In this wheel bearings guide for surfskating I will share what I have learned to help you answer the questions:

• How much of a difference do wheel bearings make for surfskating?
• Is it worth it to upgrade your surfskate bearings?
• What are the best bearings for surfskating?

…and more.

Surfskate Wheel Bearings Guide Topics

• Should You Upgrade Your Surfskate Bearings?
• Wheel Bearings FAQs
• Tips for Best Bearing Performance
• My Preferences for Surfskate Wheel Bearings

Should You Upgrade Your Surfskate Wheel Bearings?

 
First of all, understand that there’s no such thing as special wheel bearings for surfskating. Surfskate wheel bearings are no different than any other longboard or skateboard wheel bearing.

Also, there’s no way to say which are the best bearings for surfskating, because everyone has their own preferences.

My bottom-line take on wheel bearings for surfskating is that they are not hugely important for most riders, relative to other factors.

High-performance, extremely fast wheel bearings might matter for advanced riders in disciplines like downhill speed riding and long distance pumping (LDP) who want every performance upgrade they can get.

But for most surfskaters, especially beginners, it’s really not necessary to upgrade your stock wheel bearings.

There are four main reasons why you would want to upgrade your surfskate wheel bearings:
 

1. Speed: You want to go faster for bowl riding or just cruising.
2. Noise: Some bearings are louder than others and you may want quieter ones.
3. Smoothness: Some bearings feel smoother than others.
4. Durability: If you ride a lot and your bearings get a lot of use, you may want to upgrade your materials to reduce corrosion.

 
If you’re thinking of upgrading your surfskate wheel bearings to get more speed, you should definitely start by upgrading your stock surfskate wheels first. Your choice of urethane on your surfskate wheels will impact your speed far more than your bearings.

However, if your bearings are damaged or rusted, then replacing them will make a huge difference.

The best bearings are bearings that are undamaged, clean, and well-lubricated.

So if your stock bearings are rolling well, you probably don’t need to upgrade.

Will you feel a difference between stock YOW and Carver bearings and high-performance aftermarket bearings? Absolutely. But do you really need that speed for general surfskating? I would say that most surfskaters really don’t.

If you are a skateboarding beginner, I would say to not even think about upgrading your wheel bearings. Focus on riding first. Once you get to an intermediate level, then you may want to consider an upgrade.

Here are the reasons I would say you may want to consider upgrading your surfskate bearings:
 

• Your current bearings aren’t rolling well or are noisy.
• You’re past the beginner stage and you’re ready to start upgrading and customizing your surfskate.
• You want to maximize your speed for bowl riding or general cruising (but only after you’ve upgraded your wheel urethane first).
• You want bearings that are quieter, smoother, and/or last longer than what you’re currently riding.

 
If durability and longevity are important to you, look for bearings with ceramic balls and stainless steel races.

Wheel Bearings FAQs

What does the ABEC rating on wheel bearings mean, and does it matter?

The ABEC rating doesn’t really apply to skateboard bearings, and the ABEC rating of a skateboard wheel bearing doesn’t tell you anything about its quality and performance.

Bearings with higher ABEC ratings are not necessarily faster than others with lower ABEC ratings.

The ABEC rating was established by the Annular Bearing Engineering Committe (ABEC) of the American Bearing Manufacturer Association (ABMA). It measures the tolerances of ball bearings used in very fast spinning machinery.

The ABEC rating goes 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9. The higher the number, the tighter the tolerance.

(Note: Abec 11 is a brand name and doesn’t belong on the ABEC rating scale.)

The ABEC rating only measures dimensional tolerances in manufacturing. It doesn’t tell you anything about the construction, materials, lubricant, speed, or load handling of your wheel bearings—all of which are more important than dimensional tolerances.
 

Is the “freeroll spin test” a good measure of bearing performance?

Don’t be deceived by the freeroll spin test. If you turn your board upside down and spin your wheels, how long they roll doesn’t tell you anything about their quality and performance. Bearings that roll longer than others in the freeroll test are not necessarily better than those that stop sooner.

The spin test doesn’t show how the bearings will perform under a load.

Some bearings use thicker lubricant than others. If you were to compare thick lithium grease to thin oil, bearings with low viscosity oil will free-spin better.

But when skateboarding, you’re applying weight and going faster. When bearings heat up from friction, the lubricant becomes less viscuous and rolls faster.

You actually want thicker lubricant in your wheel bearings. Thin oil can get foced out the seals by the centrifugal force. Thick lubricant stays in your bearings and lubricates them for longer.

The only reason the spin test would be relevant is if your bearings are damaged or rusty. If they stop quickly, they may need to be cleaned or replaced.

