Ever since I launched this blog I wanted to get my hands on the Landyachtz Tugboat. Nobody seemed to answer the right questions so I’ll do my best in reviewing this board as best as I can. It is about time to review the Landyachtz Tugboat due to popular demand, you guys won’t shut up about it so here we are.
There aren’t any real reviews out there in the blogging space (update: some spammy blogs are now copying mine), so I decided to buy this cruiser and see why people recommend this board so much. I tested the Tugboat under different circumstances. I also let one of my friends try it out to see if we are in agreement. Is it hype or is this really a good choice? We’re going to find out!
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Landyachtz Tugboat First Impressions
Just look at it, so much concave! This board looks like something you can ride hard and fast! And once you get it in your hands it feels a just bit heavier compared to the Dinghy but I have no issues carrying it around. I got the Tugboat captain which seems a bit dull compared to the often playful graphics you find on other versions, but that doesn’t say anything about its performance.
It’s a bit wider and longer than the Dinghy and the tail is rather large. Lot’s of concave and the gritty wavy griptape ads a nice touch. Since I already own a couple of Landyachtz cruisers the trucks and bearings don’t hold any surprises.
I like the huge kicktail and there are some details you won’t notice unless you’re actually looking at it closely. The grip tape feels sturdy and I really want to jump and this board and just ride!
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Is the Landyachtz Tugboat Good for Beginners?
The Landyachtz Tugboat is a great choice for beginners. There is lots of room for your feet, it feels very stable and doesn’t make any unexpected turns. The steep concave will take some time to get used to but it’s easy to keep you balance because it’s so wide. The trucks aren’t too loose or too tight and with some small adjustments, you tweak it to make it more or less turny.
If you’re new to cruising and have a hard time choosing between the Tugboat and the Dinghy, I would go for the Tugboat. Even experienced riders will enjoy this board so I think Landyachtz really hit the sweet spot here. Where other LY completes fail, this one is a keeper.
Tugboat Test ride
When I get a new cruiser is don’t tweak them and ride them straight out of the box, after a few hours I usually adjust the trucks a bit once the bushings break-in. Surprisingly this was not needed this time, for me the bushings are perfect but this also depends on your size and weight.
I just finished testing the Landyachtz Surfskate so it took me a minute or so to get used to this thing, it’s way more stable and very easy to control, something I appreciate because I like to ride hard and aggressive.
My first push felt great, there is a lot of room for your feet which makes it extra stable and I quickly got used to this cruiser. You really feel the concave which is something you need to get used to. Also, the griptape is quite sticky, it takes more effort to move my feet around and get them in the proper position compared to other cruisers.
The stickiness will go away in time but it was very noticeable, once you adjusted, you’ll be fine. If it’s too much for you, you could sand it down a bit but better just to be patient, it will wear eventually.
This board just plows through anything, really digging it so far but I need to ride it a bit more so I’ll update this post accordingly.
Rough Terrain Performance
I developed a routine now and know a few spots in my area to test the abilities of a cruiser. The Tugboat plows through patches of grass, small rocks, gravel, or the bonus stuff you get in Autumn like Acorns, chestnuts, and shells. The wheels just push them aside and sometimes even launch them into orbit.
Really rough asphalt (the ones full of holes and cracks) feels a bit uncomfortable and you’ll have a harder time controlling this board. To be fair, my Comet Cruiser also has issues when I ride this area.
Slides are possible if the surface is slick enough, my local bike path is perfect for cruising but it’s less suitable for sliding unless it’s been raining. Nevertheless, you can (power) slide this board a bit or do some backside 180 slides on concrete if you’re skilled enough, the steep concave and sticky grip tape should provide enough support to pull it off.
Cruising And Carving
It’s a joy to ride but as always with Landyachtz Completes, the bearings could be better and I’m not a fan of the Fatty Hawgs wheels. That aside, it really is a fun ride and you can cruise with confidence without having to worry about eating sh*t.
It’s pretty carvy and maintains speed for quite some time depending on the surface you ride. It’s fast, maneuverable, and responds very quickly if you need to avoid pedestrians or cyclists.
