New to Skimboarding and looking for a decent Skimboard for Beginners?
Here are what we believe are the best Skimboards for newcomers, which anyone can ride with a bit of practice.
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Beginner Skimboard Materials
Skimboards for beginners are easy to run with, drop, get on and ride for reasonable distances. However, they also must be durable, so they are not accidentally broken.
Flexible Skimboards are best for beginners as they are very forgiving of mistakes and harder to damage. They are also easy on the ankles and knees.
Wood Skimboards are the preferred material for most beginner Skimboards. They are among the best priced, flexible and very durable.
While Foam, Fibreglass and Carbon Skimboards are lighter and of better quality, the rider needs a certain skill level to get the most out of them. These materials are for the intermediate-advanced riders who know their moves, can use the Skimboard to its full potential and are less prone to mishaps, which can lead to broken Skimboards.
Wood Skimboards are near impossible to snap, while foam, fibreglass and carbon Skimboards can and do snap when misused.
If you’re a newcomer to Skimboarding, your best bet is to invest in a wooden board and move to an intermediate-advanced Skimboard made from foam, fibreglass or carbon when you have your techniques down want to progress into technical skimming and wave riding.
Beginner Skimboard Shapes
Skimboards are available in four shapes the Pintail, Swallow Tail, Roundtail and Square tail.
The Pintail is pointed at both ends. This shape is very stable and easy to ride, perfect for beginners.
The Swallow Tail (AKA Fish Tail) features two points which enable sharper turns. However, quick turning isn’t a concern at the beginner stage, so leave the swallow tail for the experienced riders.
The Round and Square Tail Skimboards offer good balance with improved turning compared to the Pintail. Square tails generally turn sharper than round tails.
Skimboards can be symmetrical (same shape and width at tail and nose) or Asymmetrical (different shape and width at nose and tail)
The ‘Rocker’ is the curvature of the nose (front) of the Skimboard Rockers on beginner skimboards are shallow. Intermediate-advanced Skimboards have a sharper, more aggressive rocker to cope with wave riding.
Beginner Skimboards Length & Widths
Skimboards come in a range of lengths and generally are wider the longer they are. The correct width and length depending on your body weight. Larger Skimboards are easier to learn on. When buying a Beginner Skimboard, it’s best to err on the side of longer rather than shorter.
That doesn’t mean you have to buy the longest Skimboard available; when given a choice, opt for the slightly longer Skimboard over the slightly shorter one.
All Skimboard brands provide weight to length chart so you can pick the correct size Skimboard for you.
The Best Beginner Skimboards
The best Skimboards for Beginners include
DB Flex Skimboards
The DB Flex Skimboard is extremely thin, flexible, and constructed from 3-ply maple. The deck has a micro concave and continuous rocker.
This Skimboard is very soft on the knees and ankles and forgives mistakes.
The deck is symmetrical and coated in diamond-cut EVA foam that provides grip, so you don’t have to wax the deck.
DB Standard Skimboards
DB Standard Skimboards include the same micro concave and continuous rocker but are slightly stiffer than the ‘flex’ as they are made with 5-ply maple instead of 3-ply. The deck is still friendly and flexible, though, probably the right flex for most beginners.
Standard Skimboards are symmetrical and include a diamond-cut EVA foam deck that doesn’t need waxing.
Circle One Wood Skimboards
Circle One is a market leader in Skimboarding, and their entry-level wood Skimboard is excellent for beginners.
The deck is constructed from flexible multilayered plywood finished in gloss varnish.
The deck features a round tail and is available in sizes 30″ and 39″ to accommodate children and adults up to 70kg.
Two Bare Feet Pintail Skimboards
Two Bare Feet Pintail Skimboards are lightweight with little flex due to their 7-ply construction. In addition, the deck has a pre-curved nose which lends itself well to sand skimming.
Available in lengths of 37″ and 41″ in various designs. Swallow Tail shapes are also available from Two Bare Feet for beginners who want to develop their turning abilities.
Victoria Woody
The Victoria Woody is a classic pintail shape Skinboard with a low rocker offering stability and control.
Constructed from Russian birch and available in various sizes to accommodate all riders between 30-210lbs.
Sandfish
Sandfish Skimboards are constructed from lightweight and flexible poplar laminated wood.
The deck is coated in grippy soft foam that doesn’t require waxing and features a round tail that provides excellent control.
Available in three lengths 35″, 40″ and 45″ for riders of 125lbs, 125-175lbs and 175lbs+
BPS Gator
BPS Gator Skimboards are made from flexible multilayered plywood. The Skimboard features a roundtail and generous rocker that provides a good balance.
The deck’s coated in EVA and is available in three sizes 30″, 35″ and 40″
Osprey Skimboards
Osprey Skimboards are ideal for most beginners. They are a pintail shape with a generous length of 41″, which will accommodate riders of most sizes.
The Osprey is slightly stiffer than most beginner Skimboards with a 7-ply construction.
Skim One EVA Deck Skimboards
Skim One Skimboards are 41″ long with a round tail and coated with non-slip EVA foam.
The skimboards are made from 7-ply poplar that’s been treated to withstand saltwater.
A stiffer beginner’s deck that will accommodate riders up to 90kg in weight.
Liquid Shredder Firwood
Liquid Shredder offers Firwood Skimboards, which are more flexible than conventional plywood.
The Skimboards are available in lengths of 35″ for children and 41″ for teens and adults in various colours.
The deck is coated in EVA foam, so no waxing is required.
Lucky Bums Skimboard
The Lucky Bums 39″ Skimboard has a low rocker, which helps prevent nosediving, a good advantage when learning how to Skimboard.
The mid-length makes this Skimbaord suitable for riders of most sizes, from children to lightweight adults.
They are constructed from flexible plywood with a high gloss coating. Multiple designs are available.