The Landyachtz Dinghy is a name that frequently pops up when discussing top-tier cruiser boards. With over two decades in the industry, Landyachtz has established a reputation for quality, design, and functionality. I decided to put the Dinghy to the test to see if it lives up to the hype.
The Landyachtz Dinghy is a compact, responsive cruiser ideal for short commutes and navigating city streets. It’s built with quality components and performs well on various surfaces, though it might present a learning curve for beginners. This review will cover all aspects of the Dinghy, and a video test ride to demonstrate its capabilities.
Here’s a quick overview:
- Highly portable and easy to carry
- Durable construction designed to last
- Offