There are many aspects of surfskate wheels to consider that affect how they ride and feel. These include diameter, durometer, contact patch, surface, edge, core placement, and urethane thickness.

Read this article to discover the best surfskate wheels for a wide range of applications.

Best Surfskate Wheels Review Topics

• Ideal Properties and Specifications of the Best Surfskate Wheels
• Best Surfskate Wheels Guidelines Infographic
• Best Surfskate Wheels for Tight Carving
• Best Surfskate Wheels for Pumping & Cruising
• Best Surfskate Wheels for Sliding
• Best Surfskate Wheels for Park and Bowl Riding
• Aftermarket Wheels that I Do NOT Recommend for Surfskating

After testing close to 20 sets of aftermarket wheels , I’ve discovered some universal properties you want to look for in surfskate wheels.

Obviously, I can’t definitively say which are the best surfskate wheels, because there are so many variables and so much personal preference involved. Also, I obviously can’t buy and test every wheel out there that might possibly work good for surfskating and give you my take on every single one.

So in this review, more than just giving you specific wheel recommendations, I want to give you good guidelines for choosing surfskate wheels so you know what you’re looking for on all the different wheel variables.

The first thing I want to cover is all of the different attributes of a wheel you should be considering for surfskate wheels. And with each of those attributes, when it comes to surfskating specifically, I’m going to give you a standard and an ideal range.

Next, I’ll take you through all of the aftermarket wheels that I’ve tested and end by revealing the top wheels I recommend for surfskating.

Ideal Properties & Specifications for
the Best Surfskate Wheels

So let’s start by understanding all of the different aspects of wheels that impact their performance. And in each aspect, what are we looking for specifically when it comes to surfskate wheels?

The main aspects of wheels to consider for surfskating are:

• Diameter: Diameter determines how high a wheel is. This is important when it comes to surfskate wheels because of the potential for wheelbite.
• Durometer: The softness or hardness of the wheel. This determines whether a wheel gives you better grip or better slide.
• Contact Patch: The width of the wheel that touches the ground.
• Surface: Smooth, which make for more grip, or stoneground, which makes for more slide.
• Edge: Square for more grip, rounded for more slide.
• Core Placement: Offset for more grip, centerset for more slide.
• Urethane Thickness: Thicker makes for a softer ride.

Diameter

The smaller the wheels, the faster they will accelerate, but the lower their top speed will be. The bigger they are, the slower they’ll accelerate, but the faster their top speed.

For surfskate wheels, I recommend 63 millimeters at the very smallest and 75 millimeters at the biggest.

The bigger you go beyond 70mm, the more wheelbite becomes a concern. It’s possible to add as many risers as you want to get bigger wheels. But then your surfskate becomes very difficult to pump anyway.

For me personally, the ideal range for surfskate wheels is between 66 and 70 millimeters. That’s my recommended diameter range when it comes to surfskating maneuvers and street cruising.

But when it comes to parks and bowls, you want smaller wheels. For that, I recommend 58 millimeters to 65 millimeters at the biggest.

When you’re choosing diameter, you want to consider the terrain you’re riding and your riding style.

If your terrain is very rough with lots of pebbles, then you want to go on the bigger end. Because the bigger the wheel, the easier it can navigate rough terrain.

If you’re cruising for long distances without a lot of sharp, tight maneuvers, then you’ll probably prefer bigger wheels.

However, if you ride on smooth concrete and you do sharp maneuvers, then smaller is probably best for you. Say 66 to 68 millimeters at the most.

Durometer

The next aspect of wheels to consider is durometer. This refers to the softness or hardness of a wheel.

The scale to measure durometer ranges from 75a to 100a. The lower the number, the softer the wheel. The higher the number, the harder.

Softer wheels give you more grip. Harder wheels are easier to slide. That’s just personal preference based on your style of riding.

For the best surfskate wheels, my recommended durometer range is between 78a and 84a.