It does lose grip when you perform really sharp turns, perhaps if ride it a bit more this will change but it’s not a surfskate. Overall I’m pretty content with this board, really love how it rides straight out of the box and the bushings seem to handle fine. There is no need to adjust the tightness of the trucks but to be honest, that really depends on your weight.
Lightweight might want to loosen the trucks a little, heavyweights won’t have to do anything. Just ride it for a few hours and adjust it to your liking.
Downhill
The Tugboat provides more stability downhill but I won’t recommend bombing hills. The trucks just can’t handle it and at some point, you get speed wobbles. It holds up on mellow slopes though, and you have to really push it to lose control.
Tricks
The Landyachtz Tugboat is not a trick board, people often ask if you can ollie or kickflip cruisers but they aren’t made for that. Sure you can, but you need to be very skilled before you can pull this stuff off and why not get a regular skateboard if you want to learn tricks?
Just slap some softer and bigger wheels on a popsicle skateboard and you’ll have a board for cruising and tricks, it’s that easy.
You are able to ollie curbs or at least get your board of the ground. The kicktail is pretty far from the ground to popping it is extremely difficult. You don’t need to though, just apply a bit of pressure and swipe your front foot and you ‘ollie’ a curb, no problem.
Basic tricks like slides or manuals are certainly possible though I wouldn’t recommend practicing manuals on a new cruiser, you’ll destroy the tail. You could get a tail guard, this will prevent your tail from becoming a razor blade.
Landyachtz Tugboat Components
Let’s take a close look at what the Tugboat is made of and what you can do to improve its performance. In my opinion, this board is great from the start but after a while, you might want to make a few adjustments.
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Like always everything is fine with Landyachts, great deck, rides right out of the box, stable yet nimble, but the wheels and bearings – I’m still not convinced. The trucks are solid as always, I love the shape and concave of the deck and the huge kicktail is great for a more aggressive stance.
Deck
The deck consists of a kicktail and a curbed nose (for those who are skilled at nose manuals) and has a rather deep concave. The concave will take some time to get used to if you come from a longboard or a beginner cruiser like the Globe Big Blazer.
I personally really like it because it gives you that extra grip you need when you do some aggressive turning or plow through gravel. The huge kicktail has a really steep angle, more than any cruiser I currently own but really helps you to dig in when you are heading for a rough patch.
The grip tape is extremely sticky so you really need to make an effort to move your feet around, like I said this will go away after some time but I have a feeling it will stay firm. It also depends on the type of shoes you are wearing. For cruising, I usually get my Etnies Maranas because of the support they offer.
Because of its steep concave, you can actually do a couple of tricks if you know how. Beginners should really stay away from this stuff because this board isn’t meant for tricks.
Bear Trucks
Bear trucks are part of Landyachtz and they hold up fine, still, I think Paris trucks would do better. However, Bear trucks are high quality and can take a beating and they are able to carve to a certain extend.
If you carve deep and pull all our weight in a turn the bushings will say “no further” and you’ll notice your board giving away under you. To be fair, this is not a surfkate board and I might have tried some stuff this board wasn’t meant for but I ride another cruiser that won’t give away once you really test them to the max.
I wouldn’t grind curbs or anything though, they weren’t made for that. Might as well replace them with Independent trucks if that’s what you’re after.
Wheels
I tested a couple of Landyachtz cruisers already and I dread buying a new one because I always get the same wheels that don’t impress me. Sure the Fatty Hawgs work but they do annoy me because there are so many better wheels out there. Can’t blame a company for using their own stuff though.
I do like the size, 60 mm seems like a good choice and to be honest, I like them better than the 63 mm version. They easily run over cracks and either launch small pebbles or run over them.
Upgrading the wheels once you get better at cruising is advised. It’s a great starter cruiser and the components work well together but there isn’t any harm in making it even better.
I’ll repeat my findings, Fatty Hawg wheels are okay cruiser wheels but they lack grip. The wide contact patch really helps you to to maintain stability and you can pull off slides on slick surfaces (which is such a great feeling).
