Which Surf Skate Should You Buy? 4 Factors To Consider

Surf skates come in all shapes and sizes; how do you choose the best one? In this video I give you the four most important factors to consider when buying a surf skate.
Surf skates have become one of my favourite training tools for improving my and my clients surfing technique. So, i think it's essential that you find the right one!
WIN A SMOOTHSTAR + ULTIMATE SURF SKATE MEMBERSHIP -
This video is brought to you by my best-selling course, THE ULTIMATE SURF SKATE PROGRAM. Join over 3000 students at bit.ly/Ultimate_Surf_Skate_Pro...
WIN VIA MY INSTAGRAM - bit.ly/kalesbroccoli
Support the channel & make sure you grab a SmoothStar Surf Skate so you can follow along for the remainder of the series (USA customers should order from Australia with intl shipping) - smoothstar.com.au/?sld=broccoli
Check out my brand new online course, The Intermediate Surfer's Roadmap, which is available now at thesurfersroadmap.com/
Don't know how to pick your next surfboard? Join my ULTIMATE SURFBOARD BUYING GUIDE - bit.ly/Ultimate_Surfboard_Buyi...
This series would not be possible without my incredible Patreon members. MY PATREON PAGE - / kalesbroccoli
WATCH THE LONGEVITY FILM - bit.ly/LongevityFilm
MY BOOKS - kalebrock.com.au/shop
SURF WITH ME - kalebrock.com.au/surf
THE GUT MOVIE - bit.ly/GutMovie
SUNBUTTER SUNSCREEN 15% CODE 'BROCCOLI' - sunbutteroceans.com.au

[@KalesBroccoli]

Thanks for tuning in friends :) Here's how you can win a free smoothstar + ultimate surf skate package! WIN A SMOOTHSTAR + ULTIMATE SURF SKATE MEMBERSHIP - bit.ly/ssxkalecomp We'll also give one away on Instagram soon @kalesbroccoli

[@SenXu]

you mentioned using your height to benchmark the board sizes but you never mentioned your actual height?

[@SrtaIdc]

Fr im over here sitting like 😢😢

[@janposz8233]

Internet says 5’7’’, not sure if true

[@ZAKNihon]

Nice content, always learning from you , thanks 🙏

[@OspreyVision]

Your videos are great. Thank you! My surfing improved greatly after I started surf skating. Even though I had already surfed for over 20 years the surf skate has taken my surfing to another level. I highly recommend it.

[@pokeypickle3]

Last late-May 2021, I purchased a SmoothStar Toledo #77 despite being only 5’9” (probably my legs are a bit longer - maybe my stances is wider than average?), struggling to stay above 72-73 kg and only having poor actually surf skills. I really enjoy it and sometimes ride on rough car park surfaces at my surf club. I think my balance on an actual surf board has improved - if only it could improve my pop ups 😂 Still, it’s lots of fun. I enjoy my SmoothStar in its own right - especially during last year’s lockdown when I couldn’t surf.

[@Bentheamazingsufer]

Thank you kale love the video and great tutorial

[@TheBluesmon]

I like smoothstar for just having fun and practicing somewhere flat. Carver CX for a surf skate for transportation and some moderate hills. Carver C5 for skatepark and bowls.

[@SaindodaRota]

Why C5 not CX for bowls?

[@d1cartiglazer00]

@@SaindodaRota The c5 has more stability because it’s lower to the ground

[@kellykoziwoda8240]

You give the best tips that I have ever seen I just want to say thank you

[@nternetrat]

thank you kalee thinkin of getting my own SS!!!

[@will_zhang]

so great video!

[@nedskaterh]

the only difference between a cruiser board and a surf skate is the trucks. You can also setup any RKP or TKP truck with the right bushings (generally soft and cone shaped) to feel like surfing :-)

[@andysmith6975]

Hey Kale, excellent content. The scooping tip from the last video you posted has made a huge difference. Thanks so much for everything that you do bro'.

