen on it. Thanks a bunch
I bought a Yow about 2 months ago after watching one of your reviews and .... I just LOVE it !! Surfskating is such an awesome feeling! I cannot believe how slow and unresponsive normal longboards feel, I’m almost not able to ride them anymore 😅
I find it tough switching between a popsicle board, longboard, YOW surfskate and 22" Penny Board. Penny board is zippy but tough to get my stance correct as the board is tiny (fun for short trips to the shops). Have found the YOW much higher than the longboard so it isn't as easy to push and as an older skater, the extra heigh can strain my groin muscles as it feels a real stretch to get pushing foot down.@@i-am-mercurial
I have a swellteck and it is amazing, the springs broke after about 1 1/2 years of heavy use and abuse, like going uphill and skating several miles a day, but they are axtremely cheap, I never had a surfskate, but I always used loose trucks in my street skates so It was verry easy to learn how to ride it. And guess what, I got in a surfboard for the first time this weekend and managed to surf about 4 full waves, the feeling you get in the Swelltech surfskate is extremely similar to the one you get in a real wave, it was like I have done that multiple times before.
I have a swelltech and I love it. It just takes some getting used to, then it starts feel like surfing, and because of the unique design, you’re able to do tricks on it you can’t on others. I’ve tried the waterborne, and it was just not aggressive enough for me, it can get you up to speed, but you can’t fully pump it
the same here :D ...do u still using swelltech ? I did start with carver C7 for a month...then i was confident enough to buy swelltech ....it is like earth and moon ... its really a big difference ....but the leaning and the range of motion ..its incredible ...like surfing .... really it has the closest feel to it .... and also slides and ground tricks are easier .... but i want to get my hands on YOW and SMOOTHSTAR ... but swelltech is ideal and perfect as it is ....
Glad you said it, "they don't provide enough info to help pick the right board for you". Surfskate set ups are not cheap, so I've watched hours of videos, looking at the trucks, trying to estimate the wheelbase, looking at the rider's height and settings (flat, skatepark, bowl, downhill, cruising, driveways, etc). Still looking for the right one and being U.S. based removes some options. Thanks for the refreshing video.
This was helpful. Thanks for all the work you put into it. It’s definitely not easy choosing a surfskate when no stores carry them and you’re forced to look online without having any way to try one.
The amount of options and lack of info on how to choose a surfskate are overwhelming. I knew I wanted one and so I just ordered the Yow Pipe based off your Yow vs Smoothstar video. I couldn't be happier, it's so much fun.
Hey Billy, great video. Hoping you can answer based on your experience with these different brands/trucks: A) If you were just trying to optimize for the fastest pumping/self-propelled flat-ground top speed, which setup would you pick? B) If you wanted a surfskate just for long distance flat ground commutes, which setup would you pick? C) Which would you pick if your commute involved riding up long but mild inclines? D) Which would you pick for riding pump tracks and bowls? I currently have a Yow Snappers S4 which I love for some stuff, but I'm finding it's not great for long distances / higher speeds. Thanks for the help!
Ordered the waterborne with the rail adapter and I’m gonna try it on all the different boards we have at our house. Thank you so much for all your info. You and surfskate love are just amazing. I need to start taping myself post a video once I’ve got all my weight off. Surfskating and land paddling are amazing ways to get in shape!
Bought the JOB Swelltech and the Smoothstar Manta Ray. Called up Swelltech in Florida and they were super nice and gave me a discount code. Shipped quick from their SoCal warehouse. Pretty steep learning curve, but do your homework and watch their TH-cam videos and you’ll have it figured out in an hour. Smoothstar took forever waiting for inventory to replenish but once ready, shipping from AUS was pretty quick. Board right off the bat is much more grounded and smooth. Perfect trainer and not much more than that. I’m not using each a ton but when I want to have fun, I prefer the Swelltech. Let’s you do everything the Smoothstar can, and then take it that much further.
Hey Billy, big thanks for the extensive, open and honest video of you. This also absolutely reflects my story since I suddenly got on a surfskateboard last year. I Spent a lot of money and gained a lot of experience, bought boards and sent them back, had great anticipation because of some long waiting time. And finally found my favorite truck and board. I have the feeling in the German-speaking area I could make such a comprehensive video about the various trucks. But this would be completely new territory for me 🤙🏼
Love the video. I own a Swelltech and I haven't tried any of the other surfskates and this video tells me I made the right choice. I lost some elbow skin learning how to ride it,, but now I love the way it will allow you to, even on flat ground, to really compress your body, turn the board on edge and get parallel with the ground on "bottom" turns and then project yourself "vertically" towards the "lip" and "blow the fins out" front side and back side. It really allows me to blow through roundhouse cut backs. I've started taking it to this little bowly, concrete skate park to get that vertical, gravity, falling down the face of the wave feeling. Loosing more elbow, and some hip skin, but I can definitely feel it translating to my surfing and making my surfing smoother and more powerful.
I 100% agree with you! The learning curve is steeper than other brands, but once you’re used to it there’s no closer feeling to surfing on land! I absolutely love my SwellTech JOB Pipeline surfskate 👌 PS: SwellTech have some great “how to” vids on TH-cam which really helped me a lot in the beginning!
@@cliff2891 the same here guys, i start surfskating with a carver C7 for about month ...and just this week i did order swelltech camo ....from the start the first few min. it was hard :D :D i was not able to stand on it :D :D but im riding it now for few days ... try backa to back with a carver .... after getting use to swelltech ... carver feels like normal longboard :D :D ... too flat too stable :D :D ... that surfie feel. ... its just incredible .
After really engrossing myself in the new surfskate genre; and bolted together the basic standard kingpin cruiser board of 32.5" surf 🏄 style fish 🐟 shape deck with a slight kick tail FLAT deck with 152mmSKP trucks and 64mm 80 duro center set wheels to use with the Waterborne high performance surfskate conversion kit to round out the build. I'm going to order the Waterborne today and I can't wait to find out the results.
Funny thing that I didnt know YOW was from where I live hahahahahahaha I have a Slide though. Also from the Basque Country so still supporting local business.
