When choosing between a skateboard and a longboard, make sure you know the type and level of skating you are into. Moreover, your budget will also highly determine the type of board you can afford. If you are just beginning your skating journey, then you should go for a longboard. Once you ace stability and certain tricks, switching to a skateboard will be quite easy task.
We have brought this post to help you provide a difference between longboard and skateboard and choose what suits you best.
How Do Skateboards And Longboards Differ?
When you choose between a skateboard and a longboard, the riding style is to be considered first. Moreover, you should look into the type of skating you want to do and the terrain which is most commonly available. There are certain differences between skateboards and longboards which make them specific for riders. Let us see what these differences are.
01 Deck Shape And Size
As the name suggests, a longboard Deck is quite wide and long in shape as compared to a skateboard. This wide shape and narrow tails make them perfect for cruising. These are recommended for beginners and kids as their deck size makes stability, balance, and speed control easy.
On the other hand, a skateboard deck is smaller in size as compared to a longboard. It has curves present on each tail for easy control and maneuvering. These curved kicktails make stopping the skateboard easy. In case you are a professional skater, you should go for a mini cruiser. Apart from being easy to carry, they also make trick performance outstanding.
02 Wheel Size And Shape
The type, shape, and size of wheels highly affect your skateboarding. Wheels can truly make or break your skating game. The type of terrain you ride on highly affects your wheel choice.
The longboard wheels are bigger and softer as compared to skateboard wheels. The big size of the wheels aid in speeding while the soft nature makes them good for riding on rough terrains. This is because softer wheels tend to roll easily over small obstacles as compared to hard wheels which will chip or break in the process. Being large in size, these also provide a good contact patch which ultimately makes balancing easier. The average size range of longboard wheels is between 65mm and 107mm. As for the material, these are made of urethane which makes them soft in structure.
Skateboard wheels lie in the size range of 48 mm to 85 mm in diameter providing a narrow contact patch as compared to the longboard wheels. These are also smaller and harder as compared to the longboard wheels. The hardness and small diameter of skateboard wheels make them perfect for the performance of tricks. Lastly, these are made of polyurethane which is a durable but harder material than urethane.
03 Trucks
The trucks are responsible for stability, balance, and good trick performance. The trucks of a longboard are not very tight and are placed at a wider angle with the kingpin placed outward to provide more flexibility. This wobbly nature of wheels makes it good for professional skaters. Also, this makes it easier with taking turns and performing twist tricks.
When it comes to performing intense skating tricks, you need skateboard trucks that can take the pressure and perform well. This is possible by the use of strong and tight trucks which are present in skateboards. Ultimately, if you are a professional skater, then skateboarding is better for you than longboarding.
04 Freestyle Tricks Performance
Freestyle tricks performance requires utmost balancing and stability on the board. In this case, skateboards are hands down the best. This is due to the fact that skateboards have hard and concave-shaped wheels. These make landing easier after the trick performance. Therefore, riding down a hill or performing freestyle tricks is easier with a skateboard rather than a longboard.
A longboard is perfectly suited for cruising. It has also been seen that different types of longboards are good for different types of tricks performance. Some of the longboards are good when it comes to tricks performance like ollies, kickflips, and board slides. Moreover, the hybrid longboards make the performance of certain tricks a piece of the cake. These include manuals, shove-its, pivots, and cavemen.
05 Commuting On A Board
When you are commuting on a board, you will constantly need to change speed and move between cars. This requires a very responsive and easy-to-maneuver board. The skateboard is the best option for this than a longboard. Moreover, being smaller in size, a skateboard is easy to carry around and some can also fit in your backpack.
The longboards are difficult to carry around owing to their large deck size. These are also difficult to maneuver between cars and narrow streets. A longboard has a slow response time and takes more time to turn than a skateboard would take. However, when it comes to riding on rough pavements and obstacle-laden streets, a longboard is the perfect fit.
Pros And Cons Of A Skateboard
There are several advantages to skateboarding. There are several features that make them easier to ride for some skaters while difficult for others. There are also different types of skateboards for you to choose from. For further clarity, below are the pros and cons of a skateboard.
Pros
Cons
Pros And Cons Of A Longboard
Many skaters find longboards much better than skateboards. There are several types of longboards available and you can choose as per your likening.
Pros
Cons
To Wrap Up
Apart from being a fun sport, simply cruising around on your skateboard will freshen you up. Unlike other games, where there is just a specific playing item, skateboards come in a large variety. You can choose as per your need and liken.
Whether you are a beginner or a professional skater, a longboard will always be a part of your skateboard collection. These come in various colors and patterns to give your skating experience a more artistic look.
A longboard and a skateboard can be differentiated by certain other characteristics, besides their size. The type of skateboard one uses highly determines the extent of tricks performance and the weight you need to put on the board. At the end of the day, it is your comfort level that decides the type of skateboard that you want to use.
Check Out in detail: Parts Of A Skateboard Truck
FAQ’s
1. What type of board is better for a short-distance commute?
A skateboard is certainly a cheaper and organic option for daily commuting to school or work. If your commuting area involves narrow streets and a lot of traffic, then skateboarding is the best option. On the other hand, if the terrain is rough and you move on pavements, a longboard is the one you need to buy.
2. Which is safer among skateboards and longboards?
Any type of skating, if performed with proper protocols and safety measures, is completely safe. However, if we look at the injury data, the longboarders have suffered more severe injuries in the past few years. One reason can be that longboards have a slow response time as compared to a skateboard.
Check out our guide: Is Skateboarding Dangerous? Tips to Make Skateboarding Safe
3. Is it easier to skate on a longboard or a skateboard?
Skating is easier on a board which provides good stability and is easier to balance. These characteristics are offered by longboards which makes them easier to ride than skateboards. However, complex tricks performance is easier with skateboards than with longboards.
