Best Skimboard Reviews 2018

If you’re in the market for a skimboard to spice up your beach experience, or planning to pick up skimboarding as a hobby, there are various factors that determine the kind of skimboard you should get. This can make picking the right one difficult. We understand that which is why this review is aimed at helping you narrow down your choices and reduce stress in your online shopping experience. After extensive research, we’ve come up with our list of some of the best skimboards in the market from five top brands. Although we’ve only featured one product from each brand, be informed that these brands have many others you can check out if the featured ones don’t meet your requirements.

Overview

PROS

CONS

SPECS

Type

Weight Limit

Size/Weight

Materials

Extras

Our Top Choice

Zap Medium Wedge Skimboard

Zap understands what makes a real performance board, the processes involved in maintaining high quality, and factors that contribute to making designs fit for any class of rider.

It’s sturdy and lightweight so younger riders can comfortably improve their skills. The thicker core also makes the skimboard float better and lets the rider skim far out into the waves.

None reported.

Beginner board

75-140 lbs.

45 x 19.75 x 0.5 inches

Fiberglass

E-glass wrap

Best Value

Wave Rebel Local Motion Skimboard

Wave Rebel is a manufacturer of high-quality boards, from beginner skimboards to boards for any level of expertise. Its wide range of products provides variety for its customers. .

The hardwood cross laminate deck makes it light but sturdy, its flat design increases stability, and its colorful design adds some style to your beach kit.

Board may be too heavy.

Beginner board

110-160lbs.

43 x 22x 3 inches; 6.3 pounds

Hardwood cross laminate deck

Epoxy sealer included

Wave Zone The Edge Fibreglass Skimboard

Wave Zone has been producing high-quality handmade boards for over 26 years. With meticulous engineering and innovative technology, it ensures that all its designs are top-class. .

It’s handcrafted and can be made to fit individual preferences. It’s shaped for more floatability and the high density makes it solid enough for various styles of skimming.

Might not hold up very well.

Intermediate level

130lbs.

41 x 19 x0.5 inches; 7 pounds

Fiberglass

Board bag and/or traction pad

Victoria Skimboards Woody Board

Victoria Skimboards, for over 30 years, has been one of the most genuine and inventive makers of skimboards, and its boards are among the best boards on sale for the price.

Made with high-quality wood coated with durable and waterproof gloss, tough fiberglass bottom that holds its shape, and low rocker flat enough to let it go farther.

None reported.

Beginner Board

180-220 lbs.

48.5 x 21.3 inches; 7.4 pounds

Wood

Soft/boxy rails

Liquid Shredder EVA Wood Deck Skimboard

Established out of a desire for safer and softer surfboards, Liquid Shredder is a family-owned international firm that provides great surf products acknowledged worldwide.

The high-quality wood helps it withstand different temperatures without cracking or warping. It also has a solid wood core, well-sealed edges, and an anti-slip deck.

None reported.

Beginner board

Info not provided

41 x 19 x 0.5 inches

Fir Wood

Anti-slip EVA deck

(Updated May 24, 2017)

Skip ahead and go directly to the reviews.

Related Reviews

Best Kneeboard

in Sports, Fitness and Outdoors

Best Body Board

in Sports, Fitness and Outdoors

Lucky Bums Boogie Board – EPS Core & Leash - Available in 4 Colors & 3 Sizes

Best Water Skis

in Sports, Fitness and Outdoors

Best Diving Mask

in Sports, Fitness and Outdoors

Octomask GoPro Hero4 and Hero3+ Dive Mask for Scuba Diving and Snorkeling – Available in 3 Colors

Watch Our Skimboard Review

How Do I Choose the Best Skimboard?

Water board sports are always a fun sport for not only the beach goers who participate in them, but also for those who watch. There are those who indulge in them as a hobby and others for whom it’s a full-time job. There are different boards that are used on a beach such as the wakeboard, paddleboard, skimboard, surfboard, and others. To the inexperienced eye, they all look alike, but there are distinguishing features in each of them.