I just started surfskate, without any prior skating or longboarding experience. I went for a Slide Wahinee 33’’, and I love it. Made in Spain, decks by Sancheski (brand that brought skating to Spain back in the days), affordable: worth having a look at it for sure.
i personally like curving but i am learning to skate ( after 2 yrs of longboarding ) so i made a dream build with some not to lose not to tight trucks where i still can carve but still be able to learn tricks
Trying to pick up boarding and your channels been really helpful. Keep it up but take your time with consistent good contents. You guys will crush it since there isn’t a establish channel like yours that I found and I’ve been looking. Hope to see more in-depth reviews of boards. 👍
I have an NKX (NKD), Smoothstar and YOW, and I have also skated enough on Carver, SwellTech and some other brands. - NKX (Maverick in my case): good to start with, cheaper than the rest, stiff, good for cruising, not great for aggressive turns and cutbacks - Smoothstar (Holy Toledo in my case): great choice for practicing aggressive turns and cutbacks, not the best for bowl or long cruise - YOW (La Santa): in my opinion best, most versatile surfskate which is also great for practicing aggressive turns, cutbacks, bowl, or cruising, it can be really stiff but still make ultra smooth sharp turns.. their performance boards with deep concave are great for maintaining control while sliding and pumping in the bowl - Carver: hybrid (skate/surf), stiff, fast, good for cruising and bowl, not great for aggressive turns and cutbacks - SwellTech: the most loose board of them all, obviously great for aggressive cutbacks, doing 360s (the front truck can rotate 360° all around), requires more skill to master, not best for bowl but of course you can bring any board to a bowl/skatepark and do tricks if you are good enough
so hard for guys to admit they're 5'11", I am there with you bro. Senior year of high school they clocked me in at 5 11 and 3/4. I never hit that coveted 6ft mark :(
Ive been riding Carver C5 trucks for 2 years now (coming from C7). They're hybrids. It's not full surfskate and thats exactlly what I like about them. Great great great for bowl and street. You can ollie with confidence and just cruise with a tradicional skateboarding flow.
Oh boy! Very good content! Super useful review. I would never have those infos so fast and "low cost". U saved my money. Now i can choose better! Thanks a lot man!
This is a dope vid. I only heard of carver till now. I’m 34 and been longboarding for 10+ years. I bought nineball wheels and could always get on my side for deep carves like no one else could but the larger wheel base and standard sector 9 trucks wouldn’t allow me to complete the turn. If I had a surf skate like these I could easily carve harder. I wanted to find the loaded carver board cause of the tech. That yow board looks tight to see the board edge control it would give. Hoping to find one of these but might go with a carver to start. I want to ride snakes and bowls. I never tried the CX but I’d imagine I’d like the C7 cause it seems like you can maintain the lock in motion more. The cx seems like it would give surfing feel but I still want the longboarding groove in a bowl
As a surfer it seems like the different brands may try and emulate the various surf styles like the Yow-competitive short board Hamboards-longboard Carver-mid length or fun board For me from what I gather from the various reviews I have absorbed; as a 62 year old man who has always seemed to end up with a skateboard under my feet,sometimes for necessity transportation but it always ending up fun. I'm going with the Carver for my first surfskate it sounds more forgiving for an old man even with the decades of experience. In surfing you will notice many older surfers trading in their performance short board for a log or mid length fun board as they are not near as demanding.
@@concrete-waves Having a skateboard under my feet off and on since 1968; sometimes forced as survival transportation. Looking for something to light a fire 🔥 in my arse; it seemed like the best opportunity was in a new longboard it's everything we wanted in a skateboard in 1979 on steroids. I purchased a deluxe (ceramic bearings) Shrike 39" push board and an additional set of 90mm pavement gobblers and built-in 6 ball bearings to my delight. I've been devouring your videos as I am now in the market for a surfskate and your videos by far are more definitive and less biased than most. I agree with you on the brands labeled as junk and garbage as well as novelty. The Hamboard is absolutely a novelty. Having rode one about 5 years ago; the board absolutely emulated the longboard surf experience with a learning curve that is through the roof,for the average skater. From what I gather the Yow is on the same level as let's say, a Pyzel 5'10" GHOST a Ferrari of surfboards, and the CARVER a rendition of my old 7'2" BING V BOTTOM midlength. In surfing the midlength is the cheater of surfboards. The shorter length allows more maneuverability and a quicker take off than a longboard,the length combined with the volume of the midlength allow earlier take off than a shortboard getting the surfer into the wave earlier with a little less maneuverability.
@@concrete-waves Shred Shack dude; after putting in some serious thought, and perusing numerous surfskate websites and reviews ; I must recant my decision on a Carver complete as my first surfskate. I'm currently in the process of building what I think may be the ultimate convertible surfskate conversion project. Drawing on the decades of experience in skateboarding and surfing; as referred to in comments before; skateboarding having once again lit a fire 🔥 in my old arse(I'm 62 and got my first skateboard in 1968 at age 8). I was and are even more interested in this here newfangled surfin' skateboard. One thing I noticed was that the top surfskate manufacturers; for their high performance short board experience keep the length between 29"-33" with a wheelbase of 17.5"-20". Personally and yes being older I am looking for a high performance single fin mid length surf style experience. Here's the current surfskate conversion I'm building: 32.5" Bustin Boards retro fish 🐟 shape deck with a slight kick tail FLAT (a genuine surfboard deck is flat, perhaps why YOW, Hamboards and Swelltech chose mostly or completely flat decks), Bustin 152mm standard kingpin trucks, Bustin GREEN (keeping it real retro) 64mm 80a duro center set wheels, Bustin built-in 6-ball bearings (extra roll ability) coupled with the Waterborne high performance surfskate conversion kit to round out the build. I believe my build can and will compete with ABSOLUTELY ANY surfskate complete, right out of the box. My next project is the Bustin Boards 44" Big Surf Pinner with 129mm standard kingpin trucks, 82mm 81a duro cored wheels to compensate for the narrow trucks with the Waterborne; for a longboard surfing 🏄 surfskate experience. Let me know what you think about my ideas. I truly value your opinion ;I believe that the surfskate is here to stay and the genre is sure to explode.
