I decided to write a few posts about specific setups for different styles and the first one is the best setup for skating in bowl or pools.
First I’ll dive a bit into what works and what doesn’t. I’ll explain what to look for when it comes to decks, trucks, wheels and a bit of tweaking to optimize your setup. Since you’re probably looking for setups, I’ll recommend a few wheels and trucks I use myself when riding bowls. Here’s a general setup that is great for bowl skateboarding.
- A wider deck, preferably 8.5″+
- 56-58mm wheels between 90A and 99A,
- Independent (stage 11 – 149) or anything that matches your decks’ width. Avoid Krux.
- Trucks should be loose or consider Bones hardcore bushings
- Gritty grip tape (optional)
- Quality bearings for speed, so no standard Reds
- Consider 1/8″ riser or shock pads
- Bones hardcore Bushings
Now let’s dive a bit into why this works and why it will help you to get the most out of your bowl skating experience. Keep in mind that this is a general guide, everyone has their personal preferences but I’m confident I can point you in the right direction.
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Contents
Best Skateboard Setups for Bowl and Pool
I’ve tested many skateboards for bowl skating, obviously all of them custom setups. I tested for grip, speed, and carving and it took me a while to get the ideal setup.
In order to skate efficiently in a bowl (or pool) you need a wider deck, loose trucks and relatively hard wheels with a diameter between 56 and 58mm. 58mm sounds huge but it really helps to gain speed and keep momentum.
You don’t want to drop in and immediately lose speed, you need some good equipment and it will make life easier. Skating bowls is all about timing, flow, knowing where and when to ‘push’, and not wasting too much energy.
This is my current setup:
- Independent Stage 11 – 149
- 1/16″ shock pads
- Bones hardcore Medium bushings
- 8.45″ Powell Peralta Andy Anderson Flight deck (love the mellow concave and stability)
- Bronson G3 bearings
- Spitfire Full Conical 56mm/97A for wooden, or Bones SPF p5/84B for grippy concrete
- Mob grip tape (you’ll need some extra grippy tape!)
I personally love skating bowls, it requires a lot of focus but it’s just really satisfying. In order to be prepared and not to get frustrated, here are some recommendations that will make your ride easier.
Go for a Wider Deck (8.5″+)
Since I already covered the exact setup you need I’ll dive a bit into why exactly you need a wider deck, larger wheels, and loose trucks. But just like photographers, the best setup for bowl skating is the skateboard you carry.
For real though. It’s not about brands, a good quality deck has more to do with where it’s made (woodshops) and how they are pressed. Some brands, even popular brands, press them 12 a time. You don’t want that, it leads to deformation and warped boards. You need a single pressed deck with a mellow concave. Mellow concaves are great for bowls, it means more stability but still lots of control.
I personally don’t like skating boards with a larger wheelbase, they feel unresponsive and sluggish when you carve. I like a deck with a wheelbase around 14.25″, just over 32″ long.
Go with a deck that’s at least 8.5″ wide. If you are a tall person you could consider a longer wheelbase. If you have huge feet, a wider board will really make your life easier. 9.0″ or even 10″+ could make a huge difference.
This may sound crazy if you’re coming from a street background but it just works. A wider deck provides a lot of stability, I had a hard time adjusting coming from a 7.75″ but it really works for me nowadays.
Once I learned how to ride that board I was in love. The awkwardness I felt skating it the first few times quickly went away and I noticed it behaved really different from what I was used to. Sure it’s a combination of the right trucks, deck, and wheels but it feels much more stable.
You can still do flips, shuvits etc but most of all ride that bowl with confidence. I have a friend who rides an old school deck. It’s big and bulky but I must admit it really feels stable, but not everyone likes old school decks. Fortunately, they aren’t hard to come by anymore and made a comeback a couple of years ago. So if you’re feeling nostalgic, it’s something to consider.
Trucks for Bowl Skating
I only ride Venture and Indys but indy trucks are my favorite. I used to ride Thunders which are great for street skating but arguably less suitable for bowls. Still, it’s a matter of personal preference. You’ll also need high trucks which makes it easier to turn.
If you ride your trucks tight it’s a good idea to loosen the kingpin nut a bit. This will help you carve the curbs of the bowl more efficiently. Your trucks need to be a bit more responsive to anticipate the curvature of your local bowl.
Make sure the trucks match the width of your deck. An 8.5″ deck requires trucks with an axle width of 8.5″. Independent stage 11 – 149mm (sponsored Amazon link), for example, fit perfectly.
Bushings for Bowl Skating
Every time I go bowl skating I need to tweak my trucks and it takes a long time before they feel just right. I know on flat this is less of an issue and even though I’m not a super great skater, I feel it really matters.
To get rid of that problem you could consider Bones hardcore bushings. They require less tweaking and save me a lot of frustration. It’s not just me, one of my friends had the same issue but is convinced Bones hardcore bushings make a huge difference.