Skimboarding is a board sport that was developed nearly a century ago, but it only became a trendy beach activity about 30 or 40 years ago. It’s not only people who love water sports that are drawn to skimboards; people who have never tried to surf or skim are gaining interest in skimboarding, and love the experience of watching.

Skimboards are like surfboards, but smaller and without fins. They come in various sizes, and your weight is one thing you should bear in mind when ordering or buying a skimboard. Apart from this, you should also consider how fast you can run and how high the wave is. Most products have size charts to help you out with this, but always factor in weight gain over time and add an inch or two to your specification.

The design of the board and material used to manufacture it are also important, because some combinations are more suitable for different riding styles than others. Your level of expertise will also determine the type of board you should get. And don’t forget your riding style; do you frequent flatlands or do you prefer riding the waves? As we proceed, let’s examine the features you should look out for.

Price

A very important factor that every shopper considers is the pricing of products. While it isn’t entirely true that more expensive products are of higher quality, you can’t rule out the fact that high-quality doesn’t come cheap.

Conventionally, wood skimboards are less expensive than foam or fiberglass skimboards, and the experience they provide are different; however, it’s necessary to get the best skimboard for your height, weight, desired experience, and style of riding. You have to be willing to spend a bit more to get the best result.

In this review, we’ve taken some time to research and come up with a list of our five top products from five top brands. You can expect to pay between $49 and $150 for a good skimboard. Although we saw a number of cheap skimboards in the course of our research, we ignored them because they wouldn’t last long, nor would they give you good value for your money. However, with any of these products reviewed, you can rest assured that you’ll get a good deal.

Features

There are a number of features that you should expect to see in any good skimboard. Though it’s not likely you’ll get all these features in one skimboard, it’s necessary for you to know these features so that you know what to look out for when shopping. These features are:

Anti-slip deck - no one wants to fall down!
High-quality wood - preferably coated with epoxy for reinforcement and water proofing
Thicker core - makes the skimboard float better and allows the rider to skim far out into the waves
Sturdy and lightweight - if you're a younger rider and want to get comfortable and improve your skills
Dimensions - The widest point should be 20 inches and the tail width 12 inches - makes it strong and stable in water
High density materials - will make it solid enough for various styles of skimming
Handcrafted - can be made to fit individual preference

Construction and Design

The materials used for the construction of a skimboard determine its durability, performance rate, and suitability for a rider. Some are made of high-quality wood and coated with epoxy or other waterproof gloss, while some others are made of fiberglass.

Wooden skimboards are essentially made for sand skimming, but this doesn’t imply that they can't be used in water for riding waves; you just need more practice on how to place your weight and kick your foot correctly. This is due to the fact that the weight of a wooden skimboard that’s right for you (depending on your weight) would be about 18-22 pounds or more, which doesn’t enable it to have the rounded rail that helps ride a wave. If you want to do more than sand skimming with the wooden board, you will have to learn a lot of techniques before riding into the waves.

Fiberglass boards are a lot more popular with professionals than wood boards. This is due to their buoyancy, lightness, durability, and higher effectiveness than wood boards. Characteristically, a fiberglass board weighs around 3 to 5 pounds. If you intend to skim waves and go far out into the water, you surely need a fiberglass board.

Performance and Ease of Use

Foam or fiberglass skimboards have higher buoyancy and are mostly used by wave riders, while wood planks are mostly used by inland skimboarders because of their thicker core and sturdiness. The thickness of a skimboard is very essential to its performance. Thicker skimboards will slide along better, but won't turn tricks as well as flatter ones. The question now is what you’re looking for: speed, tricks, or a mix of both?

Boards with lower rockers are slower, but have the advantage of being picked up by medium-to-strong winds. The pintail is the most popular tail type found in skimboards because of its ability to add extra steadiness to all-around performance.

It’s important that you note what style and performance appeals to you, and your level of expertise, weight, and height. These will determine the experience you get from whichever board you choose.

What is the Best Skimboard?

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or expert skimboarder, the features of your skimboard will determine your experience. Having gone through our buying guide, you should have identified the features that would give you the kind of experience you desire. So we encourage you to read through the review to see which product fits the bill.