[@KalesBroccoli]

🤙🏽😁

[@lachlanbidefeld2031]

Hi Kale sick to know ur in margs I was down there a few days ago and bummed that I didn’t get c ya. And keep it up with ya videos.😀👍🌊

[@laurentetienne2972]

Hi kale love all your vedios and the review are the best out there for me I'm from seychelles Island. love surfing so much I watched all your vedio reapetly cause its so good thanks you for all your tips respect bro.i never knew about smoothstar thanks to you saw it in ur reviews way back hope to get my hands on one some day so I can improve also we don't have surfkate here sadly.wish you could visit my island some day n show you around all our local spot.🤙

[@ragasanov]

Amazing video. Would be great if you tell your height so that we understand better how does it translate into the surfskate size

[@danielmahoney1919]

I have got the 32 fish smooth-star it is so good I really recommend it

[@germanlondono8700]

Hi, Kale. Great video. I'm considering getting into surfing and I want to buy a surfskate board, but being short (1.70 m) and light (59 kg) (I'm a cyclist primarily) I feel that wouldn't play to my advantage. I'll try getting a short one to start and see where that gets me before getting into the water. Do you recommend a particular size?

[@T0picVal0ur871]

Yo first also great video. The thing is is that my birthday was on Friday so I already got one. Anyway again great video.🤙👍

[@albertosegovia3774]

Hi Kale firstly thank you so much because your great content. I would like to know if you've ever ridden some Swelltech Surfskate and if you consider those as good as Smoothstar skateboards.

[@KalesBroccoli]

I have ridden them and didn’t like them sorry!

[@MicklePickle124]

Love your videos and the smooth star content is great. I had to wait 3 months for mine to arrive as there was lots of shipping delay. I got the Filipe toledo and it is incredible (and looks awesome). Feels like no other skateboard. Although I want to start doing snaps and crazy turns with it but I just dont wanna scratch it up, lol.

[@SmoothStarSurf]

Michael. Just go for it. Doing snaps and crazy turns is too much fun! You only live once! You can always buy replacement decks. Sorry for the delays with shipping. We had a really tough time keeping up with demand but its all sorted now. We are super stoked that you are enjoying your board. 😉

[@MicklePickle124]

@@SmoothStarSurf All good, worth the wait. When you do the snaps should you be lifting up the front to make the movement quicker or just a sharp turn?

[@SmoothStarSurf]

@@MicklePickle124 Its a good question. Its not normal unless you are riding on a inverted bowl. Its very hard to transition weight from back foot to front foot when the surface area is inverted. Surfaces that have a gradual curve are probably better and easier but then they are harder to find. Driveways are the best.

[@fabricebaraton7694]

Super vidéo. Je serais intéressé par l'achat d'un smoothstar, mais je ne sais lequel choisir. Je possède déjà un yow medina tie dye, sur le quel je me débrouille pas mal. Quelle planche me conseillerez vous?(je mesure 1,80m pour 60kg) Merci 🤙

[@riahmatic]

a height reference guide would be useful

[@artvandelay2111]

Great stuff Kale, just bough my first board a Toledo 77. Something which never seems to get covered which seems really important is adjustment of the trucks ie : loose / tight / front / back / tension on the surfskate spring ? Having skated transition when I was younger this was such an important factor in your personal setup. It would be great if someone would delve further into this as it seems as important as selecting the right fins ?

[@SmoothStarSurf]

Hi Art. Hope its okay if we address this question, its a really good one! Our recommendation is that you should never tighten or loosen the spring on a new board. At least not until 2 - 6 months or 30 hours of riding. Surprisingly the spring is considered stiff and not worn in. This stiffness often helps beginners or people that have never ridden a SmoothStar the ability to get use to the board when its tighter and new. After the 30 hours of riding the compression spring will start to compress - probably about 2 - 4mm. This might not seem much but riders should definitely notice it compared to a brand new SmoothStar when they go from one to another. After this 30 hours, surfers can then tighten the spring if they desire a tighter feel. It would be similar feel to when it was new. But few surfers do this, they like the looseness and it encourages the surfer to be more "on rail". From a surfing perspective, the tightness of the spring is to represent the responsive feeling of a surfboard going through a turn. A surfboard and a SmoothStar should flow through a turn in a nice smooth arc. It shouldn't have any dead spots - just smooth. Some surfers like it a bit stiff, some others like to really loosen it and never tighten the spring. It really is a personal choice but this choice is a matter of a few allen key turns - not 10 tuns of spring tightness as this may cause the tension arm to break. We never recommend tightening it so much that the spring doesn't have any gaps in the coils... when you think about it - it kind of defeats the purpose of riding a product like SmoothStar if the spring coil is totally compressed. Just experiment with the feel. Most advanced surfers or ones that are trying to progress, like it as loose as possible. There are some other elements as well - like the force of a wave in a top turn pushing your surfboard back down the wave. When riding a SmoothStar - the spring gives that feeling of the board flowing under your feet through a turn. We admit that as a company, we need to do a bit more explaining these sort of complex issues to our customers. Its a super technical question that you made and we need to do better to inform our customers. However, we can assure you that we are working on it. Thanks again for your question. Let us know if you need any further clarification.

