Reviews – Page 2 – SkateboardersHQ

Whenever you consult the web and ask what the best possible cruiser is, almost everybody mentions the Landyachtz Dinghy. Now Landyachtz has been in the business for 20+ years and boasts high quality, great price, amazing design, and superior functionality. I got curious and wanted to see for myself so I decided to buy a Dinghy and do an in-depth review. The Landyachtz Dinghy is great for short distances. It’s responsive, portable, and consists of quality parts that work straight out of the box. It handles well on rough roads but it's not for tricks, downhill, or riding skateparks. Beginners might find the Dinghy challenging. I'm going to cover everything and even made a video that demonstrates what this board can do. I and my friend decided to take it out for a test ride and take it apart piece by piece to find out why this board has such a great reputation. Here's the short version of this review. The Dinghy is very portableDurable, it can last for a decadeVery responsiveLow effort to get up to speedAlso suitable for beginners, the learning curve might be challengingGreat components that go really well togetherIt just looks greatWheels and bearings aren't greatHeavier than a regular skateboard, lighter than a longboardTall people might find it too small, not suitable for heavy ridersTakes some time to break in the bearings and tweak the trucks This review contains links that earn me a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Let’s roll right into the action and watch our test ride. Already convinced? For the best deal check evo.com, or check for prices on Amazon right here. How does the Landyachtz Dinghy Perform? The Dinghy performs great on all sorts of surfaces. It handles everything with ease though sometimes you need to know what you're doing. So, is the Landyachtz Dinghy any good in terms of cruising? The simple answer… absolutely. Actually, this board was specifically designed for cruising in urban areas and cities. Thanks to the size of the wheels, this board can catch speed quickly (acceleration). Not only that, but this board is great for handling turns, thanks to the length of the board. You’ll probably come across times when you’ll have to hop a curb while cruising around. The kicktail of the Dinghy makes this possible, and with ease. Expect the full urban transportation experience when riding this board. It’s fit for any city that you plan on commuting around and an ideal campus cruiser. You’ll then have to quickly catch speed again. Want to hit a pedestrian? Of course not, so you’ll be making a lot of quick turns. You’ll be hopping curbs like no tomorrow. With all of this going on, the Dinghy really delivers on quality and control. You’ll be able to handle all of these situations with ease. It’s exactly what the Landyachtz Dinghy was built for. Not Really for Freeride Longboarding The Landyachtz Dinghy is not specifically made for freeriding. However, you can still pull this off and have a good time doing so. The Dinghy is a shortboard, while freeriding boards are typically a bit longer. If your main goal is for freeriding, then you should probably consider another board. But, just because there are better freeriding options, that doesn’t mean you can’t pull some nice slides on the Landyachtz Dinghy. Thanks to the concave shape of the board, sliding will be easier since you’ll be able to lock your feet. The wheels of the Dinghy won’t keep you from sliding either. This board was built for cruising in the city. Pumping is Possible Is the Landyachtz Dinghy appropriate for pumping? It sure is! It does require experience and you need to know what you're doing but this board can pull it off. I actually had a hard time keeping up with my friend while he was pumping. I switched to a longboard because I was pushing like a madman on my regular board to keep up. The Polar Bear trucks come stock on the Dinghy, and though they might not be ideal for pumping, this video proves you can. You could consider other trucks, but why waste money. You're better off assembling a cruiser or longboard yourself. Tricks are Possible but Limited You can pull off ollies, manuals, and some old school tricks but I wouldn't take it to a skatepark. While the Dinghy is capable of doing more technical tricks that are closer to skateboarding, I can't really recommend it. The board wasn't made for that and you're better off with a regular skateboard. Only really experienced skateboarders can pull this off. I'm going to test this soon and will add a video to show you how it performs in skateparks. Sure, the Dinghy is capable of handling really tight turns which is great for bowls/pools, but the wheels are rather soft. Manuals, slides, and plenty of pop tricks are all possible with this board but don't expect to be the next Rodney Mullen on this board. As opposed to regular skateboards, the Dinghy has big soft wheels, which makes your rolling more smooth but landing tricks just feel a bit sketchy and unstable compared to a popsicle skateboard. Riding a bowl would be possible I guess, but I still recommend a different setup for that purpose. Rough Roads The Dinghy is perfect for rough roads. The large Hawgs wheels have no issues with debris like rocks or twigs, you hardly even notice them. As you can see in the video it's able to ride over small patches of grass and uneven surfaces. Coming from a skateboarding background this was a fun experience. You need to get to know the board before you do stuff like this or you'll eat