However, that is actually complicated because durometer is not an objective scale. Every urethane has a different formulation. So you can have two different urethane formulas with the same durometer rating, but one will be softer than the other.

So navigating durometer can be a little bit tricky. You really have to play around with that and get experience with it.

If you like a lot grip in tight carves, you will want softer wheels. But if you do more sliding, you’ll want harder wheels.

For park and bowl riding, you want wheels that are both smaller and harder than typical surfskate cruising wheels. For that, you want a durometer range of between 84a and 97a at the very hardest.

Contact Patch

The next aspect of wheels is the contact patch, or the width of the wheel. This is a bit tricky because some wheels have rounded edges. In this case, the wheel is wider than the contact patch.

But generally speaking, when we talk about contact patch, we’re referring to the width of the wheel.

The narrower the contact patch, the more nimble your carving will be.

I’ve found the ideal contact patch range for surfskate wheels to be between 42 millimeters and 51 millimeters. And honestly, 51 millimeters is even bit wide for me. For me, the ideal contact patch is right around the center of that scale, 47-49 millimeters.

Wheel Surface

Wheels come in two surfaces: smooth and stoneground. Stoneground wheels are ground at the factory, which creates a rough surface that aids in sliding. A smooth surface wheel will give you better grip. A stoneground wheel will give you better slide.

My experience is that I much prefer smooth wheels for surfskating. I’ve only found one set of stoneground wheels that I think works well. So for most riders, I recommend a smooth wheel surface for surfskating.

If you’re good at sliding, you can get a slide out of any of smooth wheels.

But you may want to try some stoneground wheels for easier slides. I’ll give some recommendations below.

Wheel Edge or Lip Profile

The next aspect of surfskate wheels to consider is the edge or what you might call the lip profile. Some wheel edges are sharp, others are rounded. Sharp edges give you more grip and rounded edges give you more slide.

Core Placement

The next aspect to consider for the best surfskate wheels is core placement. This refers to where the bearings are positioned on the wheel.

In centerset wheels, the bearings are positioned directly in the middle of the wheel. In offset wheels, the bearings are offset to one side.

Centerset wheels give you more slide. Offset wheels give you more grip. In most cases, you want offset wheels for surfskating, although there may be exceptions.

Urethane Thickness

The final aspect of surfskate wheels to consider is urethane thickness.

Different wheels have different core sizes, which make for different thicknesses of urethane. The thicker the urethane, the softer and more comfortable the ride.

A thinner urethane feels bit more jarring. You’ll feel those cracks in the pavement a little bit more.

Guidelines for the Best Surfskate Wheels

The Best Surfskate Wheels for Tight Carving

Surfskate Love 65mm Surfskate Wheels

Call me biased, but my favorite surfskate wheels for tight surfskate carving are my own Surfskate Love 65mm surfskate wheels. After all, my partner, Gavin Conti, and I developed them for that very purpose.

The foundation of these wheels is the extremely high-quality, high-rebound urethane. Our flothane™ formula is grippy and fast, and feels buttery smooth for the flow of surfskating.

We took great pains to get the specifications just perfect for surfskating. The 65mm diameter gives you quick acceleration and nimbleness for surfskating. The 49mm width and 46mm contact patch are slightly narrower than Orangatang Love Handles. This makes them slightly easier and more nimble to pump and carve.

The offset core position gives you the perfect combination of grip and release for confidence through advanced maneuvers.

We also added a bit of a radius to both the outside and inside edges. This makes them a bit easier to slide and less prone to chunking than square-edged wheels, and makes them last longer.

Our surfskate wheels come in three durometers: 78a, 81a, and 84a.

Use the softer 78a to get more grip and a more plush feel on rough surfaces. Use the harder 81a to get more slide and faster speeds on smooth surfaces. Use the hardest 84a for park and bowl riding and the easiest slides.

Orangatang Love Handles 65mm

I’m a big fan of Orangatang Love Handles. I find them to be the closest comparison to Surfskate Love 65mm surfskate wheels.