Great video! I don't really love surf skating that much, mainly because I don't feel comfortable with my front truck sometimes just suddenly stopping, but I will occasionally ride my friends carver, and I like that the best. I wish I could test more brands, but I don't have $200+ dollars to get a complete and I've tried the Waterborne, but still great and helpful info
Yo le corte los springs a mi swelltech y aprendí a usarla sin estos .. y me fascina !! Los spring solo los reemplace una vez .. pero al ver que no resistían más de 3 semanas usando mi tabla (3/5 horas por día ) decidí no volver a utilizarlos .. probé también smoothstar, pero lo mío es más las swelltech. .
Where I live, Waterborne adapter is the only decent affordable option so I got one and fell in love with it. All the others have to be imported and the price skyrocketed.
Just to help people: I'm 1,97cm (I think 6'6) and 100kg. I chose Carver Greenroom and its quite nice WB (18 and 7/8"). It would be better 19" or 20" like Carver Tyler 777, Smoothstar Holy Toledo or Yow Pukas Dark. Long surfskates like this from 33" to 35" are going to allow you to make snaps and quick movements anyway (if you are tall).
If the wheelbase doesn’t fit but you like the board anyway, don’t bother to drill new wider truck holes in it. I’m 1.90 and it is necessary to increase the wheelbase sh. Most longer decks are type of longboards with low concave what really sucks.
I have the Penny surfskate and the Swelltech. Penny is so easy to pump and carve with a tight turning radius. Swelltech is nice and smooth, but my front leg has to do most of the work and the turning radius is more drawn out and I run out of space on the driveway. It’s like riding a 6’ shortboard vs 7’ board. The penny however is a narrow stance because it is smaller. These boards are nice for some kinds of training and balance, but don’t come close to true surf experience.
Hey bro I love the way you construct these videos it makes it so much easier for me as a beginner in the whole process of diving in to all of these different techniques and the way you want to feel when you ride the board absolutely hands-down great job no Amazing job
Awesome vid, thanks so much!! I am trying to decide between smoothstar, or carver with c7 or cx truck. I really want a board/truck that can pump up hills as well as cruise (not fast!) down them. I am not looking for a surf trainer necessarily, just a killin pump setup with lot of turn and agility. The smoothness of the smoothstar and ability to adjust tension looks like I could dial it in to be lots a fun. Otherwise the cx truck looks like a good choice too. Any thoughts would help me out a ton!!
I love my hobo with the cx It’s not great at generating speed but that truck makes pushing off for the speed then pumping and fabulous time for long skates For 220 I’m 100% satisfied
Best surf skate I have is a Powell- Peralta flight deck with Indy 139's does pretty much everything, and is excellant for long or short tight carves as well as speed. I just bought A Carver and tested it side by side. My Powell shreds all over it. Plus I have the added features of regular skating. Carver wouldn't even let me join their contest? They said I needed a surfskate? All my boards for the last 40+ years are surf skates? What the heck are they talking about. I really think they were afraid I would show them up, and that it's the person more than it is the board. So I went and bought one last week. To prove it. They are fun cruising board's. I would't trade my set-ups for another one. I see all these dudes talking about angles but unlike the ground the ocean moves, and first you have to catch the wave. When I surf I get out there and shred in a way that can't be duplicated on any skateboard. They are similar with both being board sport's. But the variables and dynamics of a moving ocean are completely different. Also, I would say that 75% of surfing is paddling into position. Also surfing start's in a lay down position and learning to get on your feet is the most important thing after paddling and getting out there. I honestly felt more like I was skateboarding while hula-hooping on the Carver. Looks good when girls do it though.
Surprised only Decathlon/so few come with multiple front truck holes drilled or better, mechanism to allow trucks easily change the wheelbase of the board... Thanks for the info, useful quality video.
I've heard Decathlon changed the model and it doesn't come with extra holes anymore, probably because the holes made the board more likely to crack at the front.
Dude love the channel Fellow jersey guy from seaside park and I smoked too long snd I’m 43 I got a carver hobo with the cx cause it felt most fluid snd good as an entry board and the all wood of the hobo is just my single fin type soul surf style I’m addicted Thinking of the toe swallow or even that hamborg swallow as a true surf trainer But I want to add the slide and would love the swallow tail styled smooth star flying fish,. Thanks though What would you go for next? Likre you I’ll have a bunch soon and s hamborg longboard is a definite eventually cause I built my own surfboards and I’m a swallow tail twin fin guy or a mid length single fin soul surfer style But I like to shred the curbs if possible so I’d love to know what you would you reccomend next That swallow ham seems perfect but you’d know better
Honestly, whenever y'all upload I end up watching it again and listening to it as a podcast while doing homework bc through that, I at least have fun while doing my homework. ALSO, I love the shut down of keyboard warriors through statistics. Good move, my dude. Loved the video!
Brilliant, thank you so much for such a deep review on surfskates. Learn a Ton from your video! Do you know the reason why all the surfskates are currently sold out? I'm trying to get my first one and was impressed to see that all of them are out of stock. What a heck??)))
Cool products, it's just really hard to get a understanding how any of these feel without riding them. Especially with bushings vs springs. I'll just need to find a good shop.
a few months ago it seemed you were favoring Smooth Star. I have watched and read a lot and most people say the Smooth Star black Felipe Toledo 77 is the best thing on the market currently. I'm not a huge fan of Smooth Star decks look but I hear the Toledo 77 is by far the best performing surf skate. The long nose on their stuff seems to be excessively long and unneeded. it could be under 31 inches and it's 34 inches. lots of wasted length. A Carver Yago Dora at 30.75 inches with Smooth Star trucks it would be the ultimate set up. Smooth Star needs to work on their decks to be more in line with YOW and Carver because those two make decks very much the same. I know the Toledo 77 is Smooth Stars best in design and function from what riders say. I just don't like the extra length of it. shorten the nose and up turn it like a Yago Dora and that deck would be perfect. I'm close to getting a Smooth Star Toledo 77 but that nose keeps me from pulling the trigger. Carver still makes the best surf skate deck designs and always changing and improving, Smooth Star has done very little over the years in deck design other than the deeper concave on Toledo 77. I'm waiting to see what comes out in March because that is when most companies put out their new stuff. We know Carver will have a ton of new stuff but YOW and Smooth Star , who knows and don't hold your breath on Smooth Star because they seem to be completely out of touch with skate community and forward design and change progress. This is where Carver wins the surf skate category because the have deck options that are beyond all others
Yeah I mean I’m still a fan of my Smoothstar, but I’ve noticed I just like that divey carving more. I would love to try the Toledo 77 but guess I gotta wait for stock. I’m excited for new Carver stuff since mine is currently too small for my liking. Thanks for sharing this insight, really appreciate it
@@concrete-waves I didn't know YOW had new trucks. I would like to try them on a Yago Dora deck from Carver. I'm not real fan of YOW or Smooth Stars decks but Smooth Star is by far the least favorite of decks for me even though I don't mind the toledo 77
So the only thing I can ride is a ripstik which isn’t great for riding around casually because you hit one rock or stick and you’re flying off that thing. I never knew that surf skating existed but I want to try it because it seems similar to a ripstik but less likely to send you flying. I can feebly ride a regular long board so maybe this will be a middle ground I could get the hang of since normal longboards are too stiff to ride for me.