dirt. Downhill I really wanted to try out its downhill capabilities but it was already late. Looking at the setup I don't think this board is suitable for downhill. To quickly summarize… there are definitely better boards for downhill riding. This board is ultimately designed for cruising. It's a small board with narrow trucks which will become unstable at a high velocity. The Landyachtz Dinghy has a small wheelbase. This is not an advantage when going downhill, because with a smaller wheelbase comes less stability. And you need to be stable when you’re going downhill. Not only this, but you won’t be able to reach the same speeds that you would reach while riding on a downhill board. City riding doesn’t involve many huge hills, and therefore the Dinghy wasn’t specifically designed for riding downhill. However, it’s not all negative. Thanks to the stiffness of the maple deck and Fatty Hawgs wheels, you can catch some decent speed downhill while maintaining your balance. Also, thanks to the mellow radial concave, you’ll have better foot lock-in when you’re traveling fast. Still, it's rather risky and you should pick a different setup if this is your main goal. The Dinghy is the Perfect Portable Commuter This Dinghy is a compact commuter board. You can carry it around without feeling awkward and it can easily fit under your arm or just strap it on a backpack. The 24" mini version actually fits inside a backpack! The compact design allows you to carry it pretty much anywhere you want which is convenient when you need to use public transport. It's slightly smaller than a regular skateboard as you can see in the image below. The Landyachtz Dinghy was specifically made as a longboard for cruising in urban areas or cities. Thanks to the size and design of its trucks and wheelbase, the Dinghy is capable of managing sharp turns while maintaining stability. The design of the kicktail will allow you to do tricks, such as ollies and manuals. Experienced riders can use it to slide or even do some technical tricks on a quarter pipe, though it wasn't really designed for that. This board isn't t for serious downhill riding or freeriding and not for technical street skaters. It accelerates fast but doesn’t have a high top-speed as compared to downhill boards. I still think it goes fast enough to do what it's supposed to when you push hard enough. It takes a while to slow down so this means a great cruising experience without having to push all the time. This board is made for people who want to commute and have a fun and relaxing riding experience, and Landyachtz certainly succeeded. It has no issues with rough roads and you can even plow through a patch of grass when needed (as demonstrated in the video). I took the Dinghy apart to see what kind of parts you get. Overall the components are of superior quality but I have some doubts about the bearings which I will address later on. Let's see what you get: 7-ply maple wood deck with a medium concave Square shaped kicktail and short oblong-shaped noseWheel wells to prevent wheelbiteWidth: 8.0".Length: 28.5".Wheelbase: 14.6".This version has clear grip tape lasts for many years under heavy useTwo 4" bear trucks 1/4" rubber riser pads to absorb shocksFour Hawgs wheels size 63mm with a durometer of 78AEight Bear Spaceballs 8mm ABEC7 BearingsEight speedringsEight bolts and nuts to attach your trucks Stiff Maple Wood Deck Longboarders and skateboarders all over the world speak highly of the Landyachtz Dinghy deck and my test only confirms this. It’s both strong, durable and consists of high-quality 7-ply maple wood. If we’re talking length, the Dinghy comes in sizes from 24”-28.5”. The range of widths are from 6.5”-8.5”, and you can get the wheelbase between 14”-15”. Overall, this board is fairly short with a small wheelbase. The deck is very sturdy and doesn't have any flex. This is something you might need to get used to if you also ride a flexy longboard. The Landyachtz Dinghy was made for fun, and the sturdiness allows you to do ollies though you can feel it wasn't really made for that purpose. I was a bit skeptical about the clear grip tape at first, but it's actually pretty good and last for a very long time. I friend of mine owns an older model and the grip tape still holds after 8 years, even after abusing the board over and over again. I'll go into durability in a moment. The clear grip will allow you to stand steady on your board and it just looks really nice. Not all versions have clear grip tape, this is only the case with the Dinghy Summit. The grip provides enough grip to keep your feet in place but also allows you to move around for minor corrections. It comes with wheel wells to prevent wheelbite which is great for people that love loose trucks and deep carves. I personally didn't experience any wheels touching the board. The combination of wheel wells and riser pads prevent any wheel blocking on sharp turns. Concave and Shape The deck of the Landyachtz Dinghy has a mellow radial concave. The side is slightly elevated to get more board feel when performing tricks, it makes the board respond faster. Concave isn't for everyone, it takes away from the stability you get from a board that's entirely flat, but this thing is designed for playful rides. On top of that, it allows you to perform sliding movements with a bit more ease. I think the concave is perfectly balanced, I hardly notice it but I come from a skateboarding background. I'm perfectly able to move my feet around despite the brand-new grip. The Dinghy shape