Why You Should Get a Cruiser Skateboard

I remember the first time I bought a cruiser board; With so many choices, I was hesitant, but it turned out to be one of my best skating decisions to come. In this blog post, you will learn about the positive and negative sides of owning a cruiser board, and in the end, you will know if this is the right choice for you.

Different Cruiser skateboard decks

Cruiser boards have a huge variety of decks, and they come in different sizes, shapes, and types of wood. The cruiser board deck is the first thing you notice that is different from a regular skateboard; the standard skateboard is known for its popsicle shape.

Regular skateboards are shaped for performing more technical tricks, but cruiser skateboards have the purpose of transportation; the decks are shaped to provide more stability and control; usually, they will have a wide deck.

If you want to find out what type of cruiser skateboard deck you want, I recommend visiting Landyatch's youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtJbGxnvoR4 This link is a video that shows a variety of different Dinghy cruiser boards.

They film a handful of areas where the cruiser skateboards thrive, some basic tricks that make the cruiser board fun and talk about why that specific cruiser board is their favorite.

Cruiser board types

Dinghy classic

Shaped by Landyachtz: The Dinghy classic is one of the first cruisers Landyacht made. It has a mellow inward concave that is not noticeable; it is designed to give you more control. This board is excellent for beginners, and it is made of Canadian maple wood to make it sturdy.

It has sanded wheel wells; this makes turning more manageable and reduces wheel bite. They have also added a tail for sharp turns/kick turn and the ability to perform tricks. You can choose to change what trucks and wheels you want for the board, but they have already suggested what parts work best on their website.

Dinghy shape 9

Shaped by Landyachtz: Out of all the other boards on this list, the Dinghy 9 is my favorite. This cruising board is based on the Dinghy classic, but they have extended the nose on the board. The middle of the board and tale is also wider; this makes the board feel extra safe to stand on, and it's easier to perform kick turns.

The trucks on this cruiser are much smaller than on a traditional skateboard; the point of this is to make it possible to make much sharper turns. With small trucks like this, it almost feels like you are surfing when you are cruising with this board; the only downside is that it's harder to balance on the board because of the smaller size.

Beginners probably shouldn't start with this cruiser, but it will not be too hard to get used to it if they do.

Dinghy Blunt

Shaped by Landyachtz: The Dinghy blunt is a cruiser with a design that provides comfort, it has extra width, which makes it comfortable to stand on, and the standard trucks are larger.

The design makes this one of the more beginner-friendly boards, requiring less balance. The board is made of Canadian maple and has a slight inward concave for turning; they have also included a tail on this cruiser which gives it the ability to perform tricks more easily. I recommend this if you have bigger feet or are looking for a stable cruising board.

Dinghy Coffin

Shaped by Landyachtz: The Dinghy Coffin is like its name, shaped like a coffin, it is a more narrow board that can be strange at first, but by being slim, it becomes much more agile. This board is perfect for riding places with less space because of its shape; you can do some sharp turns since it also has a kicktail.

It has sanded wheel wells to make sharper turns easier and a mellow inward concave for extra control when turning. Since this is a smaller board, I can recommend this for short distances.

Dinghy XL

Shaped by Landyachtz: The Dinghy XL is one of the Landyachtz crew's favorite boards, it has the same shape as the Dinghy Coffin, but the difference is that they have wider decks. It has the same features as the Coffin, but it is more stable.

I recommend this board for the people interested in the Coffin but have big feet.

Tug Boat

Shaped by Landyachtz: The Tugboat is the big brother of the Dinghy Classic, but this board is wider both on the deck and the trucks.

The Tugboat has a mellow concave for better control, and it has sanded wheel wells; like the other Landyachtz cruisers, it is made of Canadian maple wood.

It has a kicktail for tricks and kick-turns, but it will be more challenging to perform tricks since this cruiser is heavier.

If you have larger feet, I recommend this cruiser if you are interested in the Dinghy Classic.

Mini Cruisers

Made by Pennyskateboards: the small cruiser boards on penny skateboards are a perfect example of what mini cruisers can be. My first cruiser was a mini pennyboard, and I loved it.

The size of the deck made it easy to carry around, and once you get used to the size, it feels pretty good to ride on. I would not recommend this to you if you have big feet, but you should absolutely buy it if this board fits your size. The biggest downside would be that it is tough to do tricks on a pennyboard.

Shaped by Bambooskateboards: Bambooskateboards has a small collection of mini cruisers. Since the decks are made of bamboo, the cruiser becomes lighter.

This is a fun cruiser to use, but I can only recommend the decks on this site; this does not mean that the other parts are bad; unfortunately, I haven't gotten a chance to try them.

Surf cruiser

Surf cruisers usually have the same size as a regular cruiser skateboard, they have a nice amount of space to stand on, but most of them are made without a tail.

Perfect for transportation

Cruiser boards are ideal for transportation. They are a lot smaller than longboards, so carrying them around isn't a problem, but they still have bigger wheels, making it easier to roll far.

It is easy to carry around a skateboard, but the wheels are much smaller and harder; this makes you roll less when you ride, and it is easier to fall on cracks or gravel. With skateboard wheels, there is also a lot of vibration when you ride, and this can become uncomfortable, but with a cruiser board, riding on rough surfaces will feel like a smooth ride.

When you are using a cruising board, it is comfortable enough for long rides, but since it has a relatively small size, it is perfect for shorter distances as well. If you need to get on the bus or other vehicles, it will not get in the way of others, and if you regret your decision to bring your board with you, it is not a pain to carry around.

Softer wheels make a more comfortable ride

Like longboards, cruisers have soft larger wheels; this is my favorite perk of owning cruisers. Of course, you can have cruising wheels on a skateboard, but you will need to add rasing pads, which will add an extra cost.

With soft wheels, long distances feel comfortable, making skating for a long time fun; with cruisers, you can also achieve higher speeds while having better stability.

Basic tricks for cruising skateboards

You can do a lot of tricks on a cruising skateboard, but if you want to be like Tony hawk, you should probably go for regular skateboards. You can do almost every trick on a cruiser that you can on a skateboard, but it will be harder.

For example, some cruiser skateboards have smaller trucks, making it almost impossible to do tricks like railing; you can still go down a rail if you choose to do tricks like board slides.

If you want to skate on skating ramps, you should probably get a skateboard, I have had a lot of fun with cruising boards on skate ramps, but it is easier to balance and do tricks with a regular skateboard.

Flip tricks on cruisers

Like I said earlier, if you want to be like Tony hawk, you should get a regular skateboard; it is possible to do a flip trick while riding on cruisers.

The main reason I wouldn't recommend cruisers is that they aren't shaped to do tricks. It is also harder to land a trick with softer wheels and heavier decks. With a skateboard, you have harder wheels and wider trucks; this makes a better ride if you want to do tricks.

Conclusion

Cruisers are great for transportation, it is easy to carry, and it is smooth and fast. If your goal is to learn tricks, you should stick with a regular skateboard, but there are a lot of tricks for cruisers as well. Remember to wear safety gear, so you don't get serious injuries.

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