Make sure to get the right hardness, I currently skate medium hards but am considering Hards because at higher speeds my board starts to wobble. If you weigh around or under 132 LBS (60KG) softs are okay, between 154 LBS (70kg) and 200 LBS (90kg) Mediums work great, anything beyond that might require the hardest Bones Hardcore bushings.
I’m 90 kg (around 200 LBS) and mediums still work for me because I like loose trucks, your miles may vary.
After riding them for a few hours you might notice your trucks become looser, tighten them a little and they’ll be fine.
Bearings for Bowl Skating
Since we already are geeking out, you might want to consider some quality bearings. I recently tested the Bronson ceramics and they are fast, but not worth the price tag.
Skated Super Swiss for a while but somehow they don’t perform well after a couple of months. I guess the dust makes them slower. Bronson G3’s (sponsored link to Amazon) seem to be the best choice price-quality wise.
Get Larger Wheels
I recently posted a post that will offer more insights than just this small section. Check out my best skateboard wheels for bowls, there is more to it than just picking larger wheels.
If you’re a dedicated bowl rider or aspire to be one go with Bones or Spitfire. You need 56 or 58mm wheels with a durometer of 97-99A . I personally ride 56mm Spitfire 97D Conical Full these days but that’s because my local bowl is full of dust and made of wood. I used to ride my mini ramp wheels (Bones SPF P5 56mm) but they tend to lose grip.
For a super grippy experience and preventing your board sliding away, consider wheels between 80A and 97A. Bones Rough riders are a great choice, super wide, lots of grip, but you need to pump harder.
Be aware if you ride a wooden bowl or anything that tends to get dusty, you’ll need more grip. Go with wheels round 97A if you want speed and grip, it’s a huge difference. Modern concrete bowls requires harder wheels, check the locals and see what they ride. Your bowl might be different from the ones I skate!
I’m way more confident riding bigger wheels with a larger contact patch and basic stuff like hangups, 50-50’s, axle-stalls, etc just feel more natural.
At this moment I’m riding Spitfire Conical Full 56mm/97A in my local wooden bowl and I can’t recommend them more. They are a bit slower when riding concrete bowls, I recommend 56mm Bones SPF p5 84B wheels if you only skate concrete. They are super fast, slide great, and still offer enough grip.
Extremely fast in grippy concrete bowls but slippery in dusty/sandy bowls.
Works great in slippery bowl. At 97A they offer lots of grip while turning and the wider contact patch provides extra stability.
Fast grippy wheel, pick the duro based on the type of bowl you ride.
Mob Grip Tape
I usually skate Jessup but I noticed my feet didn’t really stick to my deck, causing some minor slams. It is because I ride indoors and the bowl is dusty so I switched to Mob grip tape. Once you get some real speed, you need your feet to stay in place.
Jessup griptape is great though, just not for indoor bowls. This is just anecdotal but I do notice a difference.
Recommended Setups
Most shops don’t sell bowl setups and if they did I would list them on my best skateboards article. The best skateboard for bowl skating is the one you assemble yourself. No standard complete will really work, so you really have to do your homework.
Let’s start with something wide, stable, and turny. This setup consists of a 9.0″ wide deck (Santa Cruz VX) but I’ll leave it up to you which brand you pick. Just make sure the concave isn’t too steep. I personally like medium/mellow concaves because there is more room for your feet.
Get Independent Stage 11 169 trucks, Bones Super Reds (plus spacers), 9.0″ Grip tape of your choice (grittier is better), and Spitfire Full Conicals (97A-99A/56mm). The full conicals work great, super stable and grippy because of the large contact patch.
Indy trucks turn well so it’s easier to carve your local bowl. Bones Super Reds are slightly more expensive than the standard reds but I think it’s worth it (super fast and durable).
The Second setup is almost the same but this one is 8.5″ wide. It consists of Independent 149 stage 11 trucks, Bones Super Reds (and spacers). 1/8″ shock pads, 1″ hardware, and Spitfire Classics 56mm/99A wheels.
The Classics are great for both park and bowl skating but the contact patch is a bit smaller compared to the full conicals. I don’t notice much difference but if I had to choose I would go for the Spitfire 99A/56mm full Conical.
Both setups work great for bowls. If you want a very stable ride go with the 9.0″, if you want stability and something more nimble go with an 8.5″. Make sure to get the right size trucks!
By the way, I ditched the Plan B deck because it was a bit longer than average and couldn’t get used to it. Great for taller riders, just not for me. I now ride a Powell Peralta Flight deck and really like its mellow concave.
What Doesn’t Work
Let’s talk a bit about what doesn’t work when skating a pool or bowl. You might just need a few tweaks to your current setup instead of getting a whole bunch of expensive stuff. If you already ride a wider deck, maybe you just need a new set of wheels. Buying a completely new custom setup can be expensive and isn’t always necessary.
