Which skimboard?

Question

Hi! I am looking to get into skimboarding. I have tried a couple times with my friends. My problem is, what board? I weigh about 225 and I know thats pretty heavy for a skimboarder. Please share your opinions.

Answer 1

Holy c**p!!! Nice answer. If I were to say anything, I would look like a total idiot. I'm starting skimboarding too. I think a small or medium size board is good for me, but a good all around beginning baord is a foam board. You might need a large foam board. I say give that guy^^^^^^^^^^10 points!!!

Wait, he only copied the website, but he still put effort into it.

Answer 2

I used to skim for a few years until I got into surfing.  Now I only skim occassionally.  skimonline.com has always been my favorite site for skimboard material.

Skimboards

What board should I buy?

This is a very difficult question to answer.  If you are new to skimboarding or don't know much about skimboard design, you may find it helpful to visit the board design section before reading this one.  You also may want to check out the board size section and the choosing a board section.

In this section I will try to explain the pros and cons of different skimboard manufacturers in as unbiased a manner as possible.

Exile Skimboards

Exile Skimboards is the new kid on the block.  Created by Aaron Peluso (webmaster of Skim Online) and Andy Chiavetta in 2002, this company has been a decade in the making.  Andy Chiavetta has been making boards for himself and friends under the name ChiaSkim since 1991.  People were always asking for boards but Andy never had time to make them.  So Aaron and Chia got together and turned it into a commercial enterprise.  The result is Exile Skimboards.  They offer ultra high quality boards in two distinct shape variations, Traditional Rocker & Constant Rocker.  Traditional Rocker boards are pretty much flat all the way up to the nose where all the rocker is.  This is the way skimboards have traditionally been made.  These boards ride similarly to offerings by other the major manufacturers.  The other variation is Constant Rocker skimboards.  These boards have almost no flat spot at all.  The rocker is continuous over the length of the board.  These boards are stable and turn on a dime but lose some distance in weak conditions.  They are ideal for powerful shorebreak.  Check them out.

Victoria Skimboards

Victoria has long been known for making the best skimboards.  Recently that perception has begun to change however as many tout other brands.  They are a large company based in Laguna Beach CA.  Victoria's boards are all made by hand using a vacuum table technique that was first adapted to skimboards (in large numbers anyway...) by Victoria.  Victoria's boards tend to be of good quality with medium weight and strength.  They tend to be good all around boards with a medium amount of rocker well balanced for all kinds of riding.  You can get them in custom shapes but you are probably better off sticking with their proven designs.  You can also get whatever artwork you like for an extra charge.  Their cheapest foam boards start at around $180 and go up past $320+ for a polyvac carbon board with no art (prices are approximate, see their website for details).  These prices may seem high, but I know from experience that it takes a good deal of work to make a skimboard, and materials are not cheap.  Needless to say, Tex Haines will not be hanging out with Bill Gates on your money anytime soon.

Victoria sponsors the most skimboarders of any company.  Victoria is also known for sponsoring the unofficial world championships of skimboarding at Aliso every year.

All things considered, a Victoria skimboard is a very good purchase.  They are time proven shapes built by people who have been dealing directly with the worlds top riders since the 70's.

Slotstik Skimboards

Slotstik Skimboards.  The main thing that sets Slotstiks apart from the pack is the large flat spot on the bottom of the board.   Needless to say, they are great boards and are worth checking out.  Slotstik holds a skimboarding contest in LA county every summer.

Zap Skimboards

Zap Skimboards is probably the biggest skimboard manufacturer by volume in the world.  Many of their boards are made by machines using a process similar to snowboard construction.  Most of their board models are seen as more of an entry level products.  In early 2001 they came out with a new model, the Carbon Chronic.  This board which retails for $350.00 is clearly aimed at the top of the market and is a departure from Zap's roots.  I have yet to see one that was not a blem but I expect they are nice boards.  The blems seemed very nice.

Zaps are wildly popular on the east coast, however it would be hard to find one on the west coast.    Most of their boards are very cheap and aimed at the entry level market!  I would consider buying one if I knew I wasn't looking for a top of the line board and I was very tight with my money (buy one of their better ones though, No "Bats" or "Bullets" please!)  (Or inversely with the Carbon Chronic I would buy one if I simply loved the board and didn't care about money!).  Zap skimboards sponsors several large east coast contests every summer.

Maui Skimmers

Maui Skimmers are the most unique skimboards around.  Their theory is to make boards that are shaped more like surfboards.  The result is a longer thicker board with a drawn out nose.  The boards tend to turn on a dime and you can throw huge sprays with them.  When you are riding one you really feel like your in control.  There are drawbacks however.  The boards tend to be a little bit slower than most and the longer nose can get in the way on smaller waves.  For this reason they are best in big waves breaking right on shore (like in Maui!).  Their boards cost $250 each, before art.

