Selecting the right Koastal Board

Need help selecting the right board for yourself, friend, or family member? Don't worry we are here to make sure you select the ride board.

Longboarding is an awesome sport that has swept adrenaline seekers coast to coast. It’s easier than skateboarding, yet still gives you that feeling of cruising sideways. Snowboards, surfers and skiers are all attracted to longboarding in addition to those who are just attracted to the freedom and chill feeling of longbaording. The wheels are softer and bigger than those of a trick short skateboard, so it’s a much smoother ride and more “beginner friendly.” There are various shapes, lengths, widths and flexes for different rides. Once you’re comfortable on a longboard, you can really get down with carving, board slides, speed and other tricks.

At Koastal the majority of our boards are built and designed for cruising and carving......

Cruiser LongboardA cruiser board is a longboard for a means of transportation and perfect for beginners. Some are shorter, designed to easily weave in and out of foot traffic and get you to work, school, the store or for a bite to eat. If you think you’d like to bomb some hills, then opt for a longer board for more stability at higher speeds. Next, you’ll need to decide on the length, stiffness and tail shape which we’ve defined for you…

• Deck Length – Naturally, this is the length of the board from nose to tail (in inches). A board raining from 28″ – 46″ is a great choice for a cruiser board. If you are new to longboarding, going any shorter than this will make it more difficult to learn. Unlike snowboards, length is more of a preference than a necessity. If a snowboard is way too short for your body size, it could easily break and won’t offer a true flex. Longboards are different in that the length is almost complete preference. Again, shorter boards enable one to make shorter, quicker turns and longer boards are great for carving at high speeds. If you’re totally lost on what size to get, go for a board thats in our a 40"-49" length.

1. Shorter Cruising Boards – Lengths in the 20″ – 29″ range are perfect for young riders and shorter people. However, taller people can rider shorter cursing boards if they have their skills down since it will be slightly more difficult to control.
2. Mid-Sized Cruising Board – Longboards in the range of 30″ – 39″ are the most popular and recommended for newbies of all sizes. With a length between small and long, these boards are just right and can do almost anything!
3. Longer Cruising Board – Great for longer, relaxed rides, these boards are perfect for the sidewalk or cursing the boardwalk when the surf is flat. Be forewarned, these boards can be quite heavy to carry! 40"-49" / 50"-59" / 60"-69"

• Deck Flex – Flex is a pretty important component of a cursing longboard. The flex of the board will absorb some of the rough terrain, bumpy roads or tiny rocks. This type of shock absorption will also help to relieve some of the stress on your knees and ankles. Making it easier to balance and push, riding lower to the ground adjusts your center of gravity. If you would like some flex, be sure to check out the weight range on the board.  On the other hand, a stiffer board will provide more stability. Such boards are popular for downhill longboards and are sort of the ‘original’ style of longboards. One thing to consider is that newbies could find a very flexy board to be quite challenging to master from the start, so a stiffer board is likely the way to go!
• Kicktail or No Kicktail - A kicktail is when the tail of the board is…kicked up a bit (think traditional skateboard shape)! Having a kicktail can be very convenient when you need to make quick turns, do tricks, and pop up and down curbs. Beginners can go either way since they won’t be using a kicktail from the start. Boards without kicktails are able to maximize the effective wheelbase (distance from one axle to the other),which allows them to be a bit more stable for beginners. If you don’t think you’ll ever be turning or doing tricks with the help of a kicktail, then opt for no kicktail.