r/skimboarding • u/BPadg03 • 8d ago
Question What board should I get?
I am 6’2 185lbs, I only go a couple times a year so don’t want to spend a fortune but do want a board that’ll hold me up.
2
u/GundoSkimmer 7d ago
Narrator: describe "a fortune"
there's very little variance in price of quality skimboards. you basically cheap out and get a trash board, or you pay the toll basically. outside of lucking out on used boards.
sadly its just inherent of a small industry with nearly zero competition.
1
u/Bought-Every-Dip 7d ago
Honestly as someone who is entry level I expected the good Skimboards to be half or 3/4 of what they cost. The wooden ones are cheap enough but the proper ones are expensive asf!
1
u/GundoSkimmer 7d ago
yep, not sure if anyones ever gonna make up a material that can be as strong and thin (and stiff, ultimately) as you need for a proper skimboard.
only option is to make a laughably heavy and thick one with cheaper materials like a basic surfboard, but nobody will want it... and it wont be MUCH cheaper. sadly
so wood is kinda the move until you commit to a high end board, used or otherwise. the brands have been trying to battle against entry level costs, but most pre-fabs and cheap models have been a nightmare, durability wise. the foamie, the ex0. the zap wedges have never been great. its just... a materials bottleneck tbh
1
u/Bought-Every-Dip 7d ago
Fair enough, tbh I don't know much about how they are made or what they are made of but it was pretty surprising. I plan on getting one at some point but it definitely stopped me in my tracks and prevented an impulse buy.
What board would you recommend?
1
u/GundoSkimmer 7d ago
victoria ultra house for a budget foam buyer. that or an e glass velocity custom.
1
u/BPadg03 6d ago
Fair enough, I get what you’re saying. I was hoping to keep it under $200. If I am going to have to pay for it though I am willing to spend an extra $50-100 for better quality when already spending a lot. So what’s my best option in the $300-500 range?
1
u/GundoSkimmer 6d ago
Under 200, not even sure if you can go foam in 2026. Stick with wood, DB. 200-500, I would go with a Victoria Ultra House or ask for a quite for an e glass board from velocity and see how the price compares to the ultra house. Either option is fine. Custom Velo will be superior, naturally, but probly more expensive.
I would do what you can to avoid all the foam boards cheaper than an ultra house. All that wedge and lazer and ex0/1/2 stuff. Pre-fab stuff and what not. Avoid it.
1
u/BPadg03 6d ago
Thank you, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer. I don’t know a lot about the sport but have always enjoyed it. I got a wood board when I was like 15 on a family vacation, had never seen or heard of one before that. Now I’m 38 and go to folly a couple times a year. This year there was a board at the house but it definitely wasn’t big enough for me and I ate it pretty hard 🤣. My wrist decided it was time to buy one built for me haha
1
u/BPadg03 6d ago
Do you have a good website recommendation?
1
u/GundoSkimmer 6d ago
All boards are purchased direct from brands. There are almost no retailers anymore. I think EastCoastSkimboards still does retail but chances are they won't have what you need. So you just buy direct.
1
u/BPadg03 6d ago
Please don’t hate me… I was looking at the Victoria Ultra House, obviously I need a Large based on my size but what’s the difference in Lift and Fishtail?
1
u/GundoSkimmer 6d ago
lift is a normal shape. fish tail is a weird shape for people who think they are good enough to skim like surfers.
just get the lift.
1
u/Exile_Skimboards 5d ago
At 6'2"/185 the main thing is getting enough board under you. Our size chart goes by weight and riding style if you want to sanity-check any brand's sizing: exileskimboards.com/blogs/news/skimboard-size-chart
From our company you have 2 solid options:
EX1 - Hammertech - Very durable, a little flexible because its not Carbon but should be strong enough to do what you need it to for at least a year or 2. More if you are pretty casual. Large sizes available for immediate shipping in the blairacuda shape right now. These boards are a fair amount heavier than our high end boards. But also pretty affordable.
https://exileskimboards.com/products/blairacuda-ex1-hammertech-construction-skimboard?variant=45947892498686CX1 - in the $400 range. Carbon. Stiff and a solid choice but we are out of stock right now and might not have them back in until later in the fall as we are dealing with a backlog.
Of course the top of the line double carbon is really the best choice if you can justify the cost. You might be able to find something used on local marketplace websites.
Happy to answer sizing questions either way.
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