Oct 22, 2020

Should I Get a Skateboard or Longboard?

There is no better time than now to get yourself a board that you can ride around town, in your neighborhood, or in your home when no one’s looking! The pandemic has created a surge of interest in many different activities—those that keep you entertained indoors as well as those that let you get outside and enjoy yourself. Skating and longboarding are enjoying a surge in popularity on top of their already great growth in the past decade.

Many people are questioning if they should get a longboard or a skateboard for their needs. Groundswell Surf Shop in Jupiter FL is here to help!

Why Do You Want a Skateboard or Longboard?

Deciding which is best for you depends entirely on your lifestyle and what your needs are. As a premier surf and skate shop in Jupiter FL, many customers come through our doors every day looking for their first board. Skating is so cool that many people are fairly quickly inspired to get a board without knowing yet what they want to use it for—and that’s fine! We share the same passion for surf and skate.

Ask yourself these questions:

Are you going to be commuting with your board?
How far are you traveling?
Do you want to visit a skate park?
Are you interested in learning tricks?
How much weight are you willing to carry?

Reasons to get a Skateboard

Skateboarding has enjoyed a pretty consistent popularity, it has never gone away. A technical sport, a way of life, and eventually a career for some, skateboarding enjoyed a genesis of sorts in the 1970s and a second boom in the 1990s, since then, skateboarding and skate culture has continued to live on in its fashion and image.

The biggest reason to get a skateboard is that you want to skate and you want to look good doing it!

Work on and master tricks
Skateboards are lighter weight than longboards
You can cut corners much more tightly on skateboards
You can enjoy skating at a skate park

As you can see, all of these benefits are aimed at those who want to learn tricks ranging from basic to downright impressive. If you get a skateboard, there will always be something to learn and master. It can be an incredibly rewarding pursuit. A longboard can be beautiful, elegant, and get you around, but a skateboard that has been put through its paces feels like a pickup truck you’ve had for years—a partner that’s been with you through thick and thin.

Reasons to Get a Longboard

As lovely as skateboards are, they have their shortcomings. They require a lot of coordination and practice to even ride around with comfort. Skateboards require more effort to get you around from place to place. They require some finesse to get the right feel that will be comfortable to you.

In contrast, longboards:

Are easier to ride due to being larger and more stable
Can hit much faster top speeds than a skateboard due to the larger wheels and stability
Much more forgiving for beginner riders
Present a more relaxing ride
Make getting around a breeze

If you’re looking for a board to get you around town or your school campus, look no further than a longboard! If you’re a thrill seeker, don’t worry about the longboard being the more “boring” of the two options. While riding a skateboard is definitely more thrill-oriented, the longboard is not within its share of fun. Anyone who has found a nice hill and rode their longboard down it knows that it’s an experience worth having!

Those who visit our surf and skate shop in Jupiter FL often state they want a longboard because they want the experience of riding it to the beach.

Should You Get a Longboard or Skateboard?

The most dedicated of boarders get both! But if you need to pick one for now, we recommend getting a skateboard if you want to learn tricks and get a longboard if your primary concern if having a trusty board to get around with easily.

Visit Groundswell Surf and Skate Shop in Jupiter FL! We are dedicated to surf and skate culture and offer a beautiful selection of boards, clothing from the most fashionable surf and skate brands, and our in-store expertise to help you with whatever you need—whether that means looking for advice or simply wanting a place to talk about your passion!