Have been looking at the surf skates lately for something to muck around on. I know its more pointed towards shortboard riders, But has anyone used one and have an opinion on them?

Not a Surfskate but own and use a SmoothStar. Gives a good feel for how your board would work on a wave.

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Mahanumah said..
Not a Surfskate but own and use a SmoothStar. Gives a good feel for how your board would work on a wave.

I was looking at the smoothstar in particular actually. Would it be useful for sup practice do you think? Or is it a different feel to the sup?

I've been using a surf skate since January, both with and without a paddle. Have to say my understanding of speed generation (pumping) and balance have improved ten fold.

It is a little limiting as you can't move your back foot, however front and back side carving with a paddle (old paddle shaft) is very good. You can compress and really lean out.

The real benefit comes from being able to practice the same technique time and time again.

My trucks are these. At 60 years old this has kept my balance and surfing tuned up. Really amazing the effects of regularly riding my skateboards on my surfing.

So they can improve the sup surfing a little bit then. I usually skate to the local shops when I need small bits and bobs. Thinking one of these could be a fun way to do it.

I have a smooth star it really helps if you surf a short board SUP though, I've been surfing longboard and shortboard for years and I also snowboard so not sure if my opinion would be relevant to your question...

Agree with Greystoke...

The Smoothstar can make a difference with shortboard style SUP. For Longboard it depends on whether you want progressive style or traditional nose riding. It will help with progressive but not for nose riding.

I ride 7'10 and 8'5 at the moment. The smoothstar won't be instock untill early September! Bummer.

My brother had a carver and got his smoothstar because the carver does not simulate the turn as well. However, he did notice an improvement in his ability to generate a tighter more powerful turn from consistent practice on the carver. He just felt like he had reached the carver's limits.

I have had my smoothstar on order since April. The restrictions of movement has generated a boost in demand as people want to try and find a way to retain some muscle memory while the beaches are off limits. Smoothstar was not prepared for the surge in demand and the factory in Taiwan cannot keep up. Hopefully my board will ship the first week in August as promised.

BTW, I have found this post I copied below by a Smoothstar representative quite informative:

( Myself, I never set foot on a skate since a bad wipeout 40 years ago, so I resisted the urge to land-train on a skate during the lockdown, and also because of the noise it makes on the road, not cool for the neighbors. But the Smoothstar is really tempting me...)

"Hey everyone. There are a lot of misinformation out there. So we try to contribute so enthusiasts know exactly the situation.

This video is in Spanish, unfortunately it doesn't have subtitles on it in english but you can see from the visual.SmoothStar did not produce it officially, it was sent to us. However, we did upload it to our channel because we do get just a few people that ask us.

Technically, the main difference is in the Spring and the tension adjustment.

SmoothStar uses a "compression spring" rather than a "coil spring". The amount of pressure or stress placed on a SmoothStar is far less, ensuring the spring keeps a certain level of "spring" without deterioration. We still have systems and springs that are 10 years old... over this period our spring reduced in size by less than 3mm - less than half a centimeter.

Unlike other brands, we either sell or replace less than 10 springs globally. This is almost non existent compared to the volume we sell per year.

The geometrics of the turning angle of the SmoothStar has been copied. The angle of the truck creates a smooth but critical turning arc. However, if they copied our spring, it would be a clear violation of our patent in Europe, Australia and USA. SmoothStar has more patents to protect our inventions than any other brand. However, we have been copied 8 times already. :-( so stay clear of those.

You may also see that with SmoothStar, you can adjust the tension of the spring. With every board, you are supplied with an allen key. The other products except for Carver, you can't adjust the tension of the spring.

Why does SmoothStar use Springs? What's the purpose?

Springs provide the movement and flex that you would have on your surfboard, fins and on a wave. There is also push back from the top of a wave - the springs we use simulate exactly that!

Without a spring or using the wrong spring, the simulation just isn't the same. Half the time the turning device of competing systems just wobbles back and forth or the springs need to be replaced."


More at: www.reddit.com/r/surfskate/comments/g20b05/smoothstar_or_yow/

Cheap secondhand one for sale on Facebook.

A bit of talk of these at the moment.
This is a Smoothstar manta. It is a beast.
I felt the width of the stock trucks/wheels combo a bit narrow for a deck of this width, hence the Hawgs Fatties. Now feels a bit more secure in carving. The Thruster mechanism on the front can be separated from the truck. The trucks (besides the Thruster mechanism) are just some stock unbranded old style skateboard truck. You could swap these for a slightly wider skate truck. Although all this might not feel necessary on the smaller Smoothstar models.
Every time these come up in discussion there is inevitably comment about buying a Thruster mechanism separately and using it with that old skatey in the shed (understandably though, they are $300+ last time I looked). Don't bother, I tried to and it doesn't work. Well it would "work", but not as intended, and does not do the Thruster any favours. The Smoothstar decks are obviously designed very different to normal skateboard decks. Deeper concave more centered in the deck, front truck mounting holes further to the front. The Thruster mechanism is a great design but must be coupled with a deck designed for it. I also tried this deck rigged as a normal skatey (see the extra front mounting holes a step back from the front). That doesn't work either.
Just get a Smoothstar and shred your driveway.

That would explain why they do not sell the Thruster on its own only completely set ups, their website said you need their complete package.

Yeah i dunno how you'd go if one broke though haven't read that's been an issue.

