Learning how to ride a surf skate might just be the best thing you ever do for your surfing. Not only does it improve your general strength and stamina, but it also allows you to finetune your surfing technique even when it’s flat or you’re miles away from the ocean. Riding a surf skate helps surfing by allowing you to develop the dynamic body movements that surfing requires, improving your balance, and speed generation and helping you to navigate through turns.
Surf skates are specifically designed to stimulate the movements and flow of surfing, with a different front (and sometimes back) truck to standard skateboards. The unique wheels and trucks of a surf skate enable a wider and more fluid range of movement compared to your average skateboard or longboard. This setup can improve your surfing to no end because it allows you to practise your turns, carving and pumping on land.
It’s also super fun and rewarding when you start to get into the flow of it… This is why we’ve decided to include an Introduction to Surf Skating training on loads of our international trips and Newquay surf coaching programmes!
Where we offer surf skating:
If you’re still on the fence about picking up a surf skate, these reasons should change your mind (and will change the way you surf forever!).
Improves balance, control and coordination
If you want to ride waves for longer, stability, coordination and controlling how your body weight is distributed are super important skills to learn. Surf skating mimics the experience of surfing, so any skills you learn on your surf skate will be transferred onto your surfboard. You can make tighter turns (thanks to the unique front trucks), practise shifting your weight and improve your toe and heel control. You’ll see huge improvements in your ability to turn your board and stay with the wave for longer.
Teaches speed generation
Pumping is hard to learn, but once you’ve got this skill down, you’ll never miss a section again. Generating speed requires small movements with your board and syncing up compressions, extensions and arm movements. The trucks of a surf skate allow you to pivot side to side more quickly, meaning you can build momentum and speed. It’s also a lot easier to learn how to pump on a surf skate because you can repeat the technique until it flows.
Builds strength and stamina
Surfing is the best thing you can do to stay surf-fit, but when you’re not able to get in the water consistently (like when it’s flat or you don’t live near the ocean), surf skating is the next best thing. The constant carving, foot placement adjustments and other leg movements in a skate session will work your leg muscles, giving you a good lower body workout. It also engages your core muscles as you twist and turn your body, improving the strength and stability of your core.
Creates muscle memory
Repetition is key to improving. Surf skating is a great way to get consistent repetition without needing to live by the ocean or having to wait for the ideal wave to try specific manoeuvres. It gives you the opportunity to repeat and refine movements that can then be transferred to your surfing. And the more you repeat a manoeuvre, the quicker you program it into your muscle memory, meaning it will flow effortlessly when you get back on your surfboard.
Community and friendships
The surf skate community is just as welcoming and awesome as the surf community – especially as most of them are part of both! It’s a great way to be social, connect with like-minded people and make new friends both at home and abroad.
No waves? No problem!
Whether the surf has gone flat or you live in a landlocked area, you can still get some surf-replacement therapy! All you need is your own surf skate and a flat stretch of tarmac and you’re ready to shred!
Fancy learning how to ride a surf skate? We’ve now added an Introduction to Surf Skate to our International Surf Camps and selected Newquay Surf Coaching Programmes in 2024! From opening your shoulders and using your arms to draw clean lines through your turns to toe and heel control practice to control your board, we’ve designed workshops and drills to improve your balance, strengthen your muscle memory and increase your rate of progression on a surfboard.
