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Slide Surfskate Review: The Budget Street Cruiser Surfskate for Beginners
Slide is a surfskate brand out of Spain that is very popular in Europe. Unfortunately, Slide is not as well known in the U.S. because there’s not very much distribution and availability here.
That’s unfortunate because, in my opinion, Slide is one of the top surfskates in the world. And at a price of $219.99, Slide surfskates are among the best budget surfskates. I also think they’re among the best surfskates for beginners.
Read this review to see if a Slide surfskate is right for you.
To save time, money, and hassle in choosing the best surfskate for you, get my free Surfskate Selector app now.
Watch My Slide Surfskate Review on YouTube
Bottom Line Up Front
I like the feel of the Slide V3 surfskate truck with compression spring and I include it in my list of the top 10 surfskate trucks. I categorize it as a “street cruiser.” It feels very stable and generates a lot of forward momentum. This means it’s a fantastic option for non-surfers, but probably not the best surf trainer for surfers.
Slide surfskates are not the highest quality, but that is reflected in the price. Given their stability and price, I think their niche is a great budget option for non-surfer beginners.
If you’re just getting into surfskating and you want something stable and inexpensive, then a Slide surfskate is a great option.
Slide Surfskate Component Parts
Let’s look at the component parts on Slide surfskates, starting with the Slide surfskate truck:
Slide Surfskate Truck
The Slide V3 surfskate truck is an adjustable spring-based design with a range of motion comparable to the Carver CX (although I’d say a bit less than the CX).
The Slide surfskate truck is lower to the ground than any other surfskate truck and has less rail-to-rail lean than comparable surfskate trucks.
This means that the Slide surfskate truck is best for street cruising, not for technical surf training. Skaters with a background in skateboarding may particularly enjoy the Slide surfskate truck.
The Slide surfskate truck is also an excellent option for beginners because it’s so stable.
I rank the top 10 surfskate trucks on a scale of pure surf trainers on the one hand to pure street cruisers on the other. I place the Slide surfskate truck on the far right as a pure street cruiser.
Compared to pure surf trainers, the street cruising Slide surfskate truck:
- feels tighter and snappier.
- is more responsive to lower body movements, particularly ankles and knees.
- Creates more forward momentum with pumping, as opposed to lateral side-to-side motion.
- This means it is better for riding longer distances.
What this means is that, while the Slide surfskate truck is very functional, I don’t recommend Slide surfskates to surfers wanting to use a surfskate for surf training.
Slide Surfskate Decks
Slide surfskate decks are made of 7-ply maple. Though they’re not the highest quality, they’re still great.
The one Slide surfskate deck I don’t like is the Swallow models. It doesn’t have much of a kicktail and it has coarse grip tape, which means your feet slide around on it.
Personally, I prefer Carver surfskate decks over Slide surfskate decks, but a Slide deck will get the job done.
Slide Surfskate Wheels
Slide Surfskate Wheels 70mm
70mm x 55mm 78a
Slide Surfskate Wheels 65mm
65mm x 55mm 78a
Most Slide surfskate models come with wheels that are 70mm in diameter with a 55mm wide contact patch and 78a durometer.
Two models come with wheels that are 65mm in diameter and with an angled lip profile.
As the brand name suggests, the urethane in Slide wheels makes them excellent for sliding. In fact, of all stock surfskate wheels, I would say that Slide wheels are among the best for sliding.
Slide Surfskate Models
On their website, it looks like Slide offers 21 surfskate models. However, there are actually just 8 models, most of which with different design options. Those models include:
- 30″ Quad Sunset
- 30″ Joyful Series
- 31″ CMC Performance
- 31″ Gussie Series
- 32″ Diamond Series
- 32″ Fish Series
- 33″ Swallow Series
- 35″ Neme Pro
Personally, my favorite Slide surfskate models are the Gussie and Diamond models.
I do not like the 35″ Neme Pro model at all, as I find that the wheelbase is too wide for the Slide truck, which means it doesn’t pump very well.
For help with choosing the right Slide surfskate model for you, get my free Surfskate Selector app now.
Slide Surfskate Price
One of the other big advantages of Slide is that they’re one of the most affordable surfskate options out there.
In the U.S., Slide surfskates cost around $200. Carver surfskates cost anywhere from $270 to $285.
This means that Slide surfskates are a good budget street cruiser surfskate for beginners.
Personally, I prefer Carvers over Slide and I think Carvers are worth the extra money if you have the budget.
Are Slide Surfskates Good for Beginners?
The Slide V3 surfskate truck is one of the most stable surfskate trucks. Furthermore, it is adjustable.
This means that Slide surfskates are excellent for beginners. In fact, I’d say that the Slide surfskate truck and Carver CX are the best surfskates for beginners.
For help with learning how to ride your Slide surfskate, get my video course, “Surfskating for Non-Surfers.”
Where to Buy Slide Surfskates
Slide’s distributor in the U.S. is Hot Buttered Surf. Unfortunately, they don’t offer Slide surfskates for sale on their website, so you have to find one of their dealers.
Contact Hot Buttered Surf to find a Slide surfskate dealer near you.
For more help with choosing the best surfskate for you, get my free Surfskate Selector app now.
I’m not sure how I lucked out getting one of these on sale for my first surf skate, but so stoked. It lined up exactly with what I wanted I had planned on getting a carver but couldn’t justify the cost at almost $500 NZD, for a total beginner.
Don’t normally comment but wanted to say I keep finding your reviews and tutorials online and they’re all awesomely helpful.
Your beginner surf skate tutorial was brilliant. My ankles hate me right now but, brilliant
Thanks from New Zealand.