Whenever a newbie joins any longboarding community, one of the initial questions that come to that beginner’s mind is, “Should I Buy a pintail longboard or a drop-through one?”. Pintail longboard vs drop-through is an interesting debate. Comparing both types of longboards depends on multiple factors, including the riders’ preferred riding style, riders’ skills, and the skating track. Mostly, riders that cruise regularly use pintail longboards, while skaters with downhill riding hobbies need drop-through longboards.

If we compare both of them according to their functionalities, drop-through longboards lead the chart. The latter can easily be used in multiple riding styles and various riding tracks. On the other hand, pintail boards are specified for flat tracks and cruising purposes. This descriptive comparison includes critical differences between the two top-rated longboard types.

Pintail vs. Drop-Through Longboards

The most generic dissimilarity between both of them is in their shapes. Drop-through longboards come with the trucks sitting precisely at the same level as the longboard deck. Due to this structure, the deck’s distance from the ground and the wheels decreases. Therefore, manufacturers produce a cut-out deck that stays at a safer distance from the wheels for better movement. Drop-through longboards with no cut-out deck design always fail in producing flawless rides because the wheels can quickly come in contact with the board when the rider plans to take a turn or cross a corner.

Contrary to that, pintail longboards resemble the shape of a surfboard. The tail of these boards is pointy, while its nose is wider like a surfboard. Pintail longboards are always top-mounted. This terminology means that the board is higher than the trucks underneath it. Due to these different styles in shape, the behavior of both longboards varies too. Here is how both of them behave;  

• Because the deck is higher from the ground in pintail longboards than the deck of drop-through longboards, this height difference plays an essential role in defining the stability of the ride. Drop-through longboards provide more stability because their lower-to-ground deck minimizes central gravity.

• In pintail longboards, the rider’s front foot sits precisely over the front truck, bringing more control over the trucks. Riders can quickly take turns, and the longboard becomes more responsive in this case.

• Though the cut-out design of the drop-through longboard is more than enough to keep the wheels safe from bites, pintail longboards are still better in this case because there is no chance that the deck and wheels will come in contact with each other. If you love to longboard in college, drop-through is a batter choice than pintail.

• Pintail longboards usually come with flat decks or near-to-zero concaveness. On the other hand, a deck of drop-through boards comes with a slightly concave shape allowing riders to stand firmly on the board. 

• The deck concaveness also plays an essential role in performing inch-perfect slides. Hence, drop-through longboards are preferred over pintail ones if you plan to slide or go for downhill racing.

• If we compare the deck’s flexibility in our targeted longboard types, pintail boards come with more flex which helps riders cruise comfortably. Drop-through longboards are generally used for speedy rides; that is why their deck is stiff and comes with lesser flex.

Use of Pintail Longboards

The most common riding style opted by pintail longboard riders is cruising. All newbies want a sturdy and reliable longboard that can offer them a perfect cruising experience. Pintail longboards are designed explicitly for starters to get their hands on longboarding and try out different styles later. Due to the top-mount deck of pintail longboards, they are responsive and allow riders to take turns or cross the corners with ease. 

The narrower shape of these types of longboards allows novices to work more on the basics of longboarding. Almost every newbie has learned the basic balancing skills on pintail longboards because they tend to be more responsive. The rider keeps concentrating on balancing the board to avoid any significant injuries. Once you get used to riding pintail longboards, you will be able to move on and try out newer stuff in longboarding. You can go for dancing longboards, downhill racing, sliding, carving, or any other type.

Encumbrances of Pintail Longboards

Though pintail longboards bring relaxation and smoothness to the rides, they are not multifunctional. You can not use one pintail longboard for multiple riding styles. Drop-through longboards are comparatively more multifunctional, and you can use them for multiple riding styles. Besides functionality, pintail longboards are not as stable as drop-through ones.

Their flat deck doesn’t provide the required grip to the riders. Most riding styles of longboards certainly require grip, i.e., riding down the hills needs complete grip on the longboard to avoid significant injuries. If you want to install a grip on your pintail longboard, we recommend you find the best longboard grip tape. 

You can not go commuting for long distances on a pintail longboard. The reason behind it is pretty logical. The pintails’ deck is way higher from the ground, and it requires a hell of an effort to push the longboard for such a long distance. Similarly, no one recommends pintail longboards for freeride, freestyle, or other riding styles. You can cruise or learn basic skills on a pintail longboard. 

Use of Drop-Through Longboards

After the thorough discussion above, you must now know the versatility of drop-through longboards. Here is how these longboards provide leisure to skaters around the globe;

Uses:

Drop-through longboards provide more space to stand on the board than pintail longboards. It also comes with a concave deck that installs grip for the riders to maneuver during multiple riding styles.

As the deck stays lower and near the ground in drop-through longboards, the center of gravity decreases. As a result, you will feel more stable on the longboard when riding at a high speed. 

Due to the lower center of gravity, it becomes easier for the riders to push and travel for more distance than a pintail longboard. Hence, drop-through longboards are perfectly suitable for commuting purposes. 

Not all but some of the drop-through longboards come with a little bit of flex inside the deck, allowing you to carve in the streets freely.

Best Pintail & Drop-Through Longboard

People Also Ask

Is pintail longboard better or drop through?

From deck design to suitable riding styles, both of these longboards are different. You need to specify your riding technique, and then you’ll be able to differentiate Pintail longboard vs drop through. If you are a beginner, go for drop-through longboards; but for cruising, carving, and commuting, we suggest having a pintail longboard.

Which longboard is good for beginners, pintail or drop-through?

The beginning of the longboarding journey should be with drop-through decks. They allow the rider to have a stable ride without the fear of falling off.

Why should you choose a pintail longboard?

If you are not a newbie, you can try different riding methods with pintail decks for learning purposes. The longboarding communities suggest to have a pintail board for cruising, carving, and commuting purposes.

Conclusion

It is always good to know pintail longboard vs drop through if you are a regular longboard rider. Understanding the difference between these two types of longboards will help you choose one according to your riding style. Moreover, if you are longboarding on the wrong deck, it will help you change the board accordingly. We have also mentioned the best product from each pintail and drop-through longboards, see the features and your budget and get it done.