With surfskating on the rise globally, you can find dozens of surfskates on Amazon. So how can you know which ones you can trust? Find out in this guide to Amazon surfskates.

• The Good Surfskates on Amazon
• The Okay Surfskates on Amazon
• The Bad Surfskates on Amazon
• The Ugly Surfskates on Amazon

I first started researching surfskates online when I discovered them on YouTube in about May of 2020. However, I didn’t choose my first one, the Carver Tyler 777, until October of that year.

It took me that long to choose because there was so little education. I had no idea which surfskates on the market were good and which ones to avoid.

Realizing how hard the surfskate buying process is, I set out to make that process easier for others. So the first thing I did is buy as many surfskates as I could find from all over the world.

To date, I’ve purchased and extensively tested more than 60 surfskates, which includes 30 different surfskate trucks.

I ended up creating the Surfskate Selector app, which reveals the best surfskates for you from the top surfskate brands in just 8 quick questions.

My point is that I have a pretty good grasp of what’s available, both in general marketplace as well as the surfskates you’ll find on Amazon.

So I’ve dug through pages and pages to find every Amazon surfskate I could. I’ve separated them below into the following four categories:

1. The Good: These are the Amazon surfskates I recommend.
2. The Okay: These Amazon surfskates will work fine, although you’re probably better  off with something else.
3. The Bad: Avoid these Amazon surfskates..
4. The Ugly: Don’t even think about buying these lemons!

For an even better frame of reference and the Amazon surfskates below, see my list of the best surfskates.

To save time, money, and hassle in choosing the best surfskate for you, get my FREE Surfskate Selector app now.

The Good Surfskates on Amazon

These are the surfskates on Amazon to which I give my stamp of approval, having personally tested all of them. However, before you buy one, I highly recommend that you first see my list of the best surfskates so you see these in a broader context.

Slide Surfskates

$179.95

Watch My Slide Surfskates Review on Amazon

I call Slide surfskates the “budget street cruiser for beginners.” That label is not meant to pigeonhole or limit it, but rather to highlight its strengths.

I include the Slide V3 surfskate truck as one of the best surfskates. I place those trucks on a scale ranging from “pure surf trainers” on the one hand to “pure street cruisers” on the other.

I view the Slide surfskate truck as a street cruiser because it feels tight and snappy, it responds more to lower body movements (ankles and knees) than upper body movements, and it generates more forward momentum when you pump as compared to pure surf trainer trucks.

For my money, the Slide surfskate models I like are the Diamond and Gussie. Swallow models are fine for cruising, but not a great performance option.

Pros:

• Very functional surfskate truck.
• Stable surfskate truck, which makes it great for beginners.
• One of the best budgest surfskates on the market.
• Great for street cruising for non-surfers.

Cons:

• Not the highest-quality materials.
• Not the most versatile or highest-performing surfskate truck.
• The Slide V3 surfskate truck doesn’t give you the widest range of motion or deep rail-to-rail lean.
• Not the best surf training truck.

Waterborne Surf Adapter

$69.99 – $79.99

The Waterborne Surf Adapter can be used on any skateboard or longboard to instantly turn it into a surfskate. At just $79.99, it can be a great way to get into surfskating to see if you want to explore it further.

The Waterborne Surf Adapter is a bushing-based surfskate truck, rather than a spring-based truck. It’s very functional and works well for both technical surf training and street cruising.

The one thing I personally don’t like about how the Waterborne performs and feels is that it has a very deep rail-to-rail lean. And since the bushing doesn’t pull you back up to center with as much rebound as a spring, it feels a bit mushy compared to say the YOW Meraki, which has a coiled compression spring.

The Waterborne Surf Adapter is also not the easiest device to work with. It will take you some time to figure out the installation process. And without experience, you may not be able to put together the best surfskate set-up.

Pros:

• The cheapest way to get into surfskating.
• Very functional surfskate truck that works well for both surf training and street cruising.
• Strong materials that will last and that have little to no maintenance issues.

Cons:

• Not the best feeling or performing surfskate truck.
• A bit difficult to install and configure a good complete surfskate.

Arbor Collective/Carver Collaboration Surfskates

$269.95-$279.95

Arbor Collective teamed up with Carver to create two beautiful surfskates, the 29″ Tyler Warren ($269.95) and the 32″ Randy Lovelace ($279.95), both with Carver C7 surfskate trucks.

Pros:

• The Carver C7 is one of the best surfskate trucks on the market.
• High-quality decks and component parts. Essentially like buying a Carver surfskate.
• The 29″ Tyler Warren has a 15.5″ wheelbase, which will fit riders with stance width of between 14″ and 17″. The 32″ Randy Lovelace has a 17″ wheelbase, which will fit riders with a stance width of between 16″ and 18″. This means that between both models, they’ve provided a good fit for most riders.
• Includes a bonus skate tool.

Cons:

• At 65 millimeters in diameter, the wheels are on the smaller size. They won’t roll as well over rough surfaces and won’t have as high of a top speed as bigger wheels. (Carver wheels are typically between 68mm and 70mm.)
• More expensive than Carver complete surfskate models.

Hydroponic Surfskate

$255.49

Let me bottom line this one for you: The Hydroponic surfskate uses the best Carver CX clone I’ve ever tried, and I think all of the component parts are great.

However, at $255, that puts it in line with a Carver, and I don’t think Hydroponic surfskates are as good as Carver at all. So even though I put them in the “Good” category, I recommend that you buy a Carver over a Hydroponic.

*As a rule, when you see a Carver CX clone, just know that it will probably work fine, but not as good as the original.

The Okay Surfskates on Amazon

These Amazon surfskates will work just fine for you. But if you have the budget for it, you can do better than these.

