Surf skating is quickly becoming a go-to activity for all surfers. One of the best surf skate brands on the market is by Carver Skateboards and theyʻre perfect for beginners.
It may seem like the skills performed on a surf skate are designed for more advanced surfers, but they can also help the beginner improve balance and technique for the next time they hop onto a surfboard.
Surf skates will hasten the time taken to develop the technical aspects of surfing and therefore act as an accelerator to your surfing in general.
This post will explain the reasons why you should learn to surf skate, even while learning the ropes in the water, and a couple of recommendations for the best boards to buy.
Why Learn To Surf Skate?
Surf skating replicates the exact motions you perform while surfing; pumping, bottom turning, throwing big cutbacks. It allows you to emulate the exact body position, balance, and movement needed, to ride a successful wave.
Furthermore, it helps improve your foot position and coordination between your feet, knees, hips and shoulders.
However, unlike surfing, surf skating can be performed almost anywhere. This enables you to really hone in on your skills whilst out of the water, so that when you do go surfing, you have the perfect surfing technique.
Surf skating enables you to condition your body for surfing. It focuses on generating speed from whole body movements, and exaggerates the need to use your hips and shoulders in order to turn.
These are the exact movements performed while surfing, and, as your own surfing ability progresses, the need for these skills will only become more relevant.
Arenʻt Surfskates Too Advanced For A Beginner?
No, not at all.
The surf skate will help any beginner become accustomed to the overall motion of a surfboard. Learning the correct stance and body position needed for both land and water, with your back knee drawn inwards and front foot at 45 degrees.
While on a surf skate, try to emulate the position you will hold while surfing, shoulders forwards, head up, knees bent. This will train your nervous system, mind and body into good habits, preventing future corrections when it matters in the water.
Furthermore, it helps any individual become more accustomed to the feeling of a surfboard, its rocking from rail to rail and therefore the importance of heel and toe movements.
This is the same core feeling felt on any form of surfboard, and will help any surfer, of any ability become more familiar with a board under their feet.
We all know that getting back in the water after a long time away can be difficult, with the entire first session or first week even, spent getting up to the level you used to be!
Maintaining the surfing stance, its rocking motion, and heel-to-toe movements will undoubtedly help any surfer maintain their level while out of the water.
With a surf skate, your body will be familiar with the movements of a surfboard, maintaining your mobility and balance for when it really matters, in the water.
Repetition and Practice
When surfing, the amount of time you actually spend on the waves can be as short as 30 seconds in a solid 90 minute session. This means that you don’t have a lot of time to really practice the elements of surfing that really matter.
When you’re on the wave, it is therefore important to make the most of the opportunities in front of you!
Feeling familiar with a board under your feet, and being confident with your technique to perform the perfect cutback will help you make the most of your waves in a busy lineup.
Therefore, utilizing a surf skateboard, emulating the exact same movements on land, will give you the time to perfect the skills that are needed in the water.
It’s all about practice, and using a Carver Surfskate will reduce the time it takes to really perfect these moves in the water.
Which Surfskate Should I Buy?
Looking for the perfect surf skate can be an absolute maze, with many different brands offering very similar looking boards to the common eye.
Below are 2 boards, perfect for beginners to start their surf skating journey, and ultimately, improve their surfing performance.
Carver SurfSkates
Carver skateboards are the original, most popular surf skate brand. They’ve been around the longest and are perfectly designed to help you improve your surfing technique.
They’re a great all round board that has less flex than some other models, meaning it’s a great board to start out on.
They’re also cheaper than other models out there, so if you don’t want to drop top dollar on something you’ve never used before, it’s a great option!
They come with 2 different types of truck systems to choose from, the C7 trucks and the CX trucks.
The C7 trucks are designed to have more of a feel of riding a mid length or smaller longboard. The turns are more drawn out and flowing.
The CX trucks are designed to be a bit more snappy, more like the feel of a shortboard. You can make tighter turns with these trucks, emulating more the snappy turns of a shortboard.
Smoothstar SurfSkates
The best surf skate for replicating surfing on the market. With a bit more flex than the Carver, these boards perfectly emulate the feeling of a surfboard.
This is great for beginner surfers wanting to invest in a board with a lot of room to progress on and really mimik their surfing, however it may take a while longer than the Carver to get used to.
Ultimately, no matter your level of surfing, riding a surf skate is a great way to improve your surfing. It’ll really hone in your technique, body position and coordination whilst out of the water so that by the time you find yourself back by the sea, you’re ready to go.
A beginner surfer or not, you will not regret buying a surf skate and will find yourself accelerating your surfing progression to no end.
