How Much Weight Can A Longboard Hold? – No Worries!

Standard longboards usually can hold up to 200-250lbs. But longboards made from premium quality material can handle much more weight.

The upper limit of a longboard can reach up to 400lbs. If you think you are too big for longboarding, think again. Longboarding will even help you lose a few pounds in the process.

Factors That Impact the Weight Capacity of a Longboard

1. Deck size & shape

A rule of thumb here is the wider the board, the more they can lift. A 7’’ wide longboard can support up to 250lbs while 8’’ and 9’’ decks can hold up to 350lbs and 400lbs respectively.

For example, if you are between 200-250lbs, you can use a 5-6’’ deck with no issues. If you are within 250-300lbs, we recommend a 7’’ board. And guys bigger than that need even wider decks.

The shape of the board dictates the stability of the board. Balancing on a flat board is much harder than balancing over a curved board. An upward curved board will offer more balance.

There’s a catch though. The bigger (wider) the board, the heavier it gets. Some maneuvers may become a bit tougher if your deck is too wide/long/heavy.

2. Materials

• Carbon Fiber

Carbon fiber is a strong and lightweight material. They may be sturdy, but they are not that good at supporting weight. That’s why they create splinters over time.

Carbon fiber is a bit expensive. They can hold around 250lbs while weighing less than five pounds themselves.

• Maple Wood

Maple woods are one of the most commonly used natural ingredients for making longboards. This hardwood is heavy itself. But they provide better security than many other materials.

You can choose from the selection of 7-ply to 9-ply longboards available in the market. A longboard with enough layers can support up to 300lbs.

• Vinyl Plastic

Vinyl plastic is a grade B material. It can withstand an average user but can’t support big guys like me (268lbs) well.

These plastics are a bit fragile. If you are a rough user, we don’t recommend getting one.

• Bamboo

When it comes down to the weight limit, bamboo beats all the other materials effortlessly. This surprisingly cheap material can withstand guys with 300+lbs easily.

Bamboo is also durable and incredibly lightweight. A 5-pound longboard can smoothly support a guy with 320lbs. Bamboo is the best choice of material for big guys.

• Fuson

To get support for even bigger guys, manufacturers use a combination of materials mentioned above and can reach the weight limit of around 400lbs.

Usually, maple wood and carbon fiber get fused with Vinyls plastic. They get the work done for most people. You can even fuse maple wood with bamboo for better weight control.

3. Trucks

Supporting larger weights becomes much easier with a set of quality trucks. The trucks need to be durable and strong to distribute the weight over the wheels evenly.

Here you have two options to choose from:

• Double Kingpin

The perfect choice for a heavy guy. Double kingpin trucks come with wider stances which makes them better at supporting heavier riders. We strongly recommend this one.

• Reverse Kingpin

The choice of an average rider. They are agile and lightweight, but cannot provide enough support for big guys/girls.

4. Wheelbase

The wheelbase is the distance between two opposite wheels. The rule of thumb is the shorter the distance, the more stable the ride will be.

For experienced users, the wheelbase comes down to personal preference and riding style. Shorter wheelbases make slides and turns a little difficult.

If you are a newcomer, we recommend using a larger wheelbase. Once you are used to riding, you can choose the size that fits your requirements.

Wheelbase size also depends on what type of riding you’re gonna do most of the time.

Once you reach perfect balance over your longboard, pulling off tricks and stunts will become a lot easier.

5. Wheels

Wheel size is also an important factor in increasing the weight limit of a longboard. The wider the wheels, the better shock absorption you’re gonna get.

The bigger (wider) wheels will also provide more precision and control over your riding. We recommend using wheels of 70-75 mm. They will give you tough performance and a better grip.

Balancing your body over the board and distributing the weight evenly is the key to a great longboarding experience.

You will also get better precision and control with bigger wheels. Choose a set of sturdy wheels and you’re good to ride.

6. Bearings and Bushings

If you were an average user, you wouldn’t have to worry about the bearings and bushings. Bigger guys face some more obstacles on their way to enjoy a smooth ride.

