What is the Difference Between a Skimboard Vs Surfboard?
The main difference between skimboards vs surfboards is the way you use them. In this article, we explain some other differences as well as the benefits of skimboarding vs surfing and vice-versa.
Comparing surfing to skimboarding is a bit like comparing bodyboards to skimboards, they are similar but different. They often attract similar people and the sports often crossover when the opportunity arises.
Some differences between skimboards and surfboards include the construction and materials they are made from, the shape, size, and thickness which are all visually obvious. If you are deciding between a skimboard or a surfboard you should know they are not the same at all and require very different skill sets.
6 Differences Between Skimboards and Surfboards
Skimboards are designed to be used in shallow water using a run-up to gain momentum. Surfboards are designed to be used on waves in deep water using your arms to paddle into the wave.
- Shape, Size, and Thickness
- Materials and Design
- Riding Technique
- Board Control
- Barriers to Entry
- Riding Opportunities
- Popularity
Benefits of a Skimboard Vs Surfboard
Surfing is by far the more popular of the two sports but there are benefits to skimboarding that surfing doesn’t have. Here they are:
No More Waiting for the Perfect Wave
The major benefit of skimboarding over surfing is that you don’t need to live near a beach or wait for waves to skimboard. You can skim anywhere there is a shallow pool of water which includes puddles on the road or in a field caused by rain.
Flatland skimboarding is a subsection of the sport which takes place in city water fountains, swimming pools, ponds, and rivers. And so skimboarding is spreading across the country and does just happen in coastal regions.
If you live in the city and there are some interesting water features or spaces that flood slightly when it rains then grab your board and get after it. The point is that you can skim anywhere with a skimboard.
All You Need is a Skimboard
Unlike surfing, you don’t need any extra gear like a wetsuit, flippers, fins, or leashes to use a skimboard. If you are skimboarding at the beach you don’t need anything other than your swimsuit and the skimboard. If you are skimboarding away from the beach then you will probably want some sneakers that you don’t mind getting wet.
Not only does this mean you don’t have to spend as much money to start skimboarding but also means you don’t have any additional baggage. Skimboard bags are the only addition you might want if you are in a city and walking between skimboarding spots. The best part is that you don’t have to worry about carrying or drying wet wetsuits.
You Only Get Wet if You Fall
While you should definitely know how to swim before skimboarding in the ocean, you don’t have to expose yourself to deep water if you don’t want to. So long as you stay in the shallows you will rarely have to swim when skimboarding. That is unless you are trying to skim out to a wave from shore and ride it back in.
Surfing requires a lot of upper body strength to swim out past the shore breaking waves and then also to paddle into a wave. If you fall off a surfboard you will need to swim back to the surface in choppy waters and then find your board if it hasn’t been snapped by the wave.
No More Getting Tangled in Your Leash
Skimboards don’t have leashes because they would just get in the way and aren’t even necessary in the first place. If a skimboard had a leash connected to your ankle there would always be the chance of catching it on a rock. Not to mention the additional friction that would mess with the board’s ability to skim over the surface of shallow waters.
Sneakers or Barefoot
While surfing requires special surf boots if you don’t want to go barefoot, skimboarding can be done in a pair of old sneakers or barefoot if you prefer. You don’t need any extra equipment other than your skimboard and the clothes you already own. On a sandy beach, we never wear sneakers but in the city or if it is a rocky beach then some flat-soled shoes can help protect your feet.
Board Tricks, Jumps, and Rails
While there are plenty of tricks and maneuvers you can perform on a wave with a surfboard, you are somewhat limited in what you can experiment with. With a skimboard though, you can get creative and start to incorporate jumps, rails, spins, and whatever you like because you can control the setting.
Think of all the spins, jumps, rails, grabs, shuvits, and even flips you can do with a skimboard. Then compare that with the much larger surfboards that also have fins to keep the board aligned with the wave and allow you to carve.
Skimboards are Easy to Store and Can Have Dual Purpose
Skimboards are much smaller than surfboards both in length and thickness which makes them so much easier to store or transport in a car. Where surfboards need to be attached to the roof of a car and take up a bunch of space in your house, skimboards can be easily tucked away or used for other things.
If you are under the age of 40 and have friends that surf then no doubt one of them either uses a skimboard as an indo board or a makeshift coffee table. Skimboards aren’t a pain to store and can be used for other purposes which is one benefit they have over surfboards.
Benefits of Surfboards Vs Skimboards
Surfing is much more popular than skimboarding around the world but what are the benefits vs skimboarding?
Hiring Equipment and Teachers
Surf schools and surfboard hire are big business anywhere there are good waves. This means that anyone on vacation can give it a go for the first time with the help of an expert showing them how to do it. It also means you don’t have to pay extortionate fees to transport your own surfboard through an airport.
Now try looking for skimboard hire or skimboarding lessons and you will see that it just doesn’t exist. There isn’t enough demand… yet. For this reason, surfing is easier to try for the first time which inevitably leads to more people becoming surfers after they try it once.
Catch Waves from Further Out with a Surfboard
Unlike skimboarding which starts on solid ground, surfers can just hang out and wait for a wave. This allows surfers to ride bigger waves for longer and ultimately connect with the ocean in a deeper way. There is also less traffic out in the water whereas on the shoreline you have to be very careful that your skimboard doesn’t hit anyone if you lose control.
No Two Waves Are the Same
Skimboards require relatively flat and stable conditions to work properly which could get kind of boring if you are going to the same skimboarding spots all the time. Whereas with surfing, no two waves are ever the same and I don’t know any surfers who have ever got board riding a wave.
So now that you understand the differences between a skimboard Vs surfboard, which will you choose? Let us know in the comments.
