Testing the Waterborne Skateboards Surf Adapter

Who says you can’t surf in the desert? We had the opportunity to test the Waterborne Skateboards Surf Adapter out here in the desert. We’ve seen pictures and videos of this device on Instagram and we had to try it out. It caught my eye when I saw the animation video of how it worked. Then I saw the videos and images of people carving hard with the Surf Adapter.

Receiving the Waterborne Skateboards Surf Adapter

I am a fan of surfing the streets, so it seemed fitting to test out the Surf Adapter. Upon arrival I couldn’t wait to open it and really see how the thing worked. The package included the Waterborne Skateboards Surf Adapter, all the necessary hardware, 1/2 inch riser, installation instructions, riding tips, and a bunch of great stickers.

So What Exactly is the Surf Adapter?

The adapter itself is a swiveling plate that the skateboard trucks get mounted to. The purpose of the Surf Adapter is to make give the front tucks of a skateboard an extremely tight turning radius making it super easy to carve  and turn sharp. So the trucks are mounted to the adapter and then the adapter is mounted to the deck. In writing, it sounds kinda confusing, but it’s actually pretty simple.

The adapter is constructed of a high quality black finished metal. Designed with the matte finish and silver lettering looks pretty sleek. The Surf Adapter is a pretty unique feature once installed on the board.

Installing the Surf Adapter

The installation of the Surf Adapter took me about 30 mins, but I was in no hurry. To install the adapter, I had to first remove the trucks from my board and mount them to the adapter.  I came across an issue at this step because the base plate on my trucks was too wide to fit into the slot on the adapter.

I had this same issue with my trucks when I tried to attach the Funing Board to my longboard (Click here to see more about that!). To solve this issue when I mounted the Funing Board, I used a grinder to grind down the side of the base plate on my trucks and it worked.

The trucks fit well into the width of the adapter, but they were also a little too long, so the mounting holes didn’t really line up perfect.

I was able to mount the trucks to the plate at a slight angle, and it seemed to work just fine.

The adapter raises the deck of the board a drastic amount. To level the board, the rear trucks are mounted atop the 1/2 inch riser included in the pack.

I had to mount the Surf Adapter to my Lost Coast Longboarding fishtail deck. The surf look and feel of the deck just seemed right for it. Once the Surf Adapter and trucks are successfully mounted to the board it’s time to surf! This changes the look of the board quiet a bit because the board now sits up much higher, and the front of the board sports the unique look of the surf adapter. I think the gap created by the swiveling plate makes it look like the trucks are floating under the board.

Trying Out the Waterborne Surf Adapter

When riding the board with the Waterborne Surf Adapter for the first time I noticed that I seemed to be a bit shaky while pushing. Once I got both feet on the board I immediately noticed that the board reacted sharply to my turns and leaning. The adapter really loosens the front of the board, allowing you to push hard and sharp into a turn. Because the back trucks are mounted to the deck like usual, the back of the board reacts similar to normal. The turning radius on my board was increased so drastically I was worried about wheel bite. But because of the clearance provided by the height of the Surf Adapter and the large riser in the back, the wheels did not bite at all! And I really could turn as sharp and as hard as I wanted.

We spent a good amount of time cruising the smooth pavement of Freemont Street in Las Vegas with the Surf Adapter. I loved the mobility and fluidity effect the Surf Adapter had on my board. The board was great for sharp turns and controlled carves. Check out how the trucks look when the the weight of the rider is shifted.

Enjoying the Ride

Riding the board with the Waterborne Surf Adapter felt similar to pumping a wave while surfing. This style of riding happened to be great for avoiding people in the crowded street. People tend to walk in groups and surfing through the people was a good way to get around. I noticed that on the very smooth pavement I could easily maintain a quick speed by pumping. It made riding on flat ground feel like a slight downhill everywhere I went, it was great! I could easily go the entire length of Freemont Street (about a mile) without having to kick at all. Here’s a picture of Sean cruising with the Surf Adapter once he got the hang of how it handles.

I usually cruise with soft grippy wheels, and I would suggest that with the Surf Adapter. It was fun and easy to go fast with the board. Fast enough to out run a cop car, like my brother did.

When I was cruising I could feel the force and momentum of my turn at a high speed. I think if I had hard wheels on my board, the sharp turns would make the wheels slide out from beneath me. With practice, I’m sure a skilled rider could use this to their advantage while sliding. I tried to ride my board backwards with the Surf Adapter, but that was very difficult.

While pumping with the Surf Adapter I could maintain a quick speed, but I can ride much faster if I were to be kicking hard. Because the Surf Adapter reacts so well to turns, it is a bit wobbly while riding with one foot. This made it hard to kick at high speeds. For this reason, I would not suggest the Surf Adapter if you commute far distances in a bike lane or on the road.

Overall Thoughts About the Waterborne Skateboards Surf Adapter

Overall, I think the Waterborne Skateboard Surf Adapter is a great device. I really enjoy carving when I ride my longboard, and the Surf Adapter definitely improves my boards ability to carve. The Surf Adapter adds a very unique feature to any board. And the look of the Surf Adapter is very distinct and will catch the eye of any boarder.

I would recommend this product to anyone that enjoys carving on their board. From my experience, I think that this product will perform best on smooth flat pavement. I haven’t got the chance to ride it in a skatepark yet, but I think the Surf Adapter would be great for carving in bowls. The surf adapter is great for all ages, but I would recommend it to someone that is already comfortable on a longboard. If you think the Surf Adapter is right for you, you can get them by following this link to: Waterborne Skateboards !

Thanks for Reading!

Thanks for reading our article about the Waterborne Skateboards Surf Adapter! And thank you for your support! A big shout out to our wonderful longboard models – Don, Ric, Sean, and Jason! And don’t forget to check out the latest line up of hand crafted longboards and longboard gear at our Lost Coast Longboarding shop! To read about other great longboarding products, be sure to read our articles about the Funing Board and Paris trucks.