Dude like I know not a lot of people want you to but you should totally review a freebord or summerboard basically the same just one is electric. They simulate snowboarding apparently. It would be nice to have a good review on them.
Need recommendation for trucks since I can't try them all and you people have.... riding a 6 foot hamboard style board with tall angled risers to increase truck angle and turn radius. I like trucks that can turn a lot and being on such a long board, but don't want the trucks loose in the flat (non-turning) position. Increasing speed with loose trucks makes for speed wobbles, thats bad for me. Currently have the back trucks much tighter than the front to eliminate the loose feeling, but my carving/turning suffers. Some of these trucks look really loose. Which ones can be tighten and still turn great? Thx.
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The reason most surfskates have a non rotating back truck is to mimic the fins in a surfboard, they create drag and limit your movement, but give you a base to push through when preforming strong turns, and help generate speed.
I love the CX. A simple, basic, almost primitive design that somehow works.
The Jersey in you really comes out when you say waterborne
ahaha yooo true 🤣
Wooderbom lol
Worderborne
Dirty jerz!
I love how he responds to everyone, such a amazing creator🤍
Thanks Jacob! Happy to help
only a matter of time before the channel really surges imho. super quality stuff. i found this not too long after all the old braille stuff from when all was well. i think people really like if you have buddies and stuff on, too. for braille it was almost a surrogate friend group thing. i found it fun and relaxing and also funny at times. good info, too, and direct real world experience and the flow of how things work like when testing kneepads, doing silly stuff, being with a group at a skate park vs by yourself or with one other person.
i'm new to this channel but vids where you also do stuff out in the world (loved the clips of skating i saw in vids so far WHILE talking about the setup and the feel). not sure if you have buddies that may come on the channel or a teach people to skate sort of thing. just good friend chemistry is really cathartic in this crazy world.
I was thinking about getting a surf skate and this is just what I needed
Awesome! Hope this helps Oliver
Do another “review Amazon rated skateboards”
If enough people want it, then will def consider it
@@concrete-waves ok
Yes do dat
You could review one of the white wave longboards or cruisers.
(I saw them on amazon and they looked kinda cool)
Dude this is seriously a really good video. Ive been thinking about getting into surf skate and this is undoubtedly the best video I’ve seen on it. Thanks a bunch
I bought a Yow about 2 months ago after watching one of your reviews and .... I just LOVE it !! Surfskating is such an awesome feeling! I cannot believe how slow and unresponsive normal longboards feel, I’m almost not able to ride them anymore 😅
Sooo stoked to hear this. I feel the same way now. It’s tough to go back to a normal one lol
@@concrete-waves do you skate park at all? It's always a mind fuck switching between surfskate and my street deck
I find it tough switching between a popsicle board, longboard, YOW surfskate and 22" Penny Board. Penny board is zippy but tough to get my stance correct as the board is tiny (fun for short trips to the shops). Have found the YOW much higher than the longboard so it isn't as easy to push and as an older skater, the extra heigh can strain my groin muscles as it feels a real stretch to get pushing foot down.@@i-am-mercurial
I have a swellteck and it is amazing, the springs broke after about 1 1/2 years of heavy use and abuse, like going uphill and skating several miles a day, but they are axtremely cheap, I never had a surfskate, but I always used loose trucks in my street skates so It was verry easy to learn how to ride it. And guess what, I got in a surfboard for the first time this weekend and managed to surf about 4 full waves, the feeling you get in the Swelltech surfskate is extremely similar to the one you get in a real wave, it was like I have done that multiple times before.
I have a swelltech and I love it. It just takes some getting used to, then it starts feel like surfing, and because of the unique design, you’re able to do tricks on it you can’t on others. I’ve tried the waterborne, and it was just not aggressive enough for me, it can get you up to speed, but you can’t fully pump it
Interesting! It really does come down to personal preference. Thanks for sharing man!
the same here :D ...do u still using swelltech ? I did start with carver C7 for a month...then i was confident enough to buy swelltech ....it is like earth and moon ... its really a big difference ....but the leaning and the range of motion ..its incredible ...like surfing .... really it has the closest feel to it .... and also slides and ground tricks are easier .... but i want to get my hands on YOW and SMOOTHSTAR ... but swelltech is ideal and perfect as it is ....
Cx4 is by far the most versatile truck and you really don't need anything else. Great video by the way! Keep it up dude!
thanks dude. Yeee i love the CX! Truly a masterpiece
Glad you said it, "they don't provide enough info to help pick the right board for you". Surfskate set ups are not cheap, so I've watched hours of videos, looking at the trucks, trying to estimate the wheelbase, looking at the rider's height and settings (flat, skatepark, bowl, downhill, cruising, driveways, etc). Still looking for the right one and being U.S. based removes some options. Thanks for the refreshing video.
Glad you feel the same way. I wish companies would put a questionnaire on their website that would help you narrow down your options
This was helpful. Thanks for all the work you put into it. It’s definitely not easy choosing a surfskate when no stores carry them and you’re forced to look online without having any way to try one.