Small Wheels Are Not Recommended
Don’t ride anything smaller than 54mm (still arguable) anything below that requires you to push hard. Sure, it’s not a bad thing if you’re fit and in shape but it requires much more effort and you get tired much faster.
It also means you have less time to focus on your next step. If you’re going for a pivot grind you’ll have less time to focus. This happened to me often because I was still a bit out of balance from pumping hard. 56mm to 58mm is recommended (and quality bearings).
Not only do smaller wheels require you to push harder, but it also means less focus on your next trick and increasing the chance of eating sh*t.
Soft Wheels (Under 80A)
I don’t think I need to explain this but just in case you didn’t know you won’t get far on very soft wheels. Sure an experienced skater won’t have a lot of problems but I bet lots of those guys will agree: soft wheels are not made for bowl skating unless there is a lot of dust.
The reason for this is more friction (they stick to the surface) and it costs a tremendous amount of effort to gain and maintain speed. Seriously don’t ride bowls with very soft wheels under 80A.
I do have a friend who sometimes rides Bones 80A ATF rough riders which are relatively soft wheels for bowl skating. This is also because he likes to do some technical street stuff on rough terrain, sometimes you need to compromise a little.
Still I think your best bet is Spitfire, the Full Conicals or Spitfire Classics (99A or 97A at 56mm) perform great and if you ride softer smaller wheels you have to pump really hard to get speed. A wider contact patch like Spitfire OG’s or Conicall fulls makes the ride even more stable, but less suitable for coping tricks.
Narrow Decks Suck
Not the best choice. Sure if you’re used to a deck below 8.25″ it’s hard to see why you would go bigger. The thing is I only see bowl skaters riding wider decks (with a few exceptions) and they all tell me it provides much more stability. It’s your choice of course, what works for you may not work for others and vice versa.
Tight Trucks Make Carving Complicated
Tight trucks are bad, why? I already explained a bit but in order to flow a bowl, you need a responsive skateboard. This is where you loosen your trucks in order to ride efficiently and get the most out of the curves.
Finding your ideal tightness may take a couple of tries but you’ll know when it feels right for you. Tight trucks just don’t respond as well in bowls and pools.
Just the other day I tried my friends board and he warned me that his trucks are rather tight. I dropped in and approached the transition and tried to turn. Well that didn’t happen and I kept going straight because of the tight trucks and had to bail. I guess I looked a bit silly and my friend had a good laugh (as did I).
My Personal Experience Riding Bowls
Bowl skating is awesome! It’s just such a great experience and it’s challenging. It requires experience in knowing how and when to pump, and finding the right line to keep your momentum. To be honest I haven’t really mastered this myself, mainly due to a lack of bowls/pools in my area.
Update: I now have access to a bowl and it is awesome, only a 23 minute drive. I finally learned how to properly ride a bowl and it’s the best feeling. Here’s my first time riding this bowl (and my first 50-50), I really need to update this video…
I still am practicing and slowly getting better, glad I can finally nail those 50-50’s. It’s pretty intense and a great workout, I usually feel a bit sore the next day but I’m an old man ;).
Protective Gear for Bowl Skating
As an older skater I know my body can’t handle impacts like in my twenties. If you’re a bit older, let’s say over 30 consider wearings pads.
I currentely wear Pro Designed knee pads and (commerical links incoming) 187 Killer (elbow) Pads, Triple Eight helmet and Triple Eight Hired Hands (sponsored Amazon link) .
Really a fan of the Pro Designed knee pads (link to 1998) but these are expensive (170 bucks), your other options are Smith, TSG, Triple Eight Knee pads.
The 187 elbow pads feel a bit restraining at first but need some time to break in. I also want to point out that I absolutely hated the Triple Eight Hired Hands at first. After a while they finally started to feel comfortable, now I love ‘m. I removed the plastic splints and just want some protection when sliding on my knees and hands.
Skating Bowls Is Perfect for Older Skaters
When you get older you’ll notice it takes a lot more time to recover. I speak for myself here, but street skating isn’t an option anymore. I got a lot more responsibilities than a 20-year-old (work, family, etc). Even though there’s always a risk of falling, riding a bowl is a great experience without even doing any technical stuff.
You can either just ride a bit when your muscles decided to have a day off and do more technical stuff at moments when everything just feels right. Protective gear is recommended of course. I mainly skate mini ramp nowadays and focus on technique instead of risky stuff. Just take it slow and don’t do anything you’re not comfortable with. Stretch a bit before and after you ride.
Also check out:
- Setups for Heavy Riders
- Setups for Cruising
- Setups for Beginners
- Setups for Street
- Setups for Parks
- Setups for Transition
- Setups for Mini Ramps
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.