[@artvandelay2111]

@@SmoothStarSurf Absolutely OK. I find that this is one area really lacking in information when I was looking for info prior to purchase, and especially now that I am using my board. You basically have the 2 bushing adjustments on the trucks themselves ( particularly the rear truck tension which NEVER gets mentioned ) like on a regular skateboard, then the actual "surf spring" mechanism itself to adjust so as you say it's a complex issue. I find the rear truck bushing tightness really affects the performance as well ..... along with adjusting the front tension spring. I think it would be super helpful if someone covered this subject in depth. And many thanks for answering .......... shows you guys are listening 👍

[@SmoothStarSurf]

​@@artvandelay2111 Yep. We agree with you. We should put some information out there about his for sure. Don't waste your time with the front truck bushings - it doesn't do anything because the Thruster does it all. The back truck bushings is completely different. Essentially - the tighter the trucks are at the back, the more drive you get. The softer or looser the bushings are, the smoother the arc. This would be very similar to the stiffness of surfboard fins. Some fins have a lot of give - allowing more sliding and more forgiving feel. So the calculation should be: Tight bushings = more drive = stiffer feel. Looser bushings = less drive = looser feel = more forgiving and sliding feel. We get many enquiries all over the world and people want more and more customisations to simulate surfing. Many people look to bushing brands to solve this issue but so many of those brands are based on skating or down hill skating. So yeah, more information about this from SmoothStar would be good too. We typically reply to these sorts of questions on a case by case basis. But yeah we should release some information and more product options on this too. It does take us quite a while to change these sorts of things as we do a lot of testing. Its like the wheel/fin calculator based on weight - a lot of work went into it but riders love it. To be honest, we were just trying to get through the Covid issues and be able to supply boards to customers around the world - it was pretty hectic. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@boxertwinjeff]

@@SmoothStarSurf Hi, at 5'7" & 78kg would the 32" Holy Toledo be the correct size for me. I do like the #77 but would it be too big? Also, do both models have the same concave deck? Cheers Jeff.

[@helloworld1272]

I got the cheapest one I could. Didn’t know they could be $300. That’s so much lol. The one I got was just over $80. I’m glad I got that much money to spend. Let’s see how it goes!!!

[@hypnotechno]

I love you. I am 6 foot 1 please tell me what size smooth start board I need to buy

[@corialcorn4051]

What about bushings? I have found messing with different durometer of bushings and different bushing styles and brands seemed to have as much impact as wheels in terms of control.

[@krispewkrem3]

I would say Swell Tech because it has the best feel and flow and traction pad. It truly mimics surfing. But the springs on the trucks break way too much. You can ride with one broken or without both. But when I snap a spring and it ends up in the street every ride, I’m pretty upset. Fix that ONE issue and they’re perfect.

[@cliff2891]

I completely agree with you. I bought a SwellTech JOB Pipeline board about 2.5 yrs ago, and it is absolutely fantastic! In my opinion it is the closest you’ll get to surfing an land. My surfing has improved dramatically since I got the board. I also agree that the only downside is the problem with breaking springs. I’ve broken 2 and fortunately it doesn’t cause you to wipe out, and also they’re fairly inexpensive to get replacements. I see that SwellTech have just realised a new, stronger magnesium spring system.

[@pavedwavessurfskate2203]

SMOOTHSTAR CHRISTMAS!

[@pokeypickle3]

I hope that you get more subscribers. It takes a lot of time to editing a short vid and very few ppl realises this.

[@pwayne3580]

YOW hands down the best

[@JoaoRodrigues-kv9lu]

Great video, what is your opinion about the shark wheels?

[@KalesBroccoli]

👍🏼

[@michal4862]

@@KalesBroccoli Really? Think they have to less grip to make a full lean or carve.

[@iamthekwan]

Thanks for the info. Newbie here with some basic e-skateboard experience, just wanna get from point A to B while getting some physical movement into my day. I'm 5'6, would a 32" board be good for me?

[@litterallyscoobidoo9600]

Most likely yes, i would make sure that when you stand on the board it feels comfortable for your stance abt shoulder width apart.

[@anthonystrazza4586]

As an American at 6:02 I’m like yeeeeeee holden…oh yea back to learning

[@mariok7928]

How do you recommend that kind of skateboard

[@JayDeeTee]

All needs to be renewed due to heavily changed offset and impact on wheelbase or? I love bigger board so with 5 4 i would go for 34 THD O'Connor. Will this be huge change to the 32,5 Thd Toledo in feel!?