is directional and features both a nose and tail that are elevated, just like a popsicle. The nose is pointier shaped than the tail. The tail allows you to ollie or hop curbs or dig in a little when you come across a patch of grass. It will help you stay balanced while you lean back. The kicktail allows you to hop curbs while cruising and the soft wheels will make the landing pleasant. I was expecting it to bounce a lot but it really holds up well. Another benefit of the tail is that you can do a few kickturns in parks or diagonal street objects if you're up for it. Since this board is so stiff and the wheelbase is short, you may experience speed wobbles when you’re moving fast. It also features a nose similar to regular skateboards though I haven't really discovered the advantages yet. You could use it for nose manuals I guess. Polar Bear Trucks As you can see in the image, the Dinghy has Polar Bear trucks, the axle width is 105mm. They seem a bit narrow and they are. It's a compact board and the trucks need to fit right? Landyachtz did a really good job of balancing out all the parts. If you're a longboarder the narrow trucks might feel a bit less stable than that you're used to. Skateboarders will probably have no issues. Bear trucks did a lot of R&D and found the perfect balance between the elastic zone permanent deformation by testing them on a destructometer. This means the truck can withstand huge impacts by bending and returning to its normal shape. The aggressive angle of the hangers increases their strength and the axels are heat-treated and reinforced to keep them from bending. The trucks baseplates consist of 8 holes, which you can use to adjust the wheelbase. I tried but the result was a small gap between the board and the baseplate. Still for a board this small I find it surprisingly stable so something was done right. The trucks are highly maneuverable, which also has to do with the soft bushings. The cup washers hold the bushings in their place and protect them from being damaged by the kingpin nut. The Pivot cups in the baseplate keep the Dinghy turning effectively at the baseplate's intended angle. Bushings I can't seem to find any specifications about the hardness of the bushings but they feel medium soft. The bottom bushing is shaped like a barrel, while the top bushing is shaped like a cone. Bushings have different shapes to allow for different riding styles. This barrel/cone combo is just great for the ability to perform maneuvers in tight corners. If you really can't get used to them and the trucks feel too loose, it might have something to do with your weight. Consult my bushings guide in order to find out what you need. The large bushing seats on the Dinghy help control your turning abilities (along with the pivot cup and washers) but at first, they felt incredibly loose. You don't want to tighten the kingpin nut right away as this may lead to crushed bushings. Break them in first by riding the board or rocking it sideways by leaning. After an hour or so tighten them just a little, if I recall correctly I only turned the nut once which was enough. This board was designed for commuting the city. This means that you will have to make a lot of quick and sharp turns and a reliable, responsive board. Bear Riser Pads (0.25 Inches) The Landyachtz Dinghy has quarter-inch riser pads equipped between the trucks and the deck. These are to prevent wheel bite when you make sharp turns or land a bit hard on the sides. Heavier riders run more risk getting wheel bite compared to lightweights. The Risers give a little bit of extra clearance between the board and the wheels (the board also has wheel wells just in case). They are rather soft which helps to absorb impact from shocks and they reduce vibration from rough roads. The Dinghy Hawgs Wheels The wheels of the Dinghy have diameters of 63mm. These are Fatty Hawgs wheels which were designed and created by Landyachtz themselves. The average size of wheels on most longboards is around 70mm (guestimate), meaning that the Dinghy’s wheels are a lot smaller. But what does that mean? The smaller wheels will allow for quicker acceleration. However, your overall top speed will be decreased because of these smaller wheels. The Landyachtz is not quite as fast as a downhill board, but it will still reach incredible speeds for what it’s worth. Although these wheels are smaller than average, they are still extremely smooth. You’ll hardly feel small bumps even at the highest speeds and they can take on rough surfaces like no other. With a durometer of 78A, these wheels are very soft but still rather solid. I had no issues with cracks, grass patches, and really rough concrete. You’ll be able to tackle cracks in the sidewalk and plenty of metal objects without severely damaging your wheels. Stay away from glass though, splinters can get stuck in your wheels. You’ll find the huge 50mm contact patch of these wheels to have great grip while still being able to perform slides in a controllable manner. You do feel their limitations when you try ollies though. It's just a bit bouncy and harder to control your board when landing. I also would like to point out that (like any wheel) they will wear down faster on rougher surfaces. Still, they'll last you for a few years but I'll update this post once I learned more. Swapping The Wheels After testing out other wheels I can say that the Fatty Hawgs are ok but to make this the best cruiser, consider other wheels. It performed so much better after replacing the wheels