The amount of options and lack of info on how to choose a surfskate are overwhelming. I knew I wanted one and so I just ordered the Yow Pipe based off your Yow vs Smoothstar video. I couldn't be happier, it's so much fun.
Right dude?! Stoked to hear you like your pipe. That was my first YOW surfskate and I love that thing
Hey Billy, great video. Hoping you can answer based on your experience with these different brands/trucks:
A) If you were just trying to optimize for the fastest pumping/self-propelled flat-ground top speed, which setup would you pick?
B) If you wanted a surfskate just for long distance flat ground commutes, which setup would you pick?
C) Which would you pick if your commute involved riding up long but mild inclines?
D) Which would you pick for riding pump tracks and bowls?
I currently have a Yow Snappers S4 which I love for some stuff, but I'm finding it's not great for long distances / higher speeds. Thanks for the help!
Each time I watch the videos from your channel I'm constantly impressed in the quality for a relatively small channel
Thanks Liam, I really appreciate that
Ordered the waterborne with the rail adapter and I’m gonna try it on all the different boards we have at our house. Thank you so much for all your info. You and surfskate love are just amazing. I need to start taping myself post a video once I’ve got all my weight off. Surfskating and land paddling are amazing ways to get in shape!
Bought the JOB Swelltech and the Smoothstar Manta Ray. Called up Swelltech in Florida and they were super nice and gave me a discount code. Shipped quick from their SoCal warehouse. Pretty steep learning curve, but do your homework and watch their TH-cam videos and you’ll have it figured out in an hour. Smoothstar took forever waiting for inventory to replenish but once ready, shipping from AUS was pretty quick. Board right off the bat is much more grounded and smooth. Perfect trainer and not much more than that. I’m not using each a ton but when I want to have fun, I prefer the Swelltech. Let’s you do everything the Smoothstar can, and then take it that much further.
Great info, thanks for sharing about SwellTech and Smoothstar 🤙🏼
Hey Billy, big thanks for the extensive, open and honest video of you. This also absolutely reflects my story since I suddenly got on a surfskateboard last year. I Spent a lot of money and gained a lot of experience, bought boards and sent them back, had great anticipation because of some long waiting time. And finally found my favorite truck and board. I have the feeling in the German-speaking area I could make such a comprehensive video about the various trucks. But this would be completely new territory for me 🤙🏼
Do it Marc! Glad to hear you feel the same way
I Love Revenge trucks but I am blown away seeing some of these
Oh ya! A whole new world haha
Love the video. I own a Swelltech and I haven't tried any of the other surfskates and this video tells me I made the right choice. I lost some elbow skin learning how to ride it,, but now I love the way it will allow you to, even on flat ground, to really compress your body, turn the board on edge and get parallel with the ground on "bottom" turns and then project yourself "vertically" towards the "lip" and "blow the fins out" front side and back side. It really allows me to blow through roundhouse cut backs. I've started taking it to this little bowly, concrete skate park to get that vertical, gravity, falling down the face of the wave feeling. Loosing more elbow, and some hip skin, but I can definitely feel it translating to my surfing and making my surfing smoother and more powerful.
I 100% agree with you! The learning curve is steeper than other brands, but once you’re used to it there’s no closer feeling to surfing on land! I absolutely love my SwellTech JOB Pipeline surfskate 👌
PS: SwellTech have some great “how to” vids on TH-cam which really helped me a lot in the beginning!
@@cliff2891 the same here guys, i start surfskating with a carver C7 for about month ...and just this week i did order swelltech camo ....from the start the first few min. it was hard :D :D i was not able to stand on it :D :D but im riding it now for few days ... try backa to back with a carver .... after getting use to swelltech ... carver feels like normal longboard :D :D ... too flat too stable :D :D ... that surfie feel. ... its just incredible .
After really engrossing myself in the new surfskate genre; and bolted together the basic standard kingpin cruiser board of 32.5" surf 🏄 style fish 🐟 shape deck with a slight kick tail FLAT deck with 152mmSKP trucks and 64mm 80 duro center set wheels to use with the Waterborne high performance surfskate conversion kit to round out the build. I'm going to order the Waterborne today and I can't wait to find out the results.
Funny thing that I didnt know YOW was from where I live hahahahahahaha I have a Slide though. Also from the Basque Country so still supporting local business.
I'm in Albuquerque US and got a Slide. Absolutely love it.
The merch line in the future will be "Personal Preference"
Haha thinking bout it... 😂
I just started surfskate, without any prior skating or longboarding experience. I went for a Slide Wahinee 33’’, and I love it. Made in Spain, decks by Sancheski (brand that brought skating to Spain back in the days), affordable: worth having a look at it for sure.
Awesome, I really wanna try slide but they said they don’t distribute to the USA. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
i personally like curving but i am learning to skate ( after 2 yrs of longboarding ) so i made a dream build with some not to lose not to tight trucks where i still can carve but still be able to learn tricks
That's awesome. It's really personal preference
I love YAO and I'm from Spain so I' m lucky hahaha. I just discovered your channel and I love it, you got yourself a new follower
Trying to pick up boarding and your channels been really helpful. Keep it up but take your time with consistent good contents. You guys will crush it since there isn’t a establish channel like yours that I found and I’ve been looking. Hope to see more in-depth reviews of boards. 👍
Sweet info... was gonna spring for a carver and now I'm looking into Yow and smoothskate I reckon. Thanks man!
Loved the video dude, you're the reason i got back into skating and why I'm looking forward to have a humongous Hamboard
Ayyy I love hearing stuff like this. Shred on!!
I have an NKX (NKD), Smoothstar and YOW, and I have also skated enough on Carver, SwellTech and some other brands.
- NKX (Maverick in my case): good to start with, cheaper than the rest, stiff, good for cruising, not great for aggressive turns and cutbacks
- Smoothstar (Holy Toledo in my case): great choice for practicing aggressive turns and cutbacks, not the best for bowl or long cruise
- YOW (La Santa): in my opinion best, most versatile surfskate which is also great for practicing aggressive turns, cutbacks, bowl, or cruising, it can be really stiff but still make ultra smooth sharp turns.. their performance boards with deep concave are great for maintaining control while sliding and pumping in the bowl
- Carver: hybrid (skate/surf), stiff, fast, good for cruising and bowl, not great for aggressive turns and cutbacks
- SwellTech: the most loose board of them all, obviously great for aggressive cutbacks, doing 360s (the front truck can rotate 360° all around), requires more skill to master, not best for bowl but of course you can bring any board to a bowl/skatepark and do tricks if you are good enough
Nice! Thanks for keeping up with the weekly uploads and great intro!