Bearings
The bearings have integrated spacers and aren’t that great. You won’t notice if you’re a newbie but I would replace them as soon as you get a chance. Ride it for a while and once you feel like you know this board and how it behaves, upgrade the bearings (and don’t forget to buy spacers). It will make a huge difference!
If you don’t mind me making a couple of suggestions, consider Bronson Raws or Bones Swiss 6. You’ll notice the difference right from the start.
It’s a complete setup, and you get stuff that works well together but you’ll also pay for being lazy.
Landyachtz Tugboat VS Dinghy
I get this question a lot and the truth is it comes down to personal preference. The Tugboat is obviously better for people who are taller than average or rider with large feet. If this is you, the Tugboat is a better choice.
There is a slight difference in how they ride, the Dinghy is a bit more nimble and a bit harder to keep your balance. If you’re an absolute beginner, the Tugboat will make it easier to learn how to ride. The Tugboat is more forgiving and has more room for your feet, the Dinghy is way more unstable and for those who know how to ride.
If you skated in your younger years both are a good choice, but somehow I get a feeling you’ll appreciate this board more than the Dinghy because of it’s old school vibe.
Should You Buy The Landyachtz Tugboat?
It really depends like always. If you’re in doubt between the Dinghy and the Tugboat and never skated before, this is definitely the board you want. But this also goes for experienced riders. All I can say is that this cruiser offers a comfy ride and won’t do anything you won’t expect it to do when you’re slightly off stance. Easy to correct mistakes and a pretty chill ride.
Buy The Tugboat When
You are new to cruising, are an old school skater that wants to ride again, love skateboarding, and want something agile to commute. Also, heavy riders and tall skateboarders with huge feet will absolutely love this board.
I tried to tear down this board any possible way I can but truth be told it is a super rad board and I really dig how hard I can push it without losing my balance. You’ll feel very comfy on this board and soon enough you’ll appreciate its quirks. Once you can push it to its limits it’s time to upgrade the wheels and bearings.
This will take you a year or two, so come back to this post once you’re ready and I’ll have listed the perfect upgrade for you.
Don’t Buy If
Geez, I was pretty critical about this board and now I have to come up with something why you shouldn’t buy. Well, the first thing that comes to mind is the price tag, 200 bucks is quite expensive.
If you’re a newbie you might want to consider a cheaper board like the Globe Big Blazer. This board is really easy to ride for beginners. Ride it for a couple of seasons, sell it, and get a better board!
Don’t buy the Tugboat if you want to do tricks, it is hard to ollie and I’ll give you mad repect if you are able to kickflip this board, it’s not meant for gnarly stuff and just a waste of the deck.
Not much more to add, it is a great complete cruiser board after all.
Conclusion
I buy this stuff myself and I have to be honest with you, the Fatty Hawg wheels are okay but nothing special. They provide enough grip (except when it’s wet) you can slide on slick surfaces and overall they are fine, just not something to write home about.
Landyachtz produces their own wheels which makes the overall setup cheaper (I hope) but at 200 bucks you might want to consider setting up your own cruiser. It doesn’t get 5 stars, 4 is more than enough because it’s expensive.
Don’t be discouraged though, after testing 10 cruisers and getting another Landyachtz, it becomes a bit boring testing the same components over and over again. You probably just buy one cruiser ever and you’re settled.
The same goes for the bearings, nothing special. There are better bearings out there but you really have to assemble all the parts yourself to get you the perfect cruiser setup but it depends on what you want and what you prefer.
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I absolutely LOVE this board and it really performs beyond expectations. It feels really solid and stable and anyone will have a ton of fun riding this board. The grip tape will take some time to get used to but it really helps you to dig in and ride aggressively while you can also just lay back and just go for a super chill cruise.
So after a while, you probably want to get more out of this board and I would suggest some upgrades. Can’t go wrong with OJ super Juice and some decent bearings. It will make quite a difference.
Make sure to read about all the other boards I tested, check out my list of best cruiser skateboards.
I’m an aged skateboarder and still shred responsibly. Started skateboarding 25 years ago, peaked in the 2000’s, and still ride to this day. I am a total geek when it comes to skateboard gear, love test to stuff and share my findings.