Z-Flex Surfskates

$229.94

Watch My Z-Flex Surfskates Review on YouTube

Instead of creating their own surfskate truck, Z-Flex entered the surfskate market by teaming up with Waterborne and putting a Waterborne surf adapter on several decks.

Z-Flex surfskates ride just fine, but they’re nothing stellar. Their small, hard wheels limit the terrain you can ride on, although that’s easily fixable with a surfskate wheel upgrade.

My biggest complaint about Z-Flex surfskates is that I think they’re overpriced for what they are. If they were $209, or even better, $199, I would recommend them as good budget surfskates for beginners.

Pros:

• Functional surfskate truck.
• A complete Waterborne system that works well.

Cons:

• Limited functionality and versatility.
• Overpriced, in my opinion.

Penny High-Line Surfskate

$199

Watch My Penny High-Line Surfskate Review on YouTube

Penny did the same thing as Z-Flex and partnered with Waterborne to create their Penny High-Ligh surfskate.

At just 29″ long, I call the Penny High-Line the Volkswagen Bug of surfskates. It’s small, it’s zippy, it’s fun, it’s good for kids or college students zipping around campus.

However, it’s not a serious surfskate for people looking for something more functional and versatile. I don’t recommend you buy it as you first surfskate. It’s more like having a convertible car in your garage that you take out for a fun little joyride every once in a while:

Pros:

• Functional and fun deck.
• Functional surfskate truck.
• Zippy and fun.

Cons:

• Not very versatile.
• Too small to fit very many riders.
• Small, hard wheels limit the terrain you can ride on.

TailorShape Surfskates

$159.99

TailorShape is a company out of Israel that creates surfboards, skateboards, and other products. They offer a handful of surfskate models with a Carver CX surfskate truck clone.

My bottom line take on TailorShape surfskates is that they’re okay, not great. But they’re low-priced, which makes them worth it. They truck is heavy and doesn’t give you as good of a range of motion as the Carver CX. The wheels also aren’t the highest quality, which makes them ride slow.

Like Slide surfskates, TailorShape surfskates are stable budget street cruisers for beginners.

Pros:

• Well-priced for what they are.
• Stable and functional surfkate truck that works well for beginners.

Cons:

• Not the best surfskate truck with the best range of motion.
• Heavy and slow.

The Bad Surfskates on Amazon

These Amazon surfskates are built and perform so poorly that I recommend you avoid them.

Hamboards Surfskates

$249.99 – $319.99

At the time of writing this, Hamboards offers two surfskates on Amazon, the 45″ Huntington Hop and the 43″ Pescadito.

There are a lot of Hamboards enthusiasts out there who I’m sure will take exception to me putting them in the “bad surfskates” category. But hear me out on this: Hamboards have such a unique feel that I don’t think it’s accurate to even categorize them as a surfskate. They are a feel and category all their own.

They are heavy and not very portable, which means you have to drive them to wherever you’re going to skate. Their HST-200 surfskate truck really isn’t a surfskate truck at all, but rather just a front and back truck with springs that move the truck from side to side.

You might like a Hamboards surfskate. But I 100% recommend that you not buy a Hamboards as your first surfskate. Buy one of the top surfskates first. Then if you get the bug, try a Hamboards later.

Landyachtz Surfskates

$190.95

Watch My Landyachtz Surskate Review on YouTube

If you watch my Landyachtz surfskate review above, you’ll see how I feel about it. I’ll bottom line it for you here: The truck is hard to pump and feels more like a pumpable longboard than a true surfskate. The deck is small, flat, and boring. The wheels are small and hard, which makes for a jarring ride. Not a true surfskate at all. Save your money.

Surfeeling Surfskates

$199

The Surfeeling Alpine truck does not work well at all. The trucks sit high, the decks have narrow wheelbases, and the wheels are small, all of which combine to make for a very tippy ride, which you have to ride gingerly.

Surfeeling surfskates just do not perform well or feel fun compared to the best surfskates. You’re much better off getting something else.

The Ugly Surfskates on Amazon

Do not waste your money on these Amazon surfskates. Save your money for something better.

Flow Surfskates

$131.50 – $174.37

Watch my Flow surfskate review above for full details on why I say to avoid Flow surfskates.

Bottom line: The Flow surfskate truck is very poorly made and gives you a very limited range of motion and very little rail-to-rail lean. All the parts are the lowest quality. This is a cheap, crappy board that doesn’t come close to comparing to legitimate surfskates. Save your money and invest in a better surfskate.

Anything Under $150

I think this is just stating the obvious. But I’m going to say that as a general rule, if you see an Amazon surfskate for $150 or less, it’s going to be a case of you get what you pay for. These are made by companies collecting cheap component parts from China and slapping them together to make a buck. Save your money for a real surfskate that will last and grow with your abilities as a rider.

This includes the following:

• Charger-X Surfskates ($129)
• Dakott Ferrari Surfskate ($117)
• Rhnthmhill Surfskate ($109.99)
• Ferrari Surfskate ($106.11)
• NKX Surfskates ($99.95)
• Boilgon Surfskates ($74.99)
• Losenka Surfskate ($69.99)
• Rekon Surfskates ($69.99)
• Wheelive Surfskates ($69.99)
• Maui and Sons Surfskate ($49)
• AOODIL Surfskates ($39.99)

Anything by the brand “Lordofbrands”

I have no clue where this company is from or what they’re thinking. But they’ve flooded Amazon with a bunch of surfskates that range from $217 to $326 with $140 shipping. You’ll seem them under different names, but all listed under the brand name “Lordofbrands.” They’re obviously using clone trucks and garbage parts.

For more help with choosing the best surfskate for you, get my free Surfskate Selector app now.