Stoked to keep uploading! Thanks for always showing up man
so hard for guys to admit they're 5'11", I am there with you bro. Senior year of high school they clocked me in at 5 11 and 3/4. I never hit that coveted 6ft mark :(
Thanks for such a great vid! Just ordered the Waterborne adapter set! I'm not a surfer but I'm curious to try this type of setup!
Ive been riding Carver C5 trucks for 2 years now (coming from C7). They're hybrids. It's not full surfskate and thats exactlly what I like about them. Great great great for bowl and street. You can ollie with confidence and just cruise with a tradicional skateboarding flow.
Oh boy! Very good content! Super useful review. I would never have those infos so fast and "low cost". U saved my money. Now i can choose better!
Thanks a lot man!
This is a dope vid. I only heard of carver till now. I’m 34 and been longboarding for 10+ years. I bought nineball wheels and could always get on my side for deep carves like no one else could but the larger wheel base and standard sector 9 trucks wouldn’t allow me to complete the turn. If I had a surf skate like these I could easily carve harder. I wanted to find the loaded carver board cause of the tech. That yow board looks tight to see the board edge control it would give. Hoping to find one of these but might go with a carver to start. I want to ride snakes and bowls. I never tried the CX but I’d imagine I’d like the C7 cause it seems like you can maintain the lock in motion more. The cx seems like it would give surfing feel but I still want the longboarding groove in a bowl
As a surfer it seems like the different brands may try and emulate the various surf styles like the Yow-competitive short board
Hamboards-longboard
Carver-mid length or fun board
For me from what I gather from the various reviews I have absorbed; as a 62 year old man who has always seemed to end up with a skateboard under my feet,sometimes for necessity transportation but it always ending up fun.
I'm going with the Carver for my first surfskate it sounds more forgiving for an old man even with the decades of experience.
In surfing you will notice many older surfers trading in their performance short board for a log or mid length fun board as they are not near as demanding.
Carver is a great choice. Thanks for the insight William 🤙🏼
@@concrete-waves Having a skateboard under my feet off and on since 1968; sometimes forced as survival transportation.
Looking for something to light a fire 🔥 in my arse; it seemed like the best opportunity was in a new longboard it's everything we wanted in a skateboard in 1979 on steroids. I purchased a deluxe (ceramic bearings) Shrike 39" push board and an additional set of 90mm pavement gobblers and built-in 6 ball bearings to my delight.
I've been devouring your videos as I am now in the market for a surfskate and your videos by far are more definitive and less biased than most. I agree with you on the brands labeled as junk and garbage as well as novelty. The Hamboard is absolutely a novelty. Having rode one about 5 years ago; the board absolutely emulated the longboard surf experience with a learning curve that is through the roof,for the average skater. From what I gather the Yow is on the same level as let's say, a Pyzel 5'10" GHOST a Ferrari of surfboards, and the CARVER a rendition of my old 7'2" BING V BOTTOM midlength.
In surfing the midlength is the cheater of surfboards. The shorter length allows more maneuverability and a quicker take off than a longboard,the length combined with the volume of the midlength allow earlier take off than a shortboard getting the surfer into the wave earlier with a little less maneuverability.
@@concrete-waves Shred Shack dude; after putting in some serious thought, and perusing numerous surfskate websites and reviews ; I must recant my decision on a Carver complete as my first surfskate.
I'm currently in the process of building what I think may be the ultimate convertible surfskate conversion project. Drawing on the decades of experience in skateboarding and surfing; as referred to in comments before; skateboarding having once again lit a fire 🔥 in my old arse(I'm 62 and got my first skateboard in 1968 at age 8). I was and are even more interested in this here newfangled surfin' skateboard.
One thing I noticed was that the top surfskate manufacturers; for their high performance short board experience keep the length between 29"-33" with a wheelbase of 17.5"-20". Personally and yes being older I am looking for a high performance single fin mid length surf style experience.
Here's the current surfskate conversion I'm building:
32.5" Bustin Boards retro fish 🐟 shape deck with a slight kick tail FLAT (a genuine surfboard deck is flat, perhaps why YOW, Hamboards and Swelltech chose mostly or completely flat decks), Bustin 152mm standard kingpin trucks, Bustin GREEN (keeping it real retro) 64mm 80a duro center set wheels, Bustin built-in 6-ball bearings (extra roll ability) coupled with the Waterborne high performance surfskate conversion kit to round out the build. I believe my build can and will compete with ABSOLUTELY ANY surfskate complete, right out of the box.
My next project is the Bustin Boards 44" Big Surf Pinner with 129mm standard kingpin trucks, 82mm 81a duro cored wheels to compensate for the narrow trucks with the Waterborne; for a longboard surfing 🏄 surfskate experience.
Let me know what you think about my ideas. I truly value your opinion ;I believe that the surfskate is here to stay and the genre is sure to explode.
its actually a very good channel!
like informativ, chill, authentic, personal,... probs bro🐐
Great video! I don't really love surf skating that much, mainly because I don't feel comfortable with my front truck sometimes just suddenly stopping, but I will occasionally ride my friends carver, and I like that the best. I wish I could test more brands, but I don't have $200+ dollars to get a complete and I've tried the Waterborne, but still great and helpful info
That's cool man, surfskates aren't for everyone. Glad you found it helpful though
@@concrete-waves yeah, I really want to surf one day but it might be a while bcz of COVID-19
the quality on your vids is insane, how do you only have 38k subs?
Thanks man! I really appreciate that
Dude you are killing it with these videos!
Thanks bro! Appreciate that
I would love to see some more general longboard/skateboard videos and maybe some tutorials? I just love the style and feel of your content
Strongly recommend the Twisted Fin from hamboards
I have that one, haven’t got a chance to try yet. It’s on deck though. Looks super fun!