You’ll need solid bearings to ensure a safe and fun ride. We recommend choosing materials like steel over ceramic or any other metals.

High-quality solid bearings will help you to take stiff turns easily while ensuring a smooth riding experience.

When it comes to bushings, choose the large barrel bushings to gain additional control over your ride. We recommend looking for bushings higher than 93a on the durometer.

That way, you’ll get the most out of your longboard as a heavy rider.

Why Does the Weight Limit of a Longboard Matter?

The ratio of your body height and weight is important to choose the right longboard for you. But that doesn’t matter much if you are good at balancing your body over the board.

It all comes down to comfort. Getting a bigger board is not always the right solution. If you are comfortable riding what you have, stick to it and give it some time. You’ll get better with time.

Understand what you feel and you shouldn’t have any problem riding, even if you are a big guy/girl.

Some longboard recommendations for heavy riders

• Landyachtz Evo 40 Spectrum Longboard
• White Wave Bamboo Longboard
• Sector 9 Aperture Sidewinder Longboard
• Atom Drop Deck Longboard
• Volador 42inch Freeride Longboard
• Teamgee H5 37? Electric Skateboard
• MINORITY Downhill Maple Longboard
• Magneto Longboard
• Atom Drop-through Longboard
• FISH SKATEBOARDS 41-Inch Downhill Longboard
• Junli 41-inch Freeride Longboard
• APOLLO Longboard

How to Modify a Longboard So It Will Work With Your Body Type?

I’m sure by now you have a pretty good idea about what to look for in a longboard.

Longboards are flexible and customizable. That’s why you’ll have the freedom to customize your longboard to achieve better performance.

Here are a few pro tips on how you can modify your longboard to match your body type:

1. Use premium quality materials like bamboo or its fusion
2. Choose bigger wheels for stability and smaller wheels for speed
3. Make sure your board has ergonomic grips
4. Tighten your kingpin bolts every time you ride
5. If you are concerned about falling off the board, use larger rotors
6. Chose stronger and more durable trucks for a longer support
7. For more flexibility, pick softer boards. Harder boards offer more stability
8. Soft wheels will absorb more shock and offer better grip over rough terrains
9. Look for the building quality instead of ABEC rating for bearings
10. Avoid boards that are too flexible or too stiff, they will make your ride harder

FAQs

1. How heavy is a longboard? 

Ans. That depends on the riding type. If you are cruising/commuting, an average longboard will be 6.5-9lbs.

If you wanna race downhills, the weight would be 8.7-10lbs and if you want to dance over your board, you’ll need a longboard weighing 9-12lbs.

2. Is riding a longboard easier than a skateboard? 

Ans. Yes, for beginners! The bigger and wider longboards offer more stability than the shorter skateboards.

But the riding style of skateboarding isn’t similar to longboarding. Longboards have to withstand more speed while skateboards need to be versatile. It all comes down to personal preference.

3. What is the best longboard size for a fat guy? 

Ans. For riders over 250lbs, a 7-8’’ longboard is enough to get the job done. For guys even bigger, we recommend an 8-9’’ wide longboard.

4. Can longboarding help me lose weight? 

Ans. Yes, it can. Longboarding also helps to improve your balance. Longboarding is a fun way to get rid of a few pounds of extra fat.

Longboarding for an hour daily can help you to discard around 2-3K calories per week. This will also improve your mobility.

5. What are Landshark longboards?

Ans. They are specially designed longboards that can eliminate wheel bites. Also, they are a bit concave, so you’ll get a better response from your board.

Landshark longboards are good for cruising, carving, and commuting. If you are a big guy/girl, Landshark longboards will be a good choice.

6. How much weight can a 40-inch longboard hold? 

Ans. It depends on the brand and the material of the longboard. It’s around 230lbs for an acrylic-made longboard.

7. Why does my longboard wobble at high speeds?

Ans. It is actually your brain’s work. When you ride at a higher speed your brain keeps trying to make you go straight. But when you come across imperfections and overcorrect them. Your brain tries to correct the overcorrection and you feel like wobbling.