I’ve noticed that some bearings need to be “broken in” and get faster over time. I believe this is because bearings come from the factory heavily packed with lubricant, and with riding over time it squeezes out the seals.
 

Standard bearings versus built-in bearings: Which are better?

Standard bearings require you to use spacers inside the wheel between them, as well as speed rings on both sides of them.

Built-in bearings come with spacers and speed rings built into them:

Personally, I much prefer built-in bearings over standard bearings and I definitely think they’re worth the upgrade—especially if you do a lot of customizing and switching wheels.
 

Do you need spacers for standard bearings?

Yes, absolutely. The outer races of your bearings are kept apart by the wheel core. But without a spacer for your inner race, you can easily overtighten your axles and put stress on your bearings. This slows them down and wears them out fast.
 

Are ceramic bearings better than steel bearings?

Personally, I haven’t found much of a difference between ceramic and steel bearings and I don’t really have a preference between them.

Ceramic bearings are not necessarily faster because the balls themselves only account for a small percentage of the drag in bearings. The majority of the drag is caused by the shield and the lubricant. So speed is more a function of construction, not the type of ball used.

Also, you may think that an advantage of ceramic bearings is that they don’t rust. While this is true, the other component parts of your bearings that are made of metal will. So it’s not really true that ceramic bearings don’t rust.

I believe that the advantage of ceramic over steel is longevity over time, and especially in adverse conditions. So if you ride a lot and put your bearings through a lot of wear and tear, then it may be worth getting ceramic bearings.

Tips for Keeping Your Wheel Bearings Performing at Their Best

 
1. For your first few rides on new wheel bearings, you’ll see a lot of lubricant spinning out onto your wheel from the centrifugal force, which collects dirt. Clean this off after your first few rides. You’ll notice that this will decrease over time.

2. If you’re using standard bearings, use spacers. Or just use built-in bearings. Inner spacers are vital to the performance of your bearing.

3. If you’re not using built-in bearings, also use speed rings. Speed rings compensate for manufacturing defects in your trucks to make your bearings roll smoother.

4. Don’t overtighten your axle nuts. This pushes your bearings into the races, puts stress on them, slows them down, and wears them out.

5. If your bearings get stuck on your axle, be very careful when removing them. Don’t push anything against your outer shields, as that can ruin your bearings.

6. If your bearings make noise, replace them. They’re mostly likely damaged or rusted.

7. If you ride in the rain or through puddles and get your bearings wet, immediately clean and dry them when you get home. If you don’t, they’ll rust and you’ll have to replace them.

8. Keep them clean and well-lubricated. How often you need to clean and lubricate your surfskate wheel bearings depends on how much you ride and your riding environments. If you ride a few times a week, then you should probably clean your bearings 2-3 times a week. If you ride on dusty roads, or near sandy beaches, you may want to clean them more often.

Watch this video to learn how to clean and lubricate your surfskate wheel bearings:

Aftermarket Bearings I’ve Tested, and My Preferences

 
I want to be clear that I’m not making recommendations here, but simply sharing my preferences after testing all of these. I don’t use affiliate links and I have no reason to promote any bearings over others.

My criteria for good surfskate bearings are simple: I want them to be quiet, feel smooth, and go fast.

Also, I much prefer built-in bearings over standard bearings so I don’t have to mess with speed rings and spacers when I change wheels out.

With that said, here’s a quick list of all the aftermarket wheel bearings I’ve tested, separated by standard and built-ins and organized by price (low to high). I’ll go into my preferences below.
 

Standard Bearings I’ve Tested

• Bones Reds: $18.95
• Kveni Ceramics: $22.95
• Seismic Tekton 7-ball XT Steel Classic: $25
• Bronson G3: $30.95
• Oldboy Ceramics: $47.00
• Oust Moc-9 Airrr: $49.95
• Cuei Nano: $65.90
• Bones Swiss Ceramic: $124.95

Built-In Bearings I’ve Tested

• Holesom Holy Rollers: $15.95
• Zealous Classic Steel Built-In: $15.99
• Waterborne Skateboards High-Velocity: $19.99
• Loaded Jehunion V2: $24
• Shiver Abec 9: $29.99
• Zealous Ceramic: $33.99
• Bones Race Reds: $35.95
• Heady Shake: $45
• G|Bomb Steel: You have to buy two sets for $49.95
• Fireball Dragon Ceramic Built-Ins: $54.95
• Bear Space Balls Ceramic: $59.95
• G|Bomb Ceramic: You have to buy two sets for $69.95
• Seismic Tekton 6-ball Steel: You have to buy two sets for $90
• Seismic Tekton 6-ball Ceramic: You have to buy two sets for $95

My Preferences for Wheel Bearings

 
First of all, I much prefer built-in bearings over standard bearings. Without speed rings and spacers, built-in bearings are a lot easier to work with, especially if you’re doing a lot of customizing and switching out wheels.