[@JayDeeTee]

Important note maybe surfing once a year on 7 4 sic Dark Horse So I thought 34 might feel more close. I am 190lbs

[@jakehardy5997]

how do you like the globe surf skates? i got one a while back and it feels pretty good

[@KalesBroccoli]

Unfortunately not very close to surfing.

[@AkosiLentengGala]

Do you tighten your rear trucks

[@ksfwfc2899]

My carver board is so high and fast I get really bloody scared! Any ideas ? Thanks

[@georgesbahia]

Obrigado. Merci

[@robbyre14]

That Australian accent hits differently at 8:00

[@sabai4915]

My height is 5’3”. And I weight 108 lbs. Which length of Surf Skateboard will be good for me?

[@danilomartinsrezende2920]

I wonder if you would be keen to try other brands like Globe, Double Down, etc..

[@marsoblivi0n945]

Got my daughter a glove fishtail and it’s pretty great. I’m gonna upgrade the wheels and bushings.. but out the box it’s been great.

[@matthewdmiller4335]

Coming from freeride longboarding running different wheel sets front/ back sounds like lunacy.

[@boxertwinjeff]

@ Kalebrock At 5'7 & 78kg would the 32" Holy Toledo be correct for me over the 34" #77 Toledo?

[@KalesBroccoli]

Best to ask SmoothStar :)

[@Denyy]

Is hamboard any good

[@chrisfernandez5566]

How do you compare the yow surfskate to the surfstar?

[@MicklePickle124]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJ-ohol9fct5Z9E

[@assisSK8]

Esse cará e muito gente boa mandei mensagem pra ele é ele mim respondeu . As aulas dele e show galera um forte abraço a hoje t bem n rolê surf skate kkkk suas aulas mim ajudou muito n minha evolução kkkk n surfskete

[@SaindodaRota]

Any thoughts on the surf skates for bowls? Not sure if the smooth star will be too loose for that.

[@KalesBroccoli]

You can tighten the trucks 🙌🏽 I don’t use bowls very much as doesn’t cross over to surfing a whole lot

[@SaindodaRota]

@@KalesBroccoli Ombe Surf people said the opposite. Anyway I’ll get a surf skate and experience it myself. Keep it up with the videos! Cheers.

[@MarktheLandlockedSurfer]

@@KalesBroccoli Have you considered doing it just because it is fun though? Smoothstar make excellent boards but I hate how they treat surfskates like they are nothing more than a means to an end. A lot of people don't have access to ocean waves and we use surfskates to try to fill that void, and bowls are definitely the closest match in my opinion. Anyway, my channel has lots of info on bowl riding and Smoothstars were one of the best performers in this regard, even without tightening the springs. Thank you so much Kale, without you I may never even have heard of surfskating and now it is my passion in life!

[@MicklePickle124]

If your considering dropping in on the smooth star then make sure you front foot is behind the top 2 bolts or you can easily nosedive

[@MicklePickle124]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKKplYd_iLKabc0&feature=share This guy rides the filipe toledo and rocks the parks and bowls

[@noblezada]

How tall are you? Inseam?

[@JBoo-dr6gd]

This might be a silly question, but does a surf skate feel anything like a Ripstick? It'd be convenient if I didn't have to buy a whole new board as I learn how to surf and just dig up my Ripstick from storage. ✌

[@KalesBroccoli]

Not really sorry!

[@v.l.2819]

Hi @Kale, what's your take on Clayton Niaber about the topic ? They strictly advocate surf skating in bowls or slopes since it would be closer to the 3Dlity of a wave and are against flat surface surfing . Also they strongly recommend carver CX over C7 or smoothstar saying the looser trucks, especially the one with spring based trucks, have a unrealistic range and can easier allow bad habits to be developed among which wiggling, to be transferred over to your surfing .. my summary is probably a b tHere is the link to the full video where he explains his whole argumentation really well , it did make a lot of sense to me; and since I am still figuring out which surf skate to buy, I would really be curious to hear your view on this kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2nXnmeIa9dpga8

[@someguy3526]

What do you think about YOW?

[@KalesBroccoli]

Not bad

[@MrDaanram]

Did you and the Raglan surf report time this??? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@KalesBroccoli]

Yes I loved it hahaha

[@KalesBroccoli]

But not on purpose haha

[@sethheinzman5823]

Smooth stars are pretty expensive, are there cheaper brands that you can review to see if there’s a comparable one to smooth star?