Aspects of Skimboard Design

When it comes to buying or building a skimboard you have to look at two basic categories, wood and foam.

Wood Boards

Wood boards come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are made of all different kinds of woods. They are cheaper ($60+) than foam boards with good reason, wood boards are very hard to ride in the water. Because the boards are made from wood they are extremely heavy. A small wood board may weigh up to 20 pounds which means that you sink when you hit the water. Wood boards tend to be more popular on the east coast where the beaches are flatter and much of the skimboarding that people do takes place only on the sand. This isn't to say that you cant ride waves on wood boards or on the east coast. It's just harder and takes more practice.

Foam Boards

Foam boards on the other hand tend to be very expensive ($160+). There is less variety in shapes and sizes mainly because the designs are well tested and the people who make foam skimboards know what works and what does not. Foam boards are very popular on the west coast and in Hawaii where skimboarders ride waves more. In fact I have been skimming for 10 years and have only personally seen a handful of wood boards. Foam boards are light and buoyant. My board weighs just over 3 pounds. Prices for foam boards start at around $170 and go all the way up to $300. This is because the materials are more expensive and they are harder to make. All things considered, if you plan on trying to ride waves, you need to consider investing in a foam skimboard.

The Properties of a Skimboard

There are five main aspects to skimboard design; shape, thickness, rocker, rails and weight. All of these however only make a huge difference when you ride on the water. If you are only riding on the sand then none of these are extremely important.

Size & Shape

Obviously a bigger skimboard is going to float better than a smaller skimboard but there are also other considerations. You want make sure and match the size of the board with your weight and athletic ability (i.e. how fast you can run). Boards that are narrow tend to turn quicker but do not carry as far over the water. Likewise boards that are wider in the middle tend to go far out in the water but not turn very well. Also boards that are shorter tend to offer more front to back control.  More important than the boards shape however is it's overall size.  A larger board will turn slower but go further and faster.  Likewise a smaller board will turn on a dime but you may have trouble reaching the wave!  For more information check out the board size section.

Thickness

Thickness also contributes to how far a board travels over the water. Thick boards travel further but remember that added thickness also contributes to added weight. Also thick boards do not turn as well as thin ones. They tend to be less responsive. Time proven thicknesses are 5/8 of an inch and 3/4 of an inch.

Rocker

Rocker is the amount of curvature in the nose of the board. The purpose of rocker is to help you make the transition from the sand to the water as smoothly as possible. Obviously a lot of rocker would be desirable for this purpose but unfortunately too much rocker makes a board slow. Rocker is one of those things that varies a lot from rider to rider. Its all personal preference. On the east coast 2 inches is common while on the west coast 3 inches is common. This is because the beaches on the west coast tend to be steeper therefore requiring more rocker.

Weight

The weight of the board is pretty easy to figure out, lighter is better. It is possible to get a board that is too light especially if you live in a windy area but in general just get the lightest board that you can. One other consideration is that in extreme cases the board may be light due to the fact that the fiberglass is not saturated enough, if your making your own board be sure and use enough resin.

Tail Shape

Skimboards have many different tail shapes.  The one pictured above is one of the most common, a pintail.  Pintails help a skimboard to be very stable in the water.  Other common tail designs are swallow (W shaped) and square tails.  Both of these tails give a board more manueverability in the water.  By using one of these tails, you effectively shorten the board.  This gives the board a twitchy feel because front-back mobility is less constrained.  One benefit of swallow and especially square tails is that they throw a much bigger spray.

Choosing a Skimboard

People often send me email asking me what board is right for them.  The answer is that I don't know.  Even if I knew them and knew how they skimmed it would be hard for me to choose a board that they would like.  There are simply too many factors for another person to be able to accurately tell you what kind of board you are going to like best.  Only you can choose the right board for yourself.  In this section I will tell you how to do it.

Know What You Want

Before you even go shopping you should know what you want.  As a trip to the board design section will tell you, different board characteristics have predictable results on how the board performs.  Get to know these different design factors and get an idea of what you want based on how you ride and how you would like to ride.

Know What is Available

Your next step should be getting to know what is out there.  There are quite a few manufacturers out there and none of them are the best for everyone.  Check out the buyer's guide for my general thoughts on the different board manufacturers.  Keep in mind though that I am just one person with one opinion.  There are certainly others who will disagree with me.  Try to get other people's input.  One good way to do this is to use the message boards or the skimlist.

Make Your Decision

Keeping in mind what you have learned and make an informed decision.  If you are serious about skimboarding I always recommend getting the board you think is best regardless of price.  Remember, you will probably be riding this thing for over a year.  If the board you really want costs $100 more, that works out to under 28 cents a day.  I think you can afford that right?  Now stop reading this and go get yourself a board!

http://skimonline.com/equipment/index.ht...

Answer 3

Victoria are my favorite. Start with the woody, then work your way up to the foam, and then the poly. Hope this helps...