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Longboard Deck Basics

Most longboard decks are made of shaped wood, bamboo, or composite materials, designed to balance properties of weight, stiffness, flex, and twist, while offering a secure stance, and accommodating the height and weight of the rider. The simplest longboard decks are made from 7 to 10 plys of 1/16" thick birch or hard rock maple. These woods are glued together, and pressed into the desired shape with a vacuum, hydraulic, or manual press. More complex longboard decks include the use of fiberglass and carbon fiber for decreased weight and increased stiffness, solid hardwoods for stiffness and aesthetics, foam cores for rigidity and light weight, and even exotic materials, like bamboo, for lesser weight and increased flex. Learn more about longboard decks below.

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Longboard Deck Design

The longboard deck is often given curvature that enhances their use. A longboard that is bent up in the center (when viewed from the side), is said to have camber, while a board that bends down in the center is said to have rocker. Camber allows a board to be 'bouncier' which is a good quality for some styles. Rocker allows a lower center of gravity, and a sensation of being 'cradled' by the deck during riding similar to the rocker in a surfboard. Longboard decks may also be curved up at the edges (when viewed down the long axis), which is called concave. Concave bends add stiffness, leverage, and allow the rider to feel the edge of the deck without looking. Other bends, such as a bend up at the tail or nose (kicktails) are common on more specialized decks. These days, longboard decks have been made any shape you could possibly imagine. One of the newer shapes that have become popular is the drop down deck. The main part of the deck is dropped down 1-3 inches along with a concave. This deck has become popular on the downhill scene for it's stability and speed.

Personalized Longboard Decks

Many people have explored outside the realm of brand name equipment and find making their own decks as highly beneficial. A great variation that some riders enjoy is in the covering over the top of the deck. Some decks will have grip tape, basically a sheet of sandpaper covering the deck itself. Some decks are covered with sand and a liquid fiberglass that makes the deck extremely rough and easy to grip. Many riders enjoy adding their personal touch to their boards, often painting or carving in their own artwork straight on the deck. Others also make their own decks for the benefit of having the exact flex and shape from their board that would cost much more money if made custom. They have also come up with alternative, cheaper and easier ways to create various types of boards. For instance, many racing-style speedboards feature a deck that drops down to cradle the rider and to give more stability. In order to lower a rider's center of gravity, a home-made speedboard will usually have its trucks mounted to the top of the deck, with the axle and bushing pushed through a hole drilled in the deck. It looks as good or better than a "drop deck" while eliminating the need for radical contours and still offers the same feel. Drop-through trucks are also good for cruisers when the board isn't so long that it will bottom out when it turns. The lowered board makes it more comfortable for a rider to push.