Our Top Choice

The Zap Medium Wedge Skimboard is considered to be one of the strongest of Zap’s line up. It’s made with the brand’s trademark construction for superior performance and durability. If you would like something different (and less expensive), please feel free to check out the Zap Lazer Skimboard - 40.25" x 20".

Zap 45-Inch Medium Wedge Skimboard

Zap Skimboard Wedge – Medium

Features

Bob Smetts started building the Zap skimboards in 1983 in Venice Florida. Prior to that, he was building custom surfboards and sailboards. He started skimming at the tender age of 7, and through the years he gathered experience both as a surfer and a builder of surfboards and sailboards. This gave birth to the Zap brand and till date, it continues to build boards of great quality that are used in beaches worldwide.

Though it started out as a one-man hobby, the Zap brand has moved from a small supply operation to a company that understands what makes a real performance board, the processes involved in maintaining high quality in the finished product, and the factors that contribute to making designs that fit any world class rider.

The Zap Medium Wedge Skimboard (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price -- 146.93) is in the family of the Wedge Series that’s considered to be the strongest of Zap’s line up. It’s designed with both learners and growing skimmers in mind, and is made with Zap Composilite construction for superior performance and durability. Following are some other features that make this skimboard a good deal:

Available in different colors
Holds up to120 pounds and can be used by people that weigh at least 75 pounds
Thicker core that makes the skimboard float better and lets the rider skim far out into the waves
Sturdy and lightweight enough to help younger rides get comfortable and improve their skills
45 x 19 ¾ x ½ inches in size

There are other great skimboards by Zap. You can check them out if you’re looking for more options.

Best Value

The Wave Rebel Local Motion Skimboard is a lightweight board that enables the beginner to skim across water easily. It’s just the right size with colorful designs. . Do you prefer a skimboard in another color? We recommend you check out the Wave Rebel Surface Wood Laminate Skim Board.

Wave Rebel Local Motion Wood Laminate Skimboard – Available in 5 Colors & 3 Sizes

Wave Rebel Skimboard LSK40-RAINBOW – 40 Inch

Features

Wave Rebel manufactures high-quality boards, both for beginners and experts. Its products, over the years, have been noted as great additions to beach kits and come at affordable prices.

The Wave Rebel Local Motion Skimboard (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price -- $61.88) is a lightweight board that enables the beginner to skim across water easily, is just the right size, and its colorful design adds some style to your beach kit. Made of smooth hard wood cross finish, it has a high performance rate and can be used for activities in shallow waves at the edge of the water or for rail grinding. It has features that make it a good deal for beginners, including the following:

Hardwood cross laminate deck- makes it light but sturdy
Widest Point 20 inches ; Tail Width 12 inches- makes it strong and stable in water
Can carry between 110 to 160 pounds
A flat design that increases stability
Light, yet strong and reliable
Affordable
Versatile

Still undecided? You can check out other skimboards by Wave Rebel.

The Edge Fibreglass Skimboard is specially handcrafted with carefully chosen parts to ensure that it delivers on the promise made. It’s strong, fast, and light. Are you in search of a skimboard for a beginner? Check out the Wave Zone Diamond - Fiberglass Skimboard for Beginners.

Wave Zone Skimboards The Edge 14-Inch Fibreglass Skimboard – Available in 4 Buying Options

Wave Zone Skimboards The Edge – Board + Traction

Features

Wave Zone has been producing high-quality handmade boards over the past 26 years. Through the years, one thing that remains constant is its commitment to innovation and high-quality products. With a combination of meticulous engineering, flawless mechanical proficiency, and innovative technology, it ensures that all Wave Zone designs are beyond expectation. Its mission is to continue to make high-quality skimboards.

The Edge Fibreglass Skimboard (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price -- $144.99) is specially handcrafted in the USA and is made with carefully chosen parts to ensure that it delivers on the promise made. It’s strong, fast, and light. Made for advanced or intermediate riders, it can be used for sand skimming and light wave riding. Here are some of its features:

Shaped to provide more floatability
High density makes it solid enough for various styles of skimming
Handcrafted and can be made to fit individual preference
Carries up to 130 pounds
The higher buoyancy makes it suitable for intermediate riders
Level 2 PVC foam core
Poly rails that are double wrapped

If this doesn’t interest you, there are other great skimboards by Wave Zone.