They’re fast, grippy, smooth, and nimble — everything you want in a surfskate wheel.

Orangatang’s “Happy Thane” formula is one of the most popular urethanes on the market.

Compared to Surfskate Love 65mm wheels, Love Handles are wider and have a sharper edge.

They also come in two durometers: 77a blue and 80a orange. Use the 77a blue for more grip and comfort over rough surfaces. Use the 80a orange for more slide and faster speeds on smooth surfaces.

Best Surfskate Wheels for Pumping & Cruising

Surfskate Love 70mm Surfskate Wheels

The 52mm width and 48mm contact patch are slightly narrower than Orangatang 4Presidents. This makes them slightly easier and more nimble to pump and carve.

Orangatang 4Presidents

If you like to ride for long distances and you like to get speed, these are hard to beat.

I do not find these to be a suitable all-purpose surfskate wheel because they’re too big. This means they’re not as nimble for pumping and carving.

Best Surfskate Wheels for Sliding

 
These wheels are stoneground and have rounded edges, which make sliding easier.

Orangatang Stimulus

They come with a 49mm contact patch, stoneground surfsace, and a rounded edge. They come in several durometers. My favorite is the 77a in blue because they give you better grip as well.

Best Surfskate Wheels for Park & Bowl Riding

For surfskate bowl riding, you want wheels that are smaller and harder than typical surfskate wheels.

My team rider David Kemppinen, an advanced skateboarder, has tested 20+ park and bowl wheels for surfskating. He published his conclusions in a 9-part review video series.

In this video he gives his bottom-line take on all the wheels he tested:

Here are David’s top wheel recommendations for surfskate park and bowl riding:

Powell Dragons 60mm x 42mm 93a

According to Powell’s website, “Dragons are mid hardness 93A and 97A wheels that smooth out rough terrain. Now you can roll over previously unskateable terrain on your way to a skate spot, and then skate it as well or better than before with the same wheels. This is because dragons slide like 99A and 101A wheels and still grip when needed, making dragons special and unique.”

These wheels feature an asymmetrical sideset shape. They have a 30mm contact patch, rounded outer lip, and squared inner lip that creates extra space for grinding.

They excel on smooth to mildly rough concrete with fast rolling, good acceleration, and intuitive, quiet slides.

However, they may slide out during aggressive pumping and aren’t suitable for rough surfaces.

The wheels are notably durable with minimal coning. But their asymmetrical design means they can’t be flipped when worn

Surfskate Love 62mm 93a

We made the Surfskate Love 62m wheels in 93a durometer for park and bowl riding. They’re also easier to slide.

The smaller size gives you quicker acceleration. The harder durometer gives you higher speed.

The centerset core and dual-radiused edges enable easy coping grinds.

Spitfire Radial Full 60mm x 39mm 97a

They offer outstanding roll speed and momentum. They even outperform the similar Powell Dragon 60mm 93a wheels in this regard.

They slide intuitively with a characteristic loud “bark” sound. They’re particularly great for grind tricks. They offer a controlled feel and long carry, though their centerset design can crowd the hanger (fixable with washers).

Their one drawback for surfskating is that they may slide out unexpectedly with aggressive pumping due to less grip.

Interestingly, their harder 99a variant actually provides better grip on polished concrete. For riders transitioning from softer wheels, starting with Powell Dragons is recommended. But these Spitfires are an excellent choice for experienced riders seeking a fast, premium wheel for smooth skatepark surfaces.

Aftermarket Wheels that Do NOT Work for Surfskating

• Shark Wheels: Hard to pump, not good grip, slow. Watch my YouTube review here.
• Tunnel Tarantulas: Mushy, gummy, sticky, and slow.
• Powell Peralta Snakes: Too slidey for surfskating.
• Fireball Tinders: Too slidey for surfskating.
• Seismic BlackOps 63mm 84a: Too small and hard.
• Orangatang Fat Free: Too small and narrow to work well for surfkate pumping.