Electric Skateboard Deck Guide: Materials, Shape, and Flexibility
Can an Electric Skateboard Deck Type Affect my Ride?
There are so many electric skateboard deck options out there that it is difficult to decide which one will be the best for you.
Trust us, we know this decision can be challenging, and we don’t want you to invest in a deck you might not love in the long run.
This is why we’ve made it easy for you!
Let’s get into it then . . .
Table of Contents
The Shape of the Electric Skateboard Deck
The shape of the skate deck will be one of the first things to consider, so let’s start from there too.
Before anything else, we want you to know that no one shape is better; the choice comes down to personal preference, your style of skating, and how you plan to use the board.
Concave shaping style
There are two (2) main shaping styles: directional and symmetrical.
On the directional decks, you can tell which end is the front and which is the back.
This board style is better suited to freestylers or those who want to do tricks on their boards.
On the contrary, with symmetrical decks, you can start cruising without worrying about the front or rear end, as both ends are similar.
This streamlining makes the boards easier to use for carving, cruising, and going downhill.
For e-Skateboards, most of them are directional; for e-Longboards, expect to have symmetrical.
These are the alternatives:
Concave – Radial
The concave refers to the style of curvature of the skate decks. You might be surprised to know how many different concave options there are to choose from.
The design offers riders a better grip and is suitable for all kinds of skateboarding purposes.
Although the above is only valid for conventional boards, for an e-skate configuration, this one is not ideal due to the battery and ESC shape.
Flat
Generally, this is not the best option for electric skateboards. There is a lot of room for your feet, and it even allows for tricks, but it can be harder to find your footing on an e-Skateboard.
Convex
It is rare to find these; you probably shouldn’t go for them as a beginner. But they’re great for downhill skating, requiring more rider experience.
Progressive
This looks like a radial, but it offers more security, at least a sense of security! That’s what you get with a wider base and wall-like rails on the front and rear.
In this case, the progressive one is common in e-skateboards since there is more room to place the electric components.
Electric skateboard deck “Tub” type
Also known as the flat cave, the tub gets all the makings of the radial too. It is best adapted to riders who want an effortless ride and don’t mind feeling more energy shifts.
This, from my perspective, is the most common for electric skateboards and longboards.
W-concave
If finding your foot balance is essential to you, the W-concave is the way to go. However, you must be willing to pay a higher price to get this nice guy.
Rocker and camber
The camber and rocker indicate the deck design as in length shape.
Camber skateboard (positive camber) will provide more flexibility due to its high center of gravity, which is contrary to what rocker decks have.
For e-boards, it is very common to see camber decks in electric longboards. If you look at the e-skateboard decks, such as Raptor 2.1 Electric Skateboard Review, they are flatter or with a rocker deck (very minimal, though).
Material of Make
This is where the choice of materials comes into play.
You might not know it, but the material will affect the ride’s quality, comfort, and safety.
And yes, the material choice will weigh on your pocket, also.
In the e-skate world, the material’s flexibility is not as important as the other parts.
Why?
The maximum speed you would typically achieve is around 45 km/hr; this means that the deck won’t be subject to much vibration and will give enough bumps absorption without compromising your safety.
Whereas a conventional longboard speed can reach around 100 km/h easily, the less thing you want is a deck that starts bouncing.
Maple as material
This has been the go-to material for many skateboards. Thanks to the material’s durability, it holds up well even when the board is subjected to rough riding conditions.
The above also means that it is heavier than other materials in the market – maybe 1 kg more.
Most electric skateboard types use maple as a construction material, whereas e-longboards would go for the following two (2) ones below.
The bamboo electric skateboard deck
Offers a blend of lightweight, bounce, and flexibility to the rider. If you are looking for a cruiser cheaper than a Cadillac, the bamboo skate decks will do that for you.
Evolve and WowGo are brands that love bamboo as their primary selling point material.
Carbon fiber
If you have the money to spend, test out this option! By that, we mean better speed boosts, improved maneuverability, and better professional riding.
Carbon fiber also knows how to pack strength without weight, so this one is as lightweight as it gets.
E-boards, like the MetroboardX, with many components, usually have a carbon fiber deck to compensate for the overall weight.
Deck Flex
Cruising, jumping, and landing will all take their toll on the board. For the boards to handle this, manufacturers have engineered some flex into the decks.
The flexibility is to absorb the shock from your weight and other special tricks you perform on the board; there are still different flex levels.
We recommend standing up on the deck and choosing the level of flex that matches your skating expertise.
Starting with high flex boards can put you on a cruising trampoline, waiting to throw you off at the slightest instance if you’re not experienced.
Deck’s flexibility can be affected by its length shape of it.
The flex is also dependent on the material of the deck. Bamboo is more flexible than maple, so a bamboo skate deck will indeed have a higher flex than the average maple board.
e-Longboards or e-Skateboard Deck?
One of the biggest questions on the minds of beginners regarding an electric skateboard deck is whether to roll with a long or a shortboard right off the bat!
Again, this is not one of those questions that we can answer for you, but it really depends on how you like to ride.
We have included a comparison table below to help you get a better feel of which one you need.
Metric | e-Skateboard | e-Longboard |
Expertise | Better suited to intermediate and expert riders. | Best for beginners due to its better balance, bigger wheels, and less bumpiness. |
Purpose | An ideal choice for learning skateboard park tricks and moving quickly. | For those who prefer old-style tricks and leisure riders. |
Commute | Better for urban/ crowded areas. | A better choice for long commutes and rides. |
General Speed | Conservative. | It goes fast when you commit to it. |
Storage | The small size allows for more accessible carriage and storage. | Longboards can be a hassle to store and heavy to carry around. |
Stability | Generally stable but nothing like the longboards. | A wider wheelbase means improved stability, especially at high speeds. |
Trucks | Usually sporting a traditional kingpin truck. Learn more about trucks here. | Gets the Reverse Kingpin truck treatment. |
Flex | Lower flex than longboards on average. | Higher flex than skateboards on average. |
With that in mind, you should be able to decide whether to go for a longboard or a shortboard.
That said, we checked for you and found no local laws banning riders from having one of both in their collections. Ha-ha!
We’re kidding. But honestly, nothing stops you from having one of both and switching it up, depending on what day of the week it is and how you feel like riding.
Electric Skateboard Deck Wrap Up
As you have seen, the deck is possibly one of the elements we tend not to pay attention to – we want to hop and go.
As a beginner, things to do are test the flexibility of the deck and how well your feet fit in it.
Once feeling a bit more confident with some speed, re-assess the deck’s bouncing. Too rigid or too jumpy?
The last factor to consider is how well the deck lets you take turns. This is not a deal breaker, but we have found that the turning radius of longboards is bigger than skateboard decks.
Over to you: which electric skateboard deck (and board style) will you be slammin’ down on?