Yo le corte los springs a mi swelltech y aprendí a usarla sin estos .. y me fascina !! Los spring solo los reemplace una vez .. pero al ver que no resistían más de 3 semanas usando mi tabla (3/5 horas por día ) decidí no volver a utilizarlos .. probé también smoothstar, pero lo mío es más las swelltech. .
Second great vid btw also can you do a best landyachtz skateboard vid?
That's an interesting idea. Maybe in the future
@@concrete-waves are you planning on making a LY Tugboat review?
@@Ben-sr8lq I have that board. I don’t think he will bc it’s very similar to the dinghy
My board 🛹 is getting a upgrade for sure
I'm riding a YOW pipe. Looking forward to your review on meraki
Niceeee, the pipe was my first board from YOW. Still love that thing
Same I prefer the yow, I like 17 in wheelbase and I'm 5"7"/8", I like 32-34inch boards :) I have one 36in carver too tho but prefer smaller
My man, you do amazing work! So far my fav is also the YOW,!
Keep this channel pumping!!
Thanks Hugo! 🤙🏼
Where I live, Waterborne adapter is the only decent affordable option so I got one and fell in love with it. All the others have to be imported and the price skyrocketed.
Nice. Yeah waterborne adapters are a blast
Well explained for the brands and set ups. Thanks
Just to help people:
I'm 1,97cm (I think 6'6) and 100kg.
I chose Carver Greenroom and its quite nice WB (18 and 7/8").
It would be better 19" or 20" like Carver Tyler 777, Smoothstar Holy Toledo or Yow Pukas Dark.
Long surfskates like this from 33" to 35" are going to allow you to make snaps and quick movements anyway (if you are tall).
If the wheelbase doesn’t fit but you like the board anyway, don’t bother to drill new wider truck holes in it. I’m 1.90 and it is necessary to increase the wheelbase sh. Most longer decks are type of longboards with low concave what really sucks.
Dude I live in spain, and was so surprised by a spain based surfskate company!
There's a few. Slide, Miller,...
Yeah surfskates seem to be really popular in Spain
I have the Penny surfskate and the Swelltech. Penny is so easy to pump and carve with a tight turning radius. Swelltech is nice and smooth, but my front leg has to do most of the work and the turning radius is more drawn out and I run out of space on the driveway. It’s like riding a 6’ shortboard vs 7’ board. The penny however is a narrow stance because it is smaller. These boards are nice for some kinds of training and balance, but don’t come close to true surf experience.
Yeah nothing is gonna replace the actual surf feeling. But they’re still a blast and closer than traditional longboards
Hell yes! Been waiting for this 🤙🏽
Hope it helps ya!
Hey bro I love the way you construct these videos it makes it so much easier for me as a beginner in the whole process of diving in to all of these different techniques and the way you want to feel when you ride the board absolutely hands-down great job no Amazing job
Hey ! Thanks you are a reference for honest and quality review and advice in surfskate !
Hey bro, the sector 9 is cool
Informative vid dude, nice one
Very Good and Helpful video mate, thanks for you time !!
4:54 no its not flat. it has very smooth concave.
Dude i never surfed in my life but ur videos are great so i def wanna try surfskating and maybe even surfing
Thanks Anthony! Yeah surfskating is a blast, but surfing is even better in my opinion haha
been thinking for a while about getting one of these and this really helped
Stoked to hear this was helpful!
Awesome vid, thanks so much!! I am trying to decide between smoothstar, or carver with c7 or cx truck. I really want a board/truck that can pump up hills as well as cruise (not fast!) down them. I am not looking for a surf trainer necessarily, just a killin pump setup with lot of turn and agility. The smoothness of the smoothstar and ability to adjust tension looks like I could dial it in to be lots a fun. Otherwise the cx truck looks like a good choice too. Any thoughts would help me out a ton!!
I love my hobo with the cx
It’s not great at generating speed but that truck makes pushing off for the speed then pumping and fabulous time for long skates
For 220 I’m 100% satisfied
Best surf skate I have is a Powell- Peralta flight deck with Indy 139's does pretty much everything, and is excellant for long or short tight carves as well as speed. I just bought A Carver and tested it side by side. My Powell shreds all over it. Plus I have the added features of regular skating. Carver wouldn't even let me join their contest? They said I needed a surfskate? All my boards for the last 40+ years are surf skates? What the heck are they talking about. I really think they were afraid I would show them up, and that it's the person more than it is the board. So I went and bought one last week. To prove it. They are fun cruising board's. I would't trade my set-ups for another one. I see all these dudes talking about angles but unlike the ground the ocean moves, and first you have to catch the wave. When I surf I get out there and shred in a way that can't be duplicated on any skateboard. They are similar with both being board sport's. But the variables and dynamics of a moving ocean are completely different. Also, I would say that 75% of surfing is paddling into position. Also surfing start's in a lay down position and learning to get on your feet is the most important thing after paddling and getting out there. I honestly felt more like I was skateboarding while hula-hooping on the Carver. Looks good when girls do it though.
Surprised only Decathlon/so few come with multiple front truck holes drilled or better, mechanism to allow trucks easily change the wheelbase of the board... Thanks for the info, useful quality video.
I've heard Decathlon changed the model and it doesn't come with extra holes anymore, probably because the holes made the board more likely to crack at the front.
If you're after trucks with springs, go with Original Skateboards. Different size trucks available and different spring tensions also.
Yeah it’s interesting because hamboards has a very similar concept. I think they even had a partnership at one point. Not sure
@@concrete-waves You'd think so. I've only tried the original trucks but looks like they'd have a similar feel to them.
How do I go about buying a smoothstar as someone who lives in the states?
I still not have surfs skate, but try few brands and very love Yao S5 (meraki) 32 inch. Plan to buy this month
That's awesome. Love my YOW surfskates!
I love your content dude, keep it going, I am already hooked!
Thanks so much! Appreciate that 🤙🏼
Awesome job mate!!! Really appreciated that video heaps. Thanks a lot keep it up
Thanks dude! Stoked to help
Please make more videos their awsome keep up the good work shred shack
Thanks dude! More vids coming 🙌🏼 Appreciate you always supporting
Almost 40k you’ll get there soon bro :)
Getting there! Thanks man
Still need a Sector 9 video. They were doing surf skate before it was cool.
