Choosing the new longboard can be tricky. Both pintail and drop-through are longboards but they have some distinct differences. Your choice will depend on your skills, terrain, and skating experience you are looking for.
Let’s see how they differ so you can make the best choice today!
Pintail Longboards
The pintail board has a pointy tail which is called a pintail. The surfboard has a wider nose and the wheels are stuck out from both ends of the deck. They are top-mounted which means trucks are mounted under the deck.
Pros
- There’s a cool feel to it
- Offers a comfortable ride cruising along the pathways or bike trails
- Beginner-friendly as it helps master the basic skills first
- Helps improve your foot placement and the overall balance as the board is narrower
Cons
- The narrow deck has less foot space that makes balancing a bit difficult
- You can’t take it higher off the ground
- As it does not have many functional kicks, taking it out in crowded streets and places is not a good choice
- Not for distance, long, or free rides
Drop Through Longboards
They have a long deck and a wide rectangular section. Along with this, on each end, there are short wingtips where the trucks rise and big wheel cutouts.
In the context of its shape, the boards come in both symmetrical as well as asymmetrical shapes. They are truck-mounted which means the trucks are mounted across the wingtips.
Pros
- The enhanced foot space allows for faster riding and smooth sliding
- Due to the low gravity center it can easily be taken off the ground at greater heights and is more stable
- The kick tails are perfect for quick maneuvering through crowded streets
Cons
- Not beginner-friendly
- Not for a relaxed ride
- Not for classic surf style lovers
Pintail vs Drop Through Longboards: How Do They Differ?
1. Truck Leverage
The top-mounted pintails have enhanced truck leverage that facilitates quicker and sharper turns. In drop-through, you stand between the trucks and not on them as they are truck-mounted. This gives you lesser truck leverage.
2. Ride Height
Pintails ride at higher heights as they are top-mounted i.e. the trucks are mounted under the deck. Drop through rides lower off the ground as they have a low gravity center that provides stability to the boards and reduces the ride height.
3. Deck Flexibility
Pintails have more flexible decks compared to drop through. The drop-through boards are mostly designed for speed that actually makes them less flexible.
4. Concave
Pintails have softened concave or flat decks for a better grip. Drop through has more concave for a better feeling of locked-in when riding faster.
When to Choose Drop Through?
1. Long-Distance
For long-distance pushers, drop through is better as they hurt less. The board is designed in a way that the ground distance and the distance of the riding platform are kept to a minimum. This helps avoid leg cramps often caused by long-distance trekking.
2. Fast Freeride On Steepest of Slopes
When you want to gather speed, drop through should be your choice. Because of its low gravity center, it helps to secure your feet and provide more strength and balance at high speed and thus, have more concave.
3. Freeride Slides
All the novice learners out there who have just begun to learn how to slide a drop-through will be the best option for them. Whether it is backside slide or slide initiation, you can master all these in no time using a drop-through deck due to its lower gravity center.
Although pintail can also be used, its gravity center is more than that of a drop-through deck and thus, not an ideal choice.
4. Going Downhill
If you live in hilly areas and speed is an important factor for you, the ideal choice for you should be a drop-through longboard because you’ll need a board that rides low and this type of longboard helps with that with a low gravity center for optimum stability.
5. City Life
While choosing a board for cruising around the town or a new place you should always choose a drop-through longboard. This is because the painful experience of long pushing is minimized in these boards as it is designed in such a manner that it is less harmful to the legs.
When to Choose Pintail?
1. Commuting in Style
Along with being excellent at cruising and carving longboards, Pintails are a go-to option for anyone who wishes to commute in style because they offer sharp turning.
You’ll need this while navigating through heavy traffic or steering clear of pedestrians. The board with its soft wheels smoothens the road for its riders.
2. Surf-Style Cruising and Carving
Looking for an excellent land surfer? If yes, then you better pick a pintail longboard since
they are top retainers that enable you to carve deeply. They are also designed in a manner that prevents wheel bite which becomes indispensable while making deep carves.
For style cruising and carving pintails are great for their excellent resistant absorbers.
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