Ever felt like your Carver surfskate could use a bit more oomph? It's time to dive into the world of RipTide APS Carver bushings.
Whilst the stock Carver bushings are fine, these trucks put more force through the bushings and pivot cups than any other and at some point, they will need replacing.
And when that time comes, we recommend taking a look at the RipTide offering. These little beauties take your ride from really fun, to really surfing.
How's that then? It's all in the urethane. RipTide's APS ("Animated Polymer System") formula has higher rebound and higher performance than your standard Carver bushings. Translation: more lively, more responsive, more drive. More woopow.
Cone Barrel vs Cone Cone
You have two options here - this being the Cone/Barrel combo and the Cone/Cone is here.
Your trucks came out the box with the Cone/Cone setup and naturally, work great like that. We'd certainly recommend it for the front truck almost 100% of the time.
The back truck however can really benefit from the Cone/Barrel combo. Having that extra bit of meat on the bottom bushing seems to translate to a speedier setup - for pumping and generating drive out of turns, it gives back even more of what you put in.
PLEASE NOTE: The barrels need a wider cup washer than the cones. You can find them here: Barrel Cup Washers. You can also ride without a washer in the bottom, but may notice less rebound.
Now, let's talk durometer - how hard they are. We do a lot with bushings here at Vandem and while it's trickier with a surfskate than with a longboard, there is still a rough scale to serve as a guide for which one you might like:
- Featherweight groms and petite rippers (<64kg): Go for the blue 85a. Soft and forgiving, like riding on a cloud.
- Average Joes and Janes (64-79kg): Pink 87.5a is your jam. Just right, not too hard, not too soft.
- Most of us mere mortals (79-93kg): Yellow 90a. This is your Goldilocks zone.
- Bigger shredders (84-107kg): Dark blue 92.5a. A bit firmer for more stability.
- Absolute units (>107kg): Red 95a. Stiff enough to handle your power moves.
Not sure? The yellow 90a is your safest bet - it's the closest to Carver's stock bushings and will suit most riders.
Go one softer if you still want deeper turns!
Coming in packs of 2, you also have the option to mix duros. If doing so, you'll want to keep them close (one step apart) and have the softer bushings in the front truck.
These bushings are specifically designed for the Carver CX and C5 trucks - they're exactly the right size and will slot right onto your kingpin without any fuss. You do have to put them on in the right order, though:
- Taller (barrel) bushing 16.5mm - Bottom/Board-side
- Shorter (cone) bushing 14.2mm - Top/Road-side
We've seen these bushings put a massive smile on the face of complete beginners and seasoned crusties alike, we can't overstate what a difference they make! Upgrade your Carver board and hit the lip. Raarrghhh!!!
