Skateboard VS Longboard: Which is Best for Beginners?

If you are a beginner, the first question is: may I choose a skateboard or a longboard? It is a frequently requested question for those getting into the sport.

The short answer is: It depends on what type of riding you plan to do. Skateboards are better for performing tricks while longboards can be used for cruising and transportation.

Get a traditional “popsicle” skateboard if you desire:

• Learn lane tricks and skate park gimmicks.
• Walk quickly and quickly in overcrowded metropolitan provinces.
• Control something effortless to hold and keep.

On the other hand, if you want to get a longboard:

• Take a leisurely walk in the park.
• Traveling long distances.
• Drive very fast.
• Learn old-fashioned tricks.

Now, if your plans are a while cross, you have two other options:

But first, let’s briefly discuss what differentiates a skateboard from a longboard.

When it reaches skateboarding, you maintain plenty of options on how to begin, and one of the most crucial conclusions is which type of skateboard you want?

 From pennies to longboards, a full range of lengths is available. 

Firstly, you have to know that all longboards are skateboards. Accomplishes that say stupid to you? Yea. Everything is supposed to subsets of skateboards. The way to tell the types apart is by length, so we’ve created a simple infographic for you:

Skateboard VS Longboard: Which One is the best?

I talked to the beginner most of them don’t know about the right longboard. They even don’t know how they select the right longboard.

I understand that! It cannot be obvious. But believe me, it’s not necessary.

I’m not listing a bunch of cheap longboards and skateboards because it doesn’t help.

Instead, I’m going to teach you the easiest way.

There are a few specialties to regard;

• Your ridding style
• Your environment
• Your budget

Arrange these three things, and you will be golden. Now I will indicate to you some choices.

Which one is easier – Skateboard or Longboard?

From an early point of view, the learning curves in skateboarding are longer because you have a smaller level to maintain balance. Longboards contain considerable externals that permit you to remain on your board. At higher speeds, bigger wheels, wider trucks, and more expansive decks make you less likely to get hit at high rates.

The longboard is better affordable than the skateboard. Longboards have wide, long, and flexible wheels, making it very easy to keep your balance. Skateboards are challenging to ride due to their small size and rugged wheels.

Skateboarding and longboarding are very different sports and have a lot in common. You won’t be carrying a longboard to the skate playground and won’t be shelling the cliffs on a standard skateboard. If you slam on the right wheels, you can walk a little on both.

Skateboard vS Longboard Features

I think it’s safe to say – without offending anyone, although some skateboarders are sensitive – that the longboard is a particular type of skateboard. Still, for this topic, I would use the “skateboard” to refer to the classic 32-inch popsicle-shaped boards on which we often see children jumping off the sidewalk or flying around skate parks.

Longboards are mostly bigger than skateboards. Lengths vary greatly, but even a tiny longboard is generally more comprehensive and has larger trucks and larger, softer wheels than a skateboard. There are exceptions, though, such as the “Hybrid” and “Mini Cruiser” longboards (read more about them).

When we talk about the size, most skateboard tiers are only over 30, and longboards can go from 24 to 48.

Longboards usually hold a long wheelbase, which estimates the length between trucks. Wheel distance plays a vital role in stability when riding at high speeds.

The shapes of the longboard deck also vary – while the skateboard deck has the same classic popsicle shape, 8 ″ to 30 ″ wide. Longboards can be smooth or directional, drop platform, pantile, wheel cutout, rocker, camber, or more or less concave; combinations are infinite.

Let’s focus on what’s best for the type of ride you’re planning.

Easy to Ride: Skateboard or longboard

A long skateboard will be a better choice if your main goal is to stroll around town and boardwalks.

As a beginner, it will be more challenging to understand to stand on a regular skateboard than on a longboard because the skateboard has a short deck and a short wheelbase, which causes the skateboard to be unstable.

Even once you adjust your balance, you will encounter a very high and fast ride due to the skateboard’s small, hard wheels.

 If you expect lots of thrusts and a big, wide turn, go with a full-size cruiser or a Pentail, even if the deck is up.

Long Distance Riding: Skateboard or Longboard

If you want to use your primary board for the long-distance ride, you’ll require an easy-to-move, more developed, and high-speed board.

A skateboard will generally climb at the speed of a bicycle but not at the rate of a car. You must push hard to maintain momentum, which is tiring over long distances.

The slide deck and slide throw longboard are the most relaxing. A long wheelbase, large wheels, and efficient bearings will help you roll less, push more efficiently and move faster.

Once you’ve developed the right skills, a longboard will also allow you to “pump long distances,” building speed and momentum without pushing (see the engraver on the longboard).

Metropolitan Travel: Skateboard or Longboard

Skateboards may be better than large, slow-flexing longboards for this type of use.

When you’re sightseeing, you must carry and haul your board over and over, during and after your ride. You can quickly put a regular skateboard in a bag, put it under your arm, and put it in a locker. The handling of a standard longboard is heavier.

The skateboard will allow you to quickly cross small road obstacles or hit your board on the pavement.

Nevertheless, a skateboard will not give you a comfy ride on cracked and rough sidewalks – you’ll sense every lump and feeling hurting on your knees.