True! My first ever longboard was Sector 9
Dude love the channel
Fellow jersey guy from seaside park and I smoked too long snd I’m 43
I got a carver hobo with the cx cause it felt most fluid snd good as an entry board and the all wood of the hobo is just my single fin type soul surf style
I’m addicted
Thinking of the toe swallow or even that hamborg swallow as a true surf trainer
But I want to add the slide and would love the swallow tail styled smooth star flying fish,. Thanks though
What would you go for next?
Likre you I’ll have a bunch soon and s hamborg longboard is a definite eventually cause I built my own surfboards and I’m a swallow tail twin fin guy or a mid length single fin soul surfer style
But I like to shred the curbs if possible so I’d love to know what you would you reccomend next
That swallow ham seems perfect but you’d know better
20 seconds ago?!?!? I'll take it! Still gettin here early.
Danggg! You're on it!!
Honestly, whenever y'all upload I end up watching it again and listening to it as a podcast while doing homework bc through that, I at least have fun while doing my homework. ALSO, I love the shut down of keyboard warriors through statistics. Good move, my dude. Loved the video!
Appreciate it as always Dani! The keyboard warriors are REAL lol
Another good one! good info guys!
Stoked to help! Thanks for the support
Great video! I’m gonna get a Yow after watching your video. I was on the fence between Carver, Smoothstar and Yow.
Nice dude! I think you’ll really enjoy the YOW. That’s the board I ride the most
Brilliant, thank you so much for such a deep review on surfskates. Learn a Ton from your video!
Do you know the reason why all the surfskates are currently sold out? I'm trying to get my first one and was impressed to see that all of them are out of stock. What a heck??)))
Awesome video, Been waiting for this one for a while. I saw u talking about it in your ig. Maybe One day I can get my hands on one of these boards.
Hope you can try some soon! They’re a blast
Swelltech is my fave. Love how it's the most extreme.
Cool products, it's just really hard to get a understanding how any of these feel without riding them. Especially with bushings vs springs. I'll just need to find a good shop.
You should do some more longboard videos.
the only video that helped. thanks mate!
So helpful Bro. Muchas Gracias mi amigo.
Stoked to hear that. Glad I could help
a few months ago it seemed you were favoring Smooth Star. I have watched and read a lot and most people say the Smooth Star black Felipe Toledo 77 is the best thing on the market currently. I'm not a huge fan of Smooth Star decks look but I hear the Toledo 77 is by far the best performing surf skate. The long nose on their stuff seems to be excessively long and unneeded. it could be under 31 inches and it's 34 inches. lots of wasted length. A Carver Yago Dora at 30.75 inches with Smooth Star trucks it would be the ultimate set up. Smooth Star needs to work on their decks to be more in line with YOW and Carver because those two make decks very much the same. I know the Toledo 77 is Smooth Stars best in design and function from what riders say. I just don't like the extra length of it. shorten the nose and up turn it like a Yago Dora and that deck would be perfect. I'm close to getting a Smooth Star Toledo 77 but that nose keeps me from pulling the trigger. Carver still makes the best surf skate deck designs and always changing and improving, Smooth Star has done very little over the years in deck design other than the deeper concave on Toledo 77. I'm waiting to see what comes out in March because that is when most companies put out their new stuff. We know Carver will have a ton of new stuff but YOW and Smooth Star , who knows and don't hold your breath on Smooth Star because they seem to be completely out of touch with skate community and forward design and change progress. This is where Carver wins the surf skate category because the have deck options that are beyond all others
Yeah I mean I’m still a fan of my Smoothstar, but I’ve noticed I just like that divey carving more. I would love to try the Toledo 77 but guess I gotta wait for stock. I’m excited for new Carver stuff since mine is currently too small for my liking. Thanks for sharing this insight, really appreciate it
@@concrete-waves I didn't know YOW had new trucks. I would like to try them on a Yago Dora deck from Carver. I'm not real fan of YOW or Smooth Stars decks but Smooth Star is by far the least favorite of decks for me even though I don't mind the toledo 77
Awesome, as usual 🤙
Thanks man, always appreciate it 🙌🏼
Best review I have seen
So the only thing I can ride is a ripstik which isn’t great for riding around casually because you hit one rock or stick and you’re flying off that thing. I never knew that surf skating existed but I want to try it because it seems similar to a ripstik but less likely to send you flying. I can feebly ride a regular long board so maybe this will be a middle ground I could get the hang of since normal longboards are too stiff to ride for me.
Dude like I know not a lot of people want you to but you should totally review a freebord or summerboard basically the same just one is electric. They simulate snowboarding apparently. It would be nice to have a good review on them.
We will definitely eventually test out the summerboard I think. Just need to save up for it haha
@@concrete-waves yeah they expensive lol
Which ones are the easiest to pump, and can pump from standstill?
I want to endlessly pump and carve.
Hey I think it would be pretty cool if we could see another landyachtz review
Will def consider doing another in the future. Thanks for the suggestion
Top comment on top comment
Yesss
Need recommendation for trucks since I can't try them all and you people have.... riding a 6 foot hamboard style board with tall angled risers to increase truck angle and turn radius. I like trucks that can turn a lot and being on such a long board, but don't want the trucks loose in the flat (non-turning) position. Increasing speed with loose trucks makes for speed wobbles, thats bad for me. Currently have the back trucks much tighter than the front to eliminate the loose feeling, but my carving/turning suffers. Some of these trucks look really loose. Which ones can be tighten and still turn great? Thx.
Love the phrase “straight up brain dump”
Lol 😂🤙🏼
Great channel man, have you tried the Z-flex with waterborne trucks? I really love mine
Thanks! I haven't tried that one specifically but it seems solid. Waterborne has a lot of collabs with different companies
@@concrete-waves surf-a-gogo series has a retro vibe and great looks. First surfskate I own and really proud to be skating at 42
@@bvarq I brought this one too, great fun and still skating at 52 👍
I am interested in this
Awesome!
Fully agree. Great Job.
Awesome, stoked to hear that. Thanks!
Nice vid man!
Thanks as always Robbe. Appreciate it!