with Orangatang Fat Free wheels, way more grippy and smooth. I also swapped the bearings for Bronson Raws and the difference is night and day. I also tried OJ Super Juice wheels but the contact patch is just a bit too small. Want the most out of this board? Go for the Fat Free wheels. Bear Spaceball Bearings As with the rest of the longboard, Landyachtz manufactures its own bearings. This specific brand is called Bear Spaceball bearings. These bearings boast a rating of ABEC7. However, it’s good to keep in mind that ABEC doesn’t really factor too much into longboards and skateboards. ABEC rating is for machines with high RPMs, like over 9000. You won't get more than 2000 RPM on a skateboard (downhillers might disagree). The Bear Spaceball bearings are equipped with built-in spacers, I was a bit surprised actually because I never saw that before. The good news is, they are open bearings which makes it a lot easier to clean and lube compared to closed bearings. I still would prefer separate metal spacers with open bearings and I'm not sure why Landyachtz decided to use built-in spacers, they are the experts so I'm sure I'm missing something here. Fancy stuff though, can't argue with that. The Bear Spaceball bearings are open bearings which makes them easy to clean and lube. You don't have to worry about dust because the outer rings and spacers keep dirt out. I wouldn't recommend riding in the rain though. Spacers are often overlooked but they help to keep the dirt out and prevent destroying them when you tighten the nut too much and prevent crushing the inner workings. They also allow you to tighten your axles without screwing up the rest of your setup. If you decide to replace the bearings, make sure to get spacers! I'm not yet convinced yet about these bearings and already noticed they perform less than in the first week. I might lube them a bit but I expected more. If they start to wear down sooner than expected I'll replace them with Bones bearings. Dinghy Durability The board is quite heavy and made of quality maple wood and will chip if you don't handle it right. I wouldn't recommend smashing into the corner of a wall, but that seems pretty obvious. It takes a bit of effort to pop the tail and landing ollies is a bit more challenging compared to a popsicle. This probably has to do with it's slightly narrower profile and bigger wheels. This board is meant for cruising and not for flip tricks. Treat her right and she'll hold up just fine. Don't ride in the rain, this will dissolve the epoxy resin holding the layers together and your board will delaminate, not to mention damaging the bearings. In the picture above are an older and rather trashed Dinghy and a brand new model. A friend of mine owns it for almost 8 years and he's known for trashing boards. Oh boy, that tail suffered hard but even after almost a decade, it still is his favorite board. Is the Landyachtz Dinghy Too Small? This longboard is a lot smaller than most others. So, you may be wondering if it’s big enough for you to ride on. Basically, all of this comes down to 2 things: your own size (height, and arguably shoe size), and the type of riding you plan on doing. If you have an above-average shoe size, then you may have problems getting comfortable on this board. The deck is 8” wide, so you’ll need to decide if this is large enough for you to be comfortable with the size of your shoes. When encountering tight turns, you may experience instability because of your toes sticking out. Also, due to the short length of this board, it may be tough for taller people to get a good stance. However, if you’re around 6’4” or shorter, you shouldn’t have a problem here. It's also a preference thing, I know tall riders that ride small boards and short riders that ride large boards. And onto the “type of riding” part… the size of this board is great for what it’s meant to do, which is commuting around a city and just cruising. This smaller size is going to be great for weaving in and out of obstacles, such as other pedestrians. And with most things, it’s going to come down to your personal riding preference. Loads Of Designs So you’re interested in the Landyachtz Dinghy. But you’re curious as to what your options will be as far as the designs go. Well, here’s the good news… there are over 20 designs for the Dinghy and 3 different sizes. The largest is 28.5", in between the 26" and the smallest is only 24". There’s a good chance that there’s a design out there that will fit you and your personality. [amazon table="4972"] If you need some examples to look into, I got you covered. One of the top-selling Dinghy boards is the Emboss. Some other very popular designs include the Dinghy Beach Party, the Dinghy Summit (as reviewed here), and the Dinghy Trout. Be sure to check out all of the others as well. I picked the Summit because I just adore the design. My friend now rides this board in the city and people actually compliment him on his fine board. Lastly, if you want a board without concave go for the Landyachtz Dinghy Handstand. This is a dedicated cruiser without a curved nose and kicktail which results in a more stable ride. Is the Landyachtz Dinghy for Beginners? The learning curve might be a bit steeper for beginners. Many reviews claim that this board isn't for beginners but I'm not entirely convinced after riding and testing it myself. I even let a beginner ride this board and she didn't have much trouble at all. Sure there's a bit of a learning curve here, the concave might feel a bit awkward at