[@davidsolvincent9511]

Did i miss heigh and weight conversion in this video? That would be a key piece of info

[@Everyday-man]

Speaks about the importance of it and uses self as reference, but unless i missed it.. you didnt give your height or weight so …… there goes 9mins

[@santiagoybarra2348]

Is smoothstar better than carver? For my experience, carver fill all necessities

[@KalesBroccoli]

I think so! Check out my video comparing the two via the surf skate playlist

[@hypnotechno]

"it would be one or two inches long"? does this mean "it would be one or two inches TOO long" ?

[@LookingForAnotherPlanet]

Some actual formulas would be helpful.

[@boisebroncoadventures]

Let’s start with a pair of shoes first eh? … ugh hard to take anything you have to say seriously at that point for me. I have been learning to skate and good foot wear with impact protection is an absolute. If your carving cones on a tennis court no worries but barefoot at the skatepark? Really?

[@liquidbrickle]

It’s a surfing channel. Trying to emulate surfing as much as possible. You don’t surf with shoes.

[@boisebroncoadventures]

@@liquidbrickle I never surf barefoot… cold water and booties. If you got those calluses built up from not wearing shoes maybe that works for you. I’m gonna hard pass on grip tape for my little piggies lol

[@danjohnson3756]

Carver all day everyday.

[@adambrown3918]

Too expensive! I couldn't justify spending over $200 bucks for a Smoothstar. I really wanted too. I'm sure it's heavenly 😊. I opted to simulate one on the cheap by purchasing a Waterborne surf & rail adapter and adapting it to my old Sector 9 46" inch. This type of dry land practice really makes a difference and has helped my progress. If you can afford a Smoothstar; go for it! If not; there's always alternatives to make it happen. 😀👍

[@SaindodaRota]

If you don’t have an old board, screws, raiser and rear truck it might end up costing the same thing if you buy all parts separately

[@MH_347]

Keep an eye on FB market place. Always coming up for a bargain

[@SmoothStarSurf]

Hey Adam - really good point. We use to sell (about 7 years ago) our SmoothStar Thruster separately - about $100. That was the cheapest solution so you could put it on other skateboard decks. However, we started to get more and more complaints from our customers saying they still couldn't replicate the same feel as our complete boards... They asked what they were doing wrong. We tried to help but its was no use. There are many factors involved in our setups and we have published this online on our website. Just google: "why we don't sell SmoothStar thruster separately" and you see several points about it. We lost many sales because we didn't sell it separately anymore. However, reputation and customer satisfaction was and is still very important. Its great that other brands have this option for people wanting a cheaper alternative but please keep in mind that there is a noticeable difference from a surfing function and one of the reasons why coaches like Kale prefer SmoothStar. Really sorry we can't sell it separately like other brands.

[@JohnnySurfsideBeach]

Waterborne is amazing, but don't let that stop you from enjoying a surfskate. You can buy the trucks cx or c7 and stick them on a cruiser or longboard. Both are fun with cx. Just look for a cruiser that Globe has with a minimum width of 9" and a wheelbase of 17-20". You'll be pumping and carvering like a champ! The boards are often just under $100 and come with perfect wheels and decks for surfskate. The bearings are faster too. I recommend the chromantic cruiser.kzbin.info/www/bejne/f4K2oJqkj9-VkJYsi=YyySfYi7lJVo9Tj6

[@JohnnySurfsideBeach]

@@MH_347 picked up a California Dusters cruiser for $50. Dig this-premium new condition. Replaced the wheels and bearings with brand new Orangatang Stimulous 70mm 80a and Bones Reds blacks. Dude said, kne new whomever he gave it to would love it or learn to love it.

[@adamgonesage]

lol 8:00

[@MrScrofulous]

Landrats Ditchlife FTW !!

[@mariok7928]

Money talk

[@ultrakool]

surf skate. sry, but that just sounds dumb

[@masterofnone1481]

So does typing sry instead of sorry.

[@ultrakool]

@@masterofnone1481 brevity is never as dumb as a skateboard that has nothing to do with physical surf

[@masterofnone1481]

@@ultrakool there are enough videos out there that show surf skate skills can transfer over to actual surfing.

[@snipeshade]

@@ultrakool commenting this just proves you’ve never ridden any of these, or you’re just not riding them correctly. They’re super fun and help a lot with practicing the right body position and movement that you would use in the water

[@ultrakool]

@@snipeshade relax, I was just having a bit of fun with the words surf skate