Because of that, I’m not even going to comment on any of the standard bearings above. They all work just fine, but I don’t like using any of them because they’re not built-in.

Of the built-in bearings listed above, the ones I use and recommend the most are those priced at between $15.99 and $35.95 (except for two), which are:

• Zealous Classic Steel Built-In: $15.99
• Waterborne Skateboards High-Velocity: $19.99
• Shiver Abec 9: $29.99
• Zealous Ceramic: $33.99
• Bones Race Reds: $35.95

I’m not a huge fan of the $15.95 Holy Rollers because they’re a bit louder than others. I don’t prefer $24 Loaded Jehunion bearings because I find them to be slower than others. And I don’t really notice a difference between those listed above and the Heady Shakes at $45, the Fireball Dragon Ceramics for $54.95, and the Bear Space Balls Ceramics for $59.95.

So personally, I don’t think you need to spend more than $36 for surfskate bearings to get fantastic performance out of them. And I honestly don’t notice a huge difference between the $19.99 Waterborne bearings and any of the others under $36.

But if you want to spend the money to get the highest-performing bearings you can find, for me they’re the Seismic Tekton 6-Ball Ceramic XT and the G|Bomb built-ins (either steel or ceramic).

The challenge with both of them is that the companies force you to buy them in sets of two.

And I personally don’t prefer the Seismic Tekton 6-Ball Steel XT bearings because I get clicking noises from them. I’m guessing it’s a wheel spacing issue, not anything wrong with the bearings. But that has been my experience.

So with all that said, here are my personal favorite wheel bearings for surfskating:

Zealous Classic Steel Built-In Bearings ($15.99)

Zealous claims some secret sauce in their lubricant:

“The unique feature of our lubricant is how the nanoceramic compound fills in deformations or asperities in the bearing. These deformations cause friction and heat around them which hardens the nano-ceramic compound to that specific area. This micro coating is 5 times the hardness of the host alloy and has a molecular bond with the host metal, filling in all the asperities and eliminating friction over time.”

Personally, I don’t notice much of a difference between these and Zealous ceramics. So unless you want more longevity out of your bearings, I don’t see the need to spend the extra money on ceramics. But you may want to try that for yourself.

Waterborne Black Chrome High-Velocity Bearings ($19.99)

Although they’re one of the cheapest options, they are remarkably quiet, smooth, and fast. I believe they’re faster—or at least have quicker acceleration—than Zealous bearings. They fit perfectly into every wheel I’ve tried them on.

And at a price of just $19.99, I don’t worry so much about them getting damaged or rusted because they’re easily replaceable.

Shiver Abec 9 Bearings ($29.99)

On their website, they say that the secret sauce is that,

“Shiver has acquired the exclusive rights in the skateboarding industry to use Pro One’s lubricant that is used by NASA. Forget the Abec ratings, they actually mean almost nothing. The lubricant is the difference maker. Shiver’s bearings are manufactured to the highest standards and utilize Pro One’s patented lubricant. The lubricant works with friction and heat – the more you ride, the better they spin!”

I have no way to verify this claim and whether or not this special lubricant makes a huge difference. But I know that these bearings are quiet, smooth, and very fast and I like them a lot.

Seismic Tekton 6-Ball XT Ceramic Built-In Bearings
(Two Sets for $95)

Seismic claims that, “Fewer, larger, stronger balls means less total friction and better acceleration and speed on straightaways.”

I find these to be extremely fast and I use them for bowl riding.

However, as I said above, I don’t use the Tekton steel 6-ball built-ins because they click for me.

My only complaint about these is that Seismic forces you to buy them in sets of two for $95.

G|Bomb Built-In Bearings
(Two Sets of Steel for $49.95, Two Sets of Ceramic for $69.95, Package with Both Sets for $59.95)

G|Bomb says that what makes them great is “meticulous attention to the details that take a bearing from good to G|Bomb good,” and “super-secret, low volatility, ultra-stable, synthetic lubrication leveraged from the aviation industry.”

I love these bearings and believe them to be among the best you can buy. I prefer them over Seismic Tekton 6-Ball bearings because 1) they’re cheaper but perform as well, if not better, and 2) their spacing allows me to cinch my axle nut tight.

Personally, I don’t have a preference between their steel and ceramic bearings. Their website is a bit confusing and they force you to buy two sets of bearings, in these packages:
 

• Two sets of steel bearings for $49.95
• Two sets of ceramic bearings for $69.95
• One set of steel and one set of ceramic bearings for $59.95 (this is the package I got)