Skateboard Advice

Pintail or Dropthrough: Which one should I choose?

The amount of board shapes and designs in longboarding is ever-growing. With so many shapes and styles to choose from, how are you supposed to narrow down what’s going to be best for you and your ability level?

Two of the most popular and common shapes are pintails and dropthroughs. These are both great for beginners and intermediates and really vary depending on what type of skating you want to do. The boards obviously look different, but that difference goes much farther than appearance.

PINTAIL STYLE LONGBOARDS

The pintail is the most classic and recognizable longboard shape. Its lines are sleek and look very similar to a teardrop surfboard. This deck profile is far less technical looking and much simpler to create for board manufacturers. Most commonly associated with its surfy feel, it’s the board that most people gravitate towards when they are just starting out purely because of familiarity with the design. Its deck is mounted on TOP of the trucks – meaning it stands higher off the ground and pivots farther with each turn lending to a very carvy and floating feeling when riding. Since it’s higher off the ground you have to dip your foot down deeper for each push so it’s best used for smooth cruising, carving, and not necessarily distance. This board profile can be a bit tougher to learn how to slide because it’s so high off the ground, however, the pintail is a great board for someone looking to “Surf the Pavement” and cruise around town with friends.

DROPTHROUGH STYLE LONGBOARDS

For distance skating, commuting, and anyone looking to slide or learn more technical riding, the dropthrough is the board for you. Its trucks are actually mounted through the board, where it “Drops Through” the deck, basically hanging off the bottom of the trucks on the hardware through the board. This gets the board much closer to the ground and lowers the board for smoother riding. Through its drop-through style trucks, this board pivots less aggressively and has a super STABLE feel – even at higher speeds. This makes it great for people who want to go longer distances or use the board for commuting. Since Dropthrough longboards sit closer to the ground, it is also more stable for learning to carve, slide or practicing new tricks. One learning curve beginners often face with a dropthrough board is improperly placing their foot too far forward and accidentally catching the wheels. You wouldn’t want to stand over the trucks on a dropthrough, just like you would with the traditional pintail.

So which board wins in each category? Remember that either board is capable of any style but one will outperform the other.

SKATE STYLE	PINTAIL	DROPTHROUGH
Cruising	X
Carving	X
Sliding		X
Distance		X
Commuting		X
Surfing Pavement	X
Freeride / Freestyle		X

What type of cruiser skateboard should you choose?

Generally, there are two types of cruiser skateboards, which differentiate from each other by their materials and shapes. Both types are optimal for kids, beginner skaters, as well as for skaters who would like to have an agile board with smooth riding characteristics. Most cruiser skateboards are designed with a kick tail in the back of the boards, similar to old school pool skateboards.

We here explain to you the two types of cruiser boards available here at SkatePro:

PENNY BOARDS & CRUISER SKATEBOARDS WITH A PLASTIC DECK

Cruiser skateboards of plastic also know as Penny boards, are designed with small narrow decks and of lightweight materials. These types of boards therefore offer a great turning ability and are easy to carry, and because of that, optimal for children. They are typically designed with large and soft wheels, making the boards fast and easy to ride.

These types of boards are not optimal for tricks. So if that is what you or your kid desires, a normal skateboard is preferable.

CRUISER SKATEBOARDS MADE OF WOOD

Wooden cruiser skateboards are a fusion of skateboards and longboards. They are ideal for transportation or just cruising around the city. The design of the decks is a bit wider than the plastic cruiser boards, making it easier to ride.

Besides that, compared to skateboards, they are most often designed with a higher truck and larger and softer wheels, which makes it easier to ride.