The number of longboard lovers has exponentially increased in the past few years, and everyone likes a different riding style. Some skaters enjoy cruising around, and some skate enthusiasts love freestyle and freeriding. Commuting is another popular style, and most people use it to travel longer distances. For each riding style, professionals recommend a specified longboard. Drop through longboards and drop deck designs are among the top longboard types, and drop through vs drop down is a hot topic among various skaters around the globe.
Properties of Drop-Through Longboards
Drop-through longboards are surely the most popular ones among professional and expert skaters. Riders usually use these boards for technical riding because of various characteristics. We will discuss these properties to highlight what they are good at and why you need these longboards.
Deck Characteristics:
The deck of drop-through longboards will have a curve between the trucks. You will notice that the trucks and the central deck will be at the same level, i.e., their distance from the skating surface will be the same. Moreover, when the manufacturer curves the deck, the pressed maple or bamboo will make the deck stiff.
Drop Through Deck
The formation and design of trucks and the deck allow riders to use less power and gain more distance. This structure distributes the rider’s weight equally between the trucks. The distribution of weight makes the rider feel comfortable during intensive rides.
Drop-Through Trucks Characteristics:
Trucks are the essential parts of a longboard responsible for turning the board and bearing the total weight of the rider. Drop-through longboards have trucks sitting at the same level as the deck; hence the weight distribution is not unbearable for both trucks. Their sturdiness is still mandatory because riders use various rough tracks during the ride.
The trucks’ overall structure and the deck make it easier for skaters who love to slide. You can easily kick sideways, and the sliding becomes way easier than sliding on other types of longboards. The design also helps skaters to hook back up after completing the slide. Once you complete the slide and wheels are back at their original position, the trucks’ design helps you get stable quickly.
Preferred Riding Styles with Drop-Through Longboards
As we discussed, the deck gets closer to the ground, the center of gravity decreases, and it minimizes the effort of the rider to push the longboard. Hence, most professional riders recommend this longboard for speedy rides. We do not recommend drop-through longboards for dancing and freestyle because they come with zero-flex. Instead, they have a stiffer deck allowing riders to enjoy a pacy and stable ride.
Properties of Drop-Down Longboards
The unique design among all longboard types is a drop-down design in which the baseplate stays higher than the board’s deck. A cutout in the deck helps the baseplate pass through it; the deck stays beneath it. Due to this extraordinary deck design, the total weight of the rider gets distributed on nuts.
Deck Characteristics:
The deck in drop-down longboards does not come with the curve. The unavailability of curves brings in some flex in the deck, due to which the stability of the ride decreases compared to drop-through longboards. All credit goes to the manufacturers who install maneuverability to recover the lost stability. Moreover, drop-through longboards provide more space for the riders to stand than drop-through designs.
Drop Down Longboard Deck
Due to the lesser distance between the board and the ground, the chances of the deck coming in contact with the skating surface increase. Due to this possibility, we recommend you choose a flat skating surface with no bumps around rather than going for a rougher track and damaging the longboard’s deck.
Drop-Down Trucks:
A general method is used to mount the trucks in designing drop-down or drop-deck longboards. The platform, in this case, stays on the baseplates. When you try to curve the longboard anyway, the rider’s weight gets dispersed equally on both trucks. This equity brings stability for the rider. Moreover, the trucks do not have to bear a lot, and their sturdiness stays for a long period.
Drop-down longboards have comparatively lesser central gravity than drop-through longboards. This characteristic minimizes the effort of pushing the board. The platform comes with a curve right behind the trucks making the deck even stiffer than other longboards.
Preferred Riding Styles with Drop-Down Longboards
The center of gravity is minimal; you can achieve the highest speed using drop-deck longboards. Obviously not more than the speed the best electric longboard can generate, but drop-down longboards have the ability to speed up more than any other longboard. Because there is much less effort needed to push the longboard, you can use these boards for commuting purposes. Most of your effort will be saved, and you will reach your destination with fresh looks.
Similarly, you can use this longboard for carving, pushing, cruising, and pumping purposes. You can use it for siding, but drop-through designs provide more steadiness for sliding than drop-down longboards. Moreover, we do not recommend using this longboard for downhill riding and covering sharper turns. The reason is the smaller distance between the ground and the deck. Your deck can easily touch the ground if you take turns on a sloppy road.
Drop Through vs Drop Down Longboard
It becomes difficult for newbies to choose the best longboard for them out of so many available in the online market. One reason that makes it difficult to choose is their similar shapes. You need to make sure the reason you need a longboard for, and it will become simple for you to choose the right shape.
Why Drop-Through Longboard?
If you are fond of high-speed riding and have exceptional board handling skills, we recommend you to go for the best drop-through longboards. Drop-through longboards are primarily made for these purposes if you do not want to exert a lot of pulling pressure and achieve marginal distances. These longboards provide you with extreme stability on any terrain you are riding.
Why Drop-Deck Longboard?
Drop-deck longboards are quite similar to drop-through longboards, not only in shape but also in purpose. Both longboards come with drop decks, lowering the center of gravity and asking for minimal pushing effort. Drop-deck or drop-down longboards are more maneuverable and provide more chances of commuting longer distances than the drop-through longboard.
FAQs
Is drop-down or drop-through longboard better?
Knowing your longboarding style will make it easier for you to choose one between drop-through and drop-down. Drop-through longboards are perfect for beginners and gaining speed while riding. On the other hand, drop-down longboards are flexible and allow you to dance and pump better with your board. In short, it depends on your riding style either you should go for through deck or down deck.
Should you choose drop through longboard as a beginner?
Yes, drop-through longboards are the most stable and beginner-friendly among all other types of longboards. You get a suitable length and width to stand firmly and control your rides. Moreover, they are also good for riding at higher speeds than usual.
Are drop-through or drop-down longboards better for tricks?
Somehow, it is possible to perform tricks and have freestyle rides on a drop-through longboard but not fully supported. The short tail length does not allow you to do tricky stuff on a drop-through deck.
Conclusion
The term drop means that the deck of a longboard is not at its original position. Instead, in drop-through, the deck’s position gets lower and matches the height of the trucks. On the other hand, drop-down designs have a deck sitting even lower than drop-through designs. That is why drop-down longboards have more chances of getting in contact with the ground during sliding than drop-through longboards. If you go cruising or commuting, we recommend the drop-down longboard rather than drop-through.
