Carver was born in Venice, California, back in 1995. They’re a blast to ride and made with high-quality parts. Their surfskates are a staple in my quiver.
Let’s take a look at the components and compare it with other brands.
Is a Carver surfskate right for your riding style? Let’s find out.
Summary
I’d suggest getting a Carver if you want something that’s in between a cruiser and surfskate.
Though you can perform sharp turns, the pivoting isn’t as intense compared to other pivoting-arm surfskates. Carver is my go-to choice when I need a surfskate that’s a little more versatile.
If you want a surfskate that has more stability than others, then I’d say go for it. Otherwise, if you want something that offers deeper carving, look into…
Parts Breakdown
Let’s first take a look at the components of Carver Skateboards.
C7 vs CX vs C5
Carver offers three different truck options: the C7, the CX, and the C5.
Carver C7 Truck
The C7 truck is Carver’s only truck that uses a spring. It pivots using thruster bearings and a spring on the bottom. It can be pumped like a surfboard. The spring is adjustable, which can provide more or less stability.
Bottom line: The C7 offers a loose and flowing riding feel because of the spring pivoting arm.
Carver CX Truck
The CX truck uses a reverse kingpin design. You can get into a pumping motion, but it’s not as easy compared to the C7. CX is a simple bushing-based design and feels great to ride.
Bottom line: The CX is tight and snappy because of the geometry bushing setup.
Carver C5 Truck
The C5 truck is the most similar to a traditional skateboard truck. The C5 uses a reverse kingpin design like the CX but is lower and narrower than the CX. It is geared toward skateparks, but you can still pump it more than a traditional skateboard.
Bottom line: The C5 is stiffer compared to the C7 and CX. It’s a better truck for street skating (skateparks).
Deck
Carver’s decks are solid. Out of all the surfskates, I love how Carver does their grip. In my opinion, their subtle logo and grippier traction pad make them outshine the others.
However, I do wish I got a model that was longer. To give you an idea, I’m 5’11 and weigh about 165lbs. The Carver I have is 29.25″ long, with a wheelbase of 15.5″, and it feels too short for my riding style.
So, when picking your Carver, it’s probably best to do thorough research, and it might even be worth asking the surfskate subreddit.
Wheels
My Carver came with 69mm 78a Roundhouse Concave Smoke wheels.
I have no complaints after riding these for a while. They’re wide enough to cruise over cracks and pebbles, but you can still powerslide them when broken in.
While I’m a fan of their 78a roundhouse wheels, their ecothane wheels that came on my Bureo 27” felt sluggish.
Bushings
Double cones in the front, CX truck. A slightly taller (0.65″ 89A) cone is used on the bottom (boardside) and a slightly shorter (0.58″ 89A) cone is used on the top (roadside).
If you want to experiment with bushings, Carver offers a couple of durometers. Or Surfskate Love partnered with RipTide to create a lot more options.
Bearings
Carver bearings have spacers and speed washers built in.
I love it from an assembly aspect since you don’t have to worry about losing any parts.
How To Choose Your Carver?
The hardest part about getting your first surfskate or Carver is choosing the right size. I made this mistake and chose a board that was too small for my riding preference. The worst part was I couldn’t return it since I had already shredded it.
Below I’ll lay out a few things you need to consider when figuring out the best size for you. But I encourage you to check out this article which goes into more detail on choosing the right surfskate for you.
Deck Shape & Length
Deck shape and length are important because it affects how your Carver surfskate will ride. The length also goes hand in hand with the wheelbase.
I like boards with a snappier, surfy feel. So I typically get a deck length in the 32-34″ range, preferably with a width ranging in the 9.5-10.5″. This is subjective, and it all depends on what you like.
Wheelbase
The wheelbase is important because it’s one of the main factors in how your board will carve. I mentioned how I picked my first two surfskates with too small of a wheelbase (14″), which felt way too snappy for my preference. On average, the sweet spot is in the 16-18″ range for the wheelbase. But, again, this stuff is subjective and depends on your riding style.
Trucks
Carver offers three types of trucks – C7, CX & C5 (I own & have tested all 3).
I first started with the C7 trucks, which have a pivoting arm in the front with a spring; however, I find myself riding their CX trucks the most. I enjoy the simplicity of the bushing design. Easier to maintain compared to a spring adapter (C7).
Frequently asked questions…
Carver comparisons
In this section, I’ll go over the feeling of Carver verse other top brands. If you want a more in-depth look at each brand, check out this article, where I cover the riding feel of each.
Carver vs Smoothstar
Carver has a more mellow feel to it, whereas Smoothstar has a more intense pivoting feel. I’d recommend a Carver if you want a more versatile surfskate (I use it for longer cruises), but if you want a more technical surf trainer, then go for Smoothstar.
Carver vs YOW
Like Smoothstar, YOW has a much more intense pivoting feel than Carver. YOW uses a coil spring, which allows you to do deeper carves, whereas Carver offers more stability.
Carver vs Hamboards
Hamboards have a more intense rail-to-rail feel because there are springs on both the front and back. Pumping from a standstill is tough with Hamboards. Another major difference is that Hamboards have much larger builds with thicker boards that look more like surfboards.
Carver vs SwellTech
SwellTech has the most intense pivoting of all the surfskates, and Carver has one of the most mellow carving. SwellTech has a unique front truck with two springs and rotates a full 360 degrees, whereas Carver either has a lowkey spring (C7 front truck) or bushing-based geometry. It’s very easy to get the front to jackknife on the SwellTech, whereas Carver is more forgiving.
Carver vs Waterborne
Waterborne has a more intense pivoting feel than Carver. The closest truck that Carver offers is their C7, which has a pivoting arm and spring. It’s easier to pump from a standstill on a
