Surf skating – perhaps even more than standard street skating – offers a whole host of ways to customise your setup. And therefore change the feel of your ride. Each component part of your surf skate will lend a different performance trait to what you experience. Which is great for tailoring your surf skate to exactly the way you want it. Plus, tinkering and experimenting are part of the fun and something to indulge in when not rolling on fours.

Waterborne Skateboards surf and rail adapters.

Whilst Waterborne offers complete setups – as do we at Surf Skateboard Shop – you only need to purchase a Waterboene front surf adapter to open the surf skating door. This will set you off on teh right path in a cost-effective way. From there, you’re free to add and mod as you see fit.

Being able to retrofit the surf and rail adapters means you can turn anything into a surf skate. There are a whole host of options suddenly available when you get hold of a Waterboene surf and rail adapter.

1. Surf skating decks.

Decks are an obvious component part to swap out and change. Whilst any skateboard deck can be turned into a flow state surf skate there are proven reasons a wider and longer platform helps with surf skating.

Unlike a popsicle, you’re probably not looking to ride in a street skate kind of way. Instead, surf skating is about flow, carving and manoeuvres. As such, a wider and longer deck can help with stability and a more locked in feel. Of course, the exact dimensions of teh deck you choose is down to you and what you’re after feel wise.

2. Wheel changes.

Wheels make a big difference to your surf skating experience. There are lots of options. Some riders prefer wheels between 55mm and 75mm diameter. While others like bigger wheels. Sometimes up to the ‘monster truck’ end of the spectrum like one of our team.

The size of your surf skate wheels can influence speed. Stability, momentum and slide characteristics. Remember, it’s not just about the size of the wheels that matter. The hardness – or durometer – also plays a part. This durometer explainer will help you choose how hard or soft to go with your skateboard wheels.

3. Truck swap outs.

Trucks are another piece of the surf skating puzzle that can radically affect your surf skateboard performance. Choosing to go reverse kingpin trucks (which naturally ride higher) or standard kingpin trucks is the first thing. Then you have other choices such as hanger width.

Also, truck bushings can alter the type of ride you end up with. Just as with wheels bushing durometer – hard or soft – delivers different performance. Which when combined with Waterborne surf and rail adapters can be tuned accordingly. And don’t forget how tight you have your kingpin bolts will affect things too.

4. Bearing options.

Good quality surf skating wheel bearings are always a good option. Skateboard wheel bearings are rated using the ABEC rating system 1, 3, 5, 7, 9. Whilst bearings won’t make you go faster per se they do affect the roll.

A higher rated wheel bearing will mean riders need to put less effort in. This equates to efficiency and can affect things like range when surf skate pumping over distance. You also need to factor in the type of wheels you choose as the two things work in tandem with one another.

5. Wheel base dimensions.

One thing often talked about in skateboards – and especially surf skating – is wheelbase. The length of your wheels base (usually measured from leading bolt on the rear to the trailing bolt at the front) can dictate how nimble and stable a deck feels. However, there’s more to it than this.

A shorter deck, for instance, where a rider re-drills the truck mounting holes to be longer can deliver a super turny feel yet remain quite stable. Longer limbed riders generally need longer wheelbases. But this doesn’t mean you can’t ride a shorter surf skateboard.

Summing up.

All the factors mentioned are a starting point. Keep in mind that if you change one thing you may have to swap out another. It’s a deep rabbit hole that you can end up down. Although tinkering, modifying and customising can be part of the fun. You may discover your dream surf skating setup by messing about with mods. Or, alternatively, you may just enjoy changing the performance regularly.

Here at Surf Skateboard Shop we can build your custom surf skate setup with whatever components you choose. Alternatively, we can offer advice on what we think you should be using based on your wants and needs.

Check out the online shop for all the surf skate toys we sell. Or give us a call to discuss your dream surf skating setup.