There is the only solution is that you should install onboard wheels on your standard skateboard tier. You will need to add a riser (1/4 or 1/2) to reduce wheel bytes when turning due to the large cruiser wheels touching the road bridge.

Using this setup, however, you can walk better on crowded sidewalks and streets than on a longboard. So that’s good. Just get a skateboard with big wheels and a riser.

Not so fast!

It would help if you also considered the Mini Cruiser Longboard option. For city rides, a mini-cruiser is a serious contender and alternative to street skateboarding.

Freestyle Trucks: Skateboard or Longboard

It is where the choice of skateboard shines the most. Skate Parks, Half Pipes, Warts, Bowls, Street Trucks, and Rail Grinds – it’s all part of the DNA of popsicle skateboarding, with kick dunes, stiff wheels, and a full-length anus.

However, there is a longboard version of freestyle. Small cruising longboards, such as the Charged Coyotes, look like giant street bridges with one or two kick tails, similar in length to a skateboard but often slightly more comprehensive and have a pointed nose (toward the side).

If you are selecting a small longboard other than a skateboard, you can move better comfortably than a skateboard without altering spins.

Freeride and Downhill: Skateboard or Longboard

If your goal is to ride fast and slide, there’s not much to argue about: go for a full-size longboard. Most the longboards are created to deliver more unified commands at increased speeds than a skateboard because they have bigger spins, more extended wheelbase, and more subordinate tiers.

Actually, with the cruiser’s wheels, a standard skateboard will likely never offer you the calmness and convenience required to rocket if it accomplishes.

I don’t want to tell you too much detail here regarding which sort of longboard you require for freeriding and downhill. It only depends on how speedy you like to move, how multiple specialized slips you want to do, to build your experience, etc.

These factors will determine whether your longboard is tall or short, high or low above the ground, flexible or stiff, with large or small/hard or soft wheels, etc.

Dance: Skateboard or Longboard

If your main interest is the stylish and elegant discipline that is dancing. In that case, it’s not a matter of breathtaking: get yourself a dancer’s longboard, one of the huge, a little flexible, usually upstairs, symmetrical light concrete planks.

This type of board will give you the space and stability you need for crossovers and spins and a plane for drawing on flat ground. The skateboard deck will likely be too small and stiff, the wheels are too small and stiff, and the trucks are too narrow for this type of ride.

Driving Environment

It is essential to consider your driving climate. It will help you determine the best components for your installation. I will cover a few scenarios to paint a clear picture.

You’ll desire big, smooth wheels on your board; if the streets where you ride on keep holes and stones more significantly, softer wheels will spin easily over rough terrain as they break down and absorb shock. Hard wheels are more likely to catch you and throw you off the board.

You will even need a deck with an extensive side. A longer and broader deck will provide more surface area for balance. If you have more additional deck space = it means you have more space for your feet.

Fast Turn

If you live in that area where you want a fast ride, here are a few things to consider.

You may want traditional King Pin Trucks (TKP) over reverse King Pins (RKP). TKPs are more flexible because they have a larger baseplate angle, giving more flex. However, be aware that TKPs will not handle high speed and reps.

A smaller wheelbase will also contribute to a more efficient setup. If you need to be able to corner tightly, the short wheelbase TKPs come into play.

You can even view a form that has a lift tail/nose with a more elevated phase. If you can’t complete a closed arch established on the significance allocation, you can utilize the lifted tail to modify.

If that sounds like your way of riding, you should check out Cruiser Skateboards.

Pros and cons of a skateboard

Pros and cons of a longboard

Gather it All – Skateboard VS Longboard

The ambiguity of whether or not to choose a skateboard or a longboard as your first (or next) board is evident if you use it for tight urban commuting, street painting, oil and kick trucks, or skate parks.

If you plan on making one, a regular skateboard can be a versatile, elegant, and portable solution. You can ride alternately with a set of stable skateboard wheels (small and hard) for practicing tricks and longboard wheels (large and soft) for cruising and transporting.

Be aware that installing large wheels on the road deck will cause the wheels to flex in potentially tricky turns. Installing risers can reduce the problem. Some riders also tighten their trucks to keep them from over-rotating, which hinders their ability to tune the board.

Another great option that can give you both maneuverability, agility, and portability for getting around town is a small/mini cruiser. These “longboards” are locally designed to ride with cruiser wheels, offering good comfort while being nimble and “kickable.”

At the end of the Spectrum freestyle are “hybrid” longboards, close to skateboards in shape and size, but with added capability for everyday riding.

For most other types of use, including long-distance walking, free riding, downhill speed, and old-fashioned dancing, your best bet is choosing a “real” longboard with enough wheelbase. Big trucks and the right amount of flex for your goals.

Conclusion

Skateboarding and longboarding are both significant cases for themselves and promise great fun. All you have to do is consider what you need in a row. Are you more relaxed and cruiser type? Or do you prefer ramping and stunts? Because of the shapes and sizes of the boards, it’s easy to get used to them, find your balance, and understand your first moves.

Longboards are less active than skateboards, but reversals, ramps, and barrel rolls are possible with the proper technique.

Williams Jayson

I am a longboarding enthusiast and a blogger. On this blog, I share tips, tricks, and advice based on my experience. I am dedicated to helping newbies improve their skills and enjoy this fun activity to the fullest.