Those who are new to longboarding and wish to limit the budget will turn to a fully assembled board that will meet the program they have set.
For the others, mounting can be a good solution.
Buying a longboard deck to build yourself a board allows you to create a unique board that meets all your criteria. It can also be the solution to choose a deck that you like and that is not available in full version.
Finally, it can be a good idea for those who already have a board to modify the deck to get a drastically different longboard or one that is more adapted to their way of riding.
Most of the information available here can be found in our guide How to choose my longboard to start?
Choose my tray: Length and Wheelbase
Unlike skateboarding, in longboarding you don't choose the size according to the width, but rather according to the length. The length of the board is one of the main criteria to be taken into account with the wheelbasethe length of the board is one of the main criteria to consider along with the distance between the axes, or wheelbase.
The length and the wheelbase of a longboard deck are always expressed in inches (") on the product sheets.
To understand the impact of length and wheelbase on your riding experience, imagine a longboard deck that is 10 feet long. It would be very difficult to maneuver, heavy and the movement of carving to make turns would be slow. On the other hand, with a 50 cm board, the board would be very lively, and you could link turns at very high speed.
This is what you need to think about when choosing a longboard deck.
The other aspects on which the size will influence are also important:
- A long board will offer more space, especially for boardwalking. It will be less easy to carry around (in the bus for example).
- A short board will be more playful, more fun, lighter, and nice for nomadic longboarders who take it everywhere with them.
What size for my longboard deck?
The size depends strongly on the program you have set for yourself. It will vary greatly if you want a Dancing board or a Freeride board.
Your height can also be an important factor in choosing your longboard deck. For an adult person between 5'10" and 5'10", you can go for a versatile size from 36" to 41". Since that leaves a huge choice of models, we'll try to provide more details to help you.
Since there is no hard and fast rule, we will give you some guidelines to help you understand:
- For an adult, a 37" to 41" board is a good average size to start and cruiser. There is nothing to prevent people who are 5'10" from using a 35" board, but it will be considered short, and very responsive.
- Decks under 34" are considered more like cruisers. They are suitable for a handy, space saving utility board. On the other hand, this kind of board will be too short for adults who want to practice Freeride or Dancing.
- Dancing and Freestyle boards are often long and wide. Most boards dedicated to these disciplines are 40 to 47" long. They are usually symmetrical and have two kicktails.
- Downhill boards are rarely longer than 41" and are stiff, i.e. they do not have a flex.
Longboard: Shapes and assemblies
There are different shapes and mounts that you need to know to make your choice. Depending on the mounting you choose, the deck of your longboard will be higher or lower than the ground.
The higher your deck will be, with a Top Mount for example, the more you will benefit from a good grip, in particular in the curves at high speed.
Conversely, the lower your board is, with a pendulum longboard for example, the easier it will be for you to unhook your board to make slides and have a good stability.
- Top Mount the truck is fixed under the board as on a classic skateboard. Very good grip and reactivity but risk of instability at high speed. It is however the most popular shape for Race and Downhill.
- Drop Through: the truck passes through the chainring and is fixed on the top of the chainring. This setup lowers your center of gravity for maximum stability and excellent glide. The drop through is an interesting and safe shape for people who want to start Downhill.
- Pendular Shape (or Drop Platform): This shape allows you to have a stable longboard because it is close to the ground. A light drop (Micro drop ) will be adapted to the descent and will allow a very good wedging of the feet. On the contrary, a very pronounced drop (ex: 4/5 cm lowered deck) will be more suitable for riding and carving. In this case, the push is largely facilitated by the lowered plate.
- Shape camber (cambered) : this is the case where the board is arched towards the sky. Boards with camber are often soft/flex to allow a big boost after each curve. They are therefore very adapted to carving because they allow to pump while being very effective in each curve and thus to take speed quickly on the flat or the weak slopes.
- Banana shape (cambered towards the ground) or Rocker : This type of shape is rarer and allows to gain in stability.
Longboard: construction of the set
By browsing the site, you will see that there are different construction materials that can be used to design a longskate board. Here is a small overview of the materials you will most often encounter.
- Maple: In skateboard or longboard, it is the king wood! Maple is found everywhere and often bamboo boards have some maple ply. It is the cheapest material to make a board. Maple allows you to make solid and rigid decks of 7 to 9 plies in general.
- Bamboo: We find more and more bamboo in longskate boards. Above all for the marketing aspect because bamboo grows back very quickly. Nevertheless, it presents interesting characteristics to make flexible boards.
- Cork: Often present on the boards, cork is only used on the last layer to improve the comfort against vibrations. It is also a great material to give an incredible look to a longboard or to create a deck dedicated to Barefoot riding.
- Fiberglass: used as the last layer of composite boards, it often comes to coat a maple board to reinforce it even when the latter is flexed. The ideal material to keep a fairly light board, well flexed but as solid as 100% wood.
- Carbon fiber: The top of the line in the board world in general. Carbon is used as a reinforcing fiber on some decks, in the most exposed places. This makes the board stiffer in places and much stronger in the weaker parts.
How to choose my longboard deck : to conclude
You have understood that there is not one size and one shape dedicated to beginners. Many boards can be used to start riding.
First of all, it is important to identify the program you are going to have. Your longboard deck will be different depending on whether your program is 100% Downhill, or 50% Cruising/ 50% Dancing.
To help you in the choice of your board, if you still have a doubt, do not hesitate to contact us to benefit from personalized advice.