Cheers for the input, looks like you are on the model I'm looking at getting. I have my name down just waiting on the stock to come in

They are good fun but beware, you can't charge straight downhill like on a normal skateboard. I tried that too. Doesn't work.

Finally got my smoothstar today after months of hunting around and waiting.

Weird at first but its so fun once you work it out. Great fun pretending to be surfing.

Got the Smoothstar Manta. 35.5 inches. I am not a very good surfer but I will say that riding around 45 minutes a day pretending to do a frontside bottom turn into a topside backside turn and vice versa has improved my surfing. I have seen my overall balance improve and especially backside riding down the line. Still have a long way to go but I enjoy riding the surf skate.

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aceman8772 said..
Got the Smoothstar Manta. 35.5 inches. I am not a very good surfer but I will say that riding around 45 minutes a day pretending to do a frontside bottom turn into a topside backside turn and vice versa has improved my surfing. I have seen my overall balance improve and especially backside riding down the line. Still have a long way to go but I enjoy riding the surf skate.

I've got the exact same board, I jumped on and was like wtf this is so hard. 5 minutes later it was ripping down the street pretending I was doing top and bottom turns. I want to build up the courage to slide it and not fall on my face haha.

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Nugdam said..

aceman8772 said..
Got the Smoothstar Manta. 35.5 inches. I am not a very good surfer but I will say that riding around 45 minutes a day pretending to do a frontside bottom turn into a topside backside turn and vice versa has improved my surfing. I have seen my overall balance improve and especially backside riding down the line. Still have a long way to go but I enjoy riding the surf skate.

I've got the exact same board, I jumped on and was like wtf this is so hard. 5 minutes later it was ripping down the street pretending I was doing top and bottom turns. I want to build up the courage to slide it and not fall on my face haha.

The times I have fallen has been when I really cranked a frontside turn and was not prepared for the tail to slide out. At 52 yo, I don't bounce up like I used to. But it is a nice feeling all the same. You will get the tail sliding in no time!

I recommend this Krown KRR-Rookie-8 skateboard because it is already conveniently built up and is ready for rides as soon as it arrives at your doorstep. Additionally, it is made of high-quality materials that ensure durability. The board itself is sturdy, and so are the wheels. However, the bearing of this is a problem I faced during usage. At first, for me, the wheels don't turn smoothly due to rigid bearings. Nonetheless, I was easily able to replace the bearings with new ones.

Also, this might not be suitable for hard skateboarding tricks. Some buyers who're professional skaters experience cracks on the board as they do tricks. But even so, this excels as a strolling board and practice board.

Loaded Poke with Carver trucks.

Tames the flow addiction and improves the surfing, specially backside.

If decks were to be a top consideration, I'd choose the White Wave Bamboo Skateboard Complete. This skateboard features a unique combination of Canadian maple wood and bamboo as its deck materials. This kind of deck has the perfect balance of stiffness and durability. And with these, I get to have smooth and comfortable rides. This skateboard is easy to learn, especially for beginners. I think it has a perfect speed, and it's stable to ride. Plus, it has a uniquely classic finish, which I love the most.

I have been surfskating for a year now and at 56 feel like a 12 year old kid skating almost every day.

My son taught me on his Smoothstar and then built a longboard with a Waterborne truck for me. I used a homemade bamboo land paddle to stay upright and get momentum when learning.

10 months ago I bought a YOW Pukas (truck v4 the one before the newest Merakai truck) and have loved every minute of using it. If I could only skate 1 board this would be it.

I have tried loads of other boards and this one flows the best for me. We have a couple of Smoothstars in the family but I find them too twitchy down slopes. The Yow flows on turns and holds a line better. That said, Smoothstar is brilliant for shortboarders. There is no better built surf skate if you want to turn sharp. Smoothstar is the best by far.

I feel like my YOW mimics a longer surfboard. People who have surf skated for years jump on this board and instantly like it. I prefer this truck over the newer one. Would love to get a 2nd one but they don't make this truck anymore. A friend has the newer model and I find it twitchier but some would like that. Another son has a shorter YOW with the same truck as me and that board rips but at 56 I prefer a bit more length.

We have played around pulling the trucks off and swapping them around. Absolutely amazed at how different boards feel with different trucks. At the end of the day...I am really happy with the YOW setup I have no desire to buy anything different in the future. If only I could feel the same about one of my many SUPs.

I was recently on the lookout for a new pack of bearings for my second-hand board, and I was ecstatic that I found these gems. Even for a few dollars, these bearings deliver notable results. If there's a mad rush for affordable yet performance-loaded bearings, then the Bones Reds Bearings will be the first to fly off the shelves.

Has anyone used the Slide Swallow noserider it sounds like a fun surfskate to practice on if you are only a beginner/intermediate surfer.

Can never start Christmas shopping too early and this will have my little girl so excited come Christmas morning. Are cruiser boards easier to ride?

Interested in surfskating as well, I am about to purchase a skate from the Sector Nine brand and more specifically the Wavepark Shadow model with the Gullwing Sidewinder II Trucks. Any feedback regarding this brand or model fram a surfskate/carver perspective? Thanks!!

There's a really helpful channel on YouTube called Shred Shack that has a lot of good objective info and reviews of surf skates.
The Waterborne adapter reviewed in this clip looks like an easy starting point to slap on an existing board to mess around with.

P.S. Given the SUP affinity of the brand, does anyone know much about Sunova Surfskate (see their Facebook page)? I haven't seen Creek on one yet in any of his videos!