First and foremost, you should know what type of skimboarding you would like to do, what is your proficiency, and your height and weight. Why? Well, that will influence the size of your new skimboard.
Skimboarding can be performed on the flat round, where you skim in the surface water on a shore or lake, or take it further and swing waves in the ocean. Skimboards are also earning popularity as wakeskates.
Moreover, in kitesurfing or wave swinging when you choose not to be bound to a board. Epoxy and carbon boards are light and powerful, perfect for performing stunts on the water in any capacity!
How tall should skim boards be? It entirely depends on your weight as well as your height. To choose the ideal skim board size, always see the proper measurement depending on the brand. Lastly, you may want to consult with the store for more information.
Table of Contents
The Skimboard
A skimboard is comparable to a surfboard but is more undersized and without fins. Riders generally favor their skimboards up to their mid-chest when standing up vertically.
Skimboards alter viscosity, which is mainly conditional on the construction material. Generally, their thickness varies from 1-2.5 centimeters (3/8-1 inch), while the most typical thickness range is 1.5-2 centimeters (5/8-3/4). Special high-flotation foam and “soft” boards come stouter than 5 centimeters (2 inches).
A slighter, 1.5 centimeter (5/8) board can do snappier turns at the expense of lower speed. On the flip side, a wider 2-centimeter (3/4) board can glide longer but isn’t as agile in turns.
Nearly all skimboards have a specific portion of nose lift, also known as the rocker. There are three kinds of rockers utilized in skimboards structures.
- Constant Rocker Boards – they curve top-to-bottom, from the tip through to the rear. Constant rockers offer better control on taller, steeper waves.
- Hybrid Rocker Boards – The second and most typically used type of nose lift is a hybrid rocker. Skimboards that have hybrid rockers are naturally turned from the nose down to about three-quarters of the length of the board. The final section, or the rear, is left flat. Hybrid rockers provide both superior control and decent rate on medium size waves. It is likewise the best board kind for pulling off flatland tricks.
- Traditional Rocker – a thoroughly flat board with just its nose raised. This rocker is at home where ever the waves break far from the beach.
Tip: Notably, surfers may lose their surfboards while swinging on the waves. How do we stop this from happening? What about using the leash?
Skimboard Types According to Usage
Skimboards are also ordered for precise use – primarily, wave riding or flatland riding. They likewise arrive in differing shapes and textiles.
Tip: When it comes down to safety, you should know what wind is best for surfing. This is crucial to know.
Wave Riding Skimboards
- Wave riding is the most prevalent skimboarding type. It is the most inviting, demanding, and technically mandating. That is what you mostly see on the internet: experts overwhelming everyone riding for fun or competing. Trendy skimboards are an outcome of years of growth, with plenty of trial and error attempts at design. Wave-riding skimboards show limited variation in shape, as the current form appears to be the best we can now have.
On the flip side, skimboards vary heavily from novice to high-performing, cutting-edge boards. It’s crucial to pick one that serves your style, capability, and size.
Due to their structure and capability to reach deeper water, wave-riding skimboards let the rider pull off more intricate tricks. A big enough wave can even act as a ramp, letting the skimboarder get airtime.
While in a getaway, a skilled skimmer can do various stunts and perform appealing tricks. The wave-riding boards often also float well, further extending the chances for longer tricks.
Note: It is absolutely possible to use surf wax on a snowboard. It’s so effortless that you won’t need to iron it.
Flatland Skimboards
While wave-riding skimboarders call their boards skimboards, flatland skimmers generally refer to theirs as foamies. Foamies are commonly wood and thus effortless to make, cheap, and rugged. That is also why they’re widespread among beginners.
- Flatland boards must be rugged to resist the abuse of stunts from skateboarding. Riders run them onto ramps, rubbing rails, and other things pitched for tricks. They also stand up to rocks, and covers and typically are wear-resistant.
Tip: Mind that it is not safe to surf in a thunderstorm. So, you can surely wait for better weather conditions for surfing, by all means.
Wave Riding Skimboard Materials
Closed-Cell Foam
The most recurring fabric in skimboards is closed-cell foam. This high-density foam is waterproof and rugged. Fiber-reinforced polymer mainly arrives on the outside for resistance against scraping and denting.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass skimboards are a step up from wooden boards. A skimmer can transit greatly farther and better holds a lighter fiberglass board than the stocky wooden one. These boards operate better, which is crucial for tricks and relaxed moves on a wave. The drawback: it dents more readily on rocks, stones, and shells.
Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber is the highest skimboard fabric. It is the most powerful, the most rigid, and the lightest. Hence, carbon boards are the easiest to carry and throw, and the quickest on water and wet sand.
Most skilled skimboarders use them, by all means. They’re costly, but still, they don’t make this sport as pricey as snowboarding, for example.
Tip: Have you thought about what is easier to learn, kitesurfing or windsurfing? Make sure to know the difference, it is useful.
What to Look For in a Skimboard?
There are six main details you should think about when picking a skimboard:
- Thickness – thicker skimboards traverse faster and farther but also count more weight. Extra weight indicates less responsiveness when you make a turn. The time-proven viscosity for skimboards is 1.5 cm (5/8 in.) and 2 cm (2/3 in.)
- Weight – The skimboard should be soft so it can float in the water and skim at pace. Still, if the board is too light, the wind will carry it away easily and ruin your landings and stunts.
- Speed – Skimboarders need the right timing to encounter the breaking wave at the chosen point. Yet, to have invariably good timing, you need the speed of your board to back you up. If you don’t have sufficient speed, your skim will be shorter. Not only that, but you might miss the wave break entirely.
- The rocker – The perfect rocker changes with the location. The type and height of the rocker depend on individual choice and the length at which the waves break. A lot of rocker makes the shift between water and sand more comfortable but makes the board slower. So, the farther the waves split, the less rocker you should have.
- Flexibility – The flexibility should be catered to individual taste, riding technique, and power. A more rigid board lets a farther and faster ride but could be hard for a beginner.
- The shape – There are two ends of the scope and everything in between. There are proportional trick boards, and then there are the cruiser boards, reaching a short, heavy surfboard.
Tip: Are you a fan of skydiving? If that is a yes, you should definitely know what does skydiving sound like.
How Tall Should Skim Boards Be?
The main thing to think about when selecting your skimboard size is your height and weight. For example, if you have 75 – 90kg, the board size should be 52″ – 54″. If you have 80 – 100, then the skimboard should be 54″ – 56″.
As a matter of fact, if you are smaller, you can tolerate a shorter skimboard but if you are weightier you will need the extra float of a bigger board.
When it comes to height, your skimboard should come up to your own waist to chest height. Your capacity might also influence the size you opt for as bigger boards are a little easier to ride, with more significant surface area to stand on, and more float.
Yet, they also go quicker and further, so if you are shorter and still learning, go for the most undersized board you feel you could ride in order to have that power, and be able to turn the board more effortless.
Masterful skimboarders may also go for a shorter board as they are looser and easier to execute tricks on, and they are solid enough so you know how to balance on them. Still, if your objective is speed and length, then a longer board will serve you better.
How to Set up a Skimboard?
Set up a new board by appointing the traction pads on the exterior. These pads are where you place your feet when you skim, to avoid the slip when swaying your skimboard. It’s a subject of choice where you feel most comfy setting your feet to feel level.
You may utilize wax to the board’s exterior after setting the pads, by all means. Even though it’s not needed if you possess traction pads, this may help ensure you don’t slip off the skimboard even if your feet land on the board instead traction pads, especially after stunts.
Some people like only to wax their skimboards and not utilize traction pads.