The Woody XL is one of the best boards for learning the rudiments of skimming because it can skim long distances along the shore while letting the learner smash against small waves. Do you want something smaller than this but with the same attention to quality? Then check out the Victoria Woody Skimboard - L.

Victoria Skimboards Woody XL Entry Level Skimboard

Victoria Skimboards Woody-XL

Features

Established in 1976 by Tex Haines and Peter Prietto, Victoria Skimboards is one of the most genuine and inventive makers of skimboards worldwide. It’s been one of the market leaders for over 30 years. It started with the extended wood board shapes of the late 60s and 70s, and with time, developed board shapes such as “rockers” and boards with foam interiors in 1980.

It also made the first normal use of the high-tech polyvinyl foam and went on to refine the vacuum bagging methods used by a greater part of the industry today. It guarantees that its board will always have a highly refined shape, balanced rocker, detailed rails, and be among the best boards on sale for the best price.

The Woody XL is handmade in the U.S.A (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price -- $95.00) and for over thirty-eight years, it has stood the test of time. It’s one of the best boards for learning the rudiments of skimming because it can skim long distances along the shore while letting the learner smash against small waves. The Russian birch core is strong enough for harsh winds and sand, and the handcraft design makes each board one of a kind. There’s more to this board:

Tough fiberglass bottom which helps it hold its shape
High-quality wood coated with durable gloss keeps it waterproof
Low rocker which makes it almost flat and enables it to go farther
Heavier weight that helps keep it steady
Beginner-compliant wood skimboard
Adequate for riding along the shoreline or on flatland
Size: 48.5 x 21.3 inches
Carries between 189-220 pounds

If you want something different, Victoria Skimboards has other great skimboards you can check out.

The Eva Deck Skimboard, designed for high performance but sold at a low price, is made of high-quality strong wood and coated with epoxy. It’s available in different sizes and bright colors. Don’t care for this color but still want something with the top-quality we’ve come to associate Liquid Shredder with? We recommend you check out the Wood EVA Deck Skimboard.

Liquid Shredder FSE Plus EVA Wood Deck Skimboard – Available in 2 Sizes & 2 Colors

Liquid Shredder Skimboard SKW 35EVA – 35” - Blue

Features

Due to his desire to make top-quality and high performing surfboards that were softer and safer than the conventional fiberglass surfboards for family members, Scott McClain partnered with a Peruvian surfer who made body boards. With a combination of Peruvian technology and high performance surfboard shapes, they made the first Liquid Shredders. He took his first samples to the beach and sold them off fast; since then he’s made hundreds of thousands. He established Liquid Shredder in 2000 and it has grown into a family-owned international firm that provides great surf products acknowledged worldwide.

The Eva Deck Skimboard (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price -- $49.16) is designed for high performance but sold at an affordable price. It’s available in different sizes and bright colors. It’s also made of high-quality strong wood and coated with epoxy to strengthen and waterproof it. This skimboard has other great features, some of which are listed below:

Anti-slip deck
High-quality wood coated with epoxy for reinforcement and water proofing
Well-sealed edges
Quality wood that can withstand different temperatures without cracking or warping
Solid wood core
Recommended weight is 120 pounds

Not sure on this one? You can check out other great skimboards by Liquid Shredder.

Get the Best Skimboard of 2018!

Now that you have come to the end of this review, we’re optimistic that you’re well-equipped to make an informed choice. Please go ahead and place your order; but if the featured products aren’t what you want, you can check out other products by the top brands we selected.

Our Top Choice

Zap Medium Wedge Skimboard

Best Value

Wave Rebel Local Motion Skimboard

Wave Zone The Edge Fibreglass Skimboard

Victoria Skimboards Woody Board

Liquid Shredder EVA Wood Deck Skimboard