Decks Only

There is a certain parameter to take into account when choosing your deck. There are many different types of decks available, which are available in different sizes and with various flexes. Each shape and size has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on what skater you desire to become.
 

Longboard length guide:

70cm – 96cm (28”- 38”) –> Slalom, Transport, Cruising, Freestyle.

96cm – 107cm (38”- 42”) –> Carving, Transport, Cruising, Downhill.

107cm og op (42”) –> Transport, Cruising, Downhill, Sliding.

What kind of longboarding?

If you find it hard to find out which deck you should have, then it might be a good idea to start by reading about the type of longboarding you want to do. Once you find out which area you want, you can in terms of your longboard style, easier choose the right board! Of course, it should be said that one can easily do more disciplines, and at the same time have a board that fits both styles, but where one has to compromise on some longboard characteristics.

Flex

Start by looking at flex in boards. Flex is the stiffness of the deck, and you can feel it by stepping down on a longboard to see how much it yields to your weight. A board with a lot of flex, will feel like it sinks much more down when you step on it, compared to a board with a little flex to no flex. The opposite is stiffer where you do not want to sink as much down. Stiff decks are often used for sliding, downhill and freestyle, as there is good response in them, and it provides good stability and control. You want a good response in the deck when making fast movements. Neither do you have to put so much energy into a rigid board before it will react to ones motion and, for example, start turning. If you want a soft deck, the properties are reversed. Here it will have a slower response and the board will be less stable when you drive fast with it, but on the other hand it will be more enjoyable to drive. When you cruise, carver and surf you want to have a deck with more flex, since you usually want a comfortable ride down the road. Decks with a lot of flex act as suspension when driving over uneven surfaces. Your weight will also determine how much flex you need. As a rule, you must have less flexibility, the more we weigh, to compensate for the extra weight that will be put down in the longboard. Most longboards in that are drawn up what they are good at. And so the flex is made correctly for this. do you take for example Madrid Big Foot the deck is made for crusing, carve and downhill. Do you instead take the Madrid Goat Sucker, the deck is stiff and therefore better a freeride, sliding deck.

Concave , flat eller cobvax

When looking for decks, you should also be aware of how the deck bends from one side to the other when you see the board from the front. Here, look for three concepts: concave, flat and convex. When you see the concave board from the front you can see that the board bows like a "U", so the sides bend upward, while the center is lowered. Its an advantage to have some concave in its board to lock your feet better, when you stand on it so they do not go as well. You will also be able to get a better sense of how longboards edges are and then you will be free to look down on the board all the time. The only disadvantage is that the feet become harder to move around. A flat deck is where the sides and the middle are on the same level. A convex deck is the reverse of the concave deck. Here the sides bend down relative to the center. These can be used for slalom.

Longboard deck shapes
 

Lets now look at some of the different types of longboards that exist. The most popular forms of longboards you see are pintail boards that are drop-shaped and symmetrical boards. Pintail decks are made such that the wheels do not hit the sides, called wheelbite. Symmetrical boards are good if you make 180 degree turns, so your longboards can never turn "wrong".

When you see the side covers, there are a few more shapes to decide on. At pintail decks you can get: flat, camper and rocker. Flat decks are completely normal standard decks, which are completely flat. Camper decks bend up from the nose to the tail, and they are usually very flexible for carving. Rocker decks bend downwards, so the center point is also lowered. You will be able to get better stability both before, after and during fluctuations.

Symmetrical longboards

Symmetrical boards are flat, dropped and wedged. Viewed from the side is a symmetrical flat board just flat, just like a flat pintail. A dropped deck, as the name suggests, is a deck that is lowered. A dropped deck is lowered because you want a lower center point, but since the base plate for trucks is at a height a little above the ground than desired, you find two different height levels to compensate for lower deck, which at the same time can be used with regular trucks. A wedge deck also has two height differences to get a lower center point. The difference from a dropped deck is that the trucks are mounted obliquely so that the center also comes to the bottom of the trucks.

Further, decks can be dropped through, which can also lower the overall center point by moving the truck through the deck instead of under the deck.

The thickness of boards allows you to see how many ply it has. Ply is a concept of how many layers the board is made of.