first but you should get used to it fairly quickly. Take some time to learn how to ride, you'll get it. Find a spot that's not crowded and preferable a smooth surface. The Landyachtz Dinghy has been designed as a board for city cruising. It has extremely responsive trucks and is very twitchy. It’s a bit less stable than most boards that are recommended for beginners. Don't skip on this board because you're a beginner or inexperienced rider. It takes a bit more effort to get to know the board, but once you do you won't look back. If you want to be on the safe side, consider the Landyachtz Dinghy Handstand. It doesn't have any concave, the deck is entirely flat making it easier to ride. If you eventually want to hop curbs and slide a bit, go for it. It's a waste of money to buy another board first. Are you fairly-experienced in either skateboarding or longboarding? Then go for it! Skip it when you are heavier or your shoe size 11+ (US). In this case I would recommend the Landyachtz Tugboat (review). Recap: The Good And The Bad We’ll start off with the good parts. The Landyachtz Dinghy has that longboard feel to it, yet has the control and agility of a skateboard. It's rather stiff and lacks flex, and a medium concave to help you perform tricks. Thanks to the kicktail of the Dinghy, it’s possible to do a few tricks such as ollies and manuals. The Fatty Hawgs wheels will enable you to do slides on this board. The Bear Spaceball bearings are supposed to be top-rated and high-quality,and they hold up fine so far. Although it’s not a downhill board, you’ll still be able to have fun cruising downhill (if you’re experienced enough) but do so at your won risk. And of course, this board is a bit smaller than the average, making it easier to carry around to your next destination. I think this board is fine for beginners but the learning curve might be a bit steeper, make sure you really want to get into skateboarding/longboarding. You can always go for the version without concave if this is holding you back. This is a great cruiser and you won't regret buying the Dinghy, check evo.com for prices or compare prices and models on Amazon. Now for the bad parts. The board designs are beautifully-crafted (pro), but this decreases your motivation for doing heavy tricks (con). If you have big feet, you may find it riding on the small deck of the Dinghy uncomfortable, though my friend with size 13 doesn't have any issues. The board is a bit heavy but you won't notice when you ride it. I think the weight makes it more stable and can't be considered a con. It's really portable and you won't be bothered carrying it around. Price Of The Landyachtz Dingy While the price isn’t a part of the actual board itself, it's something to put in perspective. If you’ve gotten this far and are truly interested in the Dinghy, then it’s only fair that we talk about costs. Here’s the good news… for its quality and efficiency, this board is truly affordable. Prices will vary depending on where you look, but you should expect to spend no more than $150 for this high-quality cruiser (except for Europeans like me, I paid about 170 Euros but got a bunch of really cool stickers). And that’s with all the top-notch components included. There are many boards of similar quality that sell for much higher prices, but they can't do what the Dinghy does. This board almost gets you the best bang for your buck in but there is a contender that is even better. About Landyachtz Landyachtz was started by only 2 people and has now grown to 60+ employees. This Canadian company now has shops in California and British Columbia as well. Landyachtz has been making longboards and accessories for over 20 years, and still going strong. So Landyachtz specializes in longboards, but how about the accessories? By now you've heard of Hawgs Wheels and Bear Trucks. Both of these brands are well-known in the longboarding community as being of the highest quality. And they are both brands of Landyachtz. Are you environmentally friendly? Landyachtz is, as they plant a maple tree every time someone buys a board. In Conclusion The Landyachtz Dinghy is a compact cruiser that is made for commuting around a city or any other urban area. This longboard has great stability and offers a comfortable ride. Hop curbs, pop a few ollies, slide when you're ready and most of all... enjoy the experience. The Dinghy comes stock with high-quality components, all manufactured by Landyachtz themselves. The Landyachtz Dinghy is one of the best at what it does: commuting through urban areas. The design will allow you to make all the quick turns you need when venturing through urban obstacles. You’ll be able to accelerate quickly whenever you need to. And although it’s not specifically a freeriding or downhill board, you can still pull this off (moderately) with enough experience. There are more than 20 artistic designs to choose from, smaller versions and a dedicated cruiser without concave. What more can you ask for? If this is not your board check out a few more mini cruisers that I've tested and reviewed or check my top 11 list of best cruisers I personally tested. Even though I'm not much of a longboarder, I am impressed by the quality. My friend likes it even more, so I decided to let him keep this board and I had to convince him because he thought it was too much. Oh, I almost forgot. Why the 4star rating instead of 5? It mainly has to do with the bearings and wheels, not a fan when compared to other brands. Only the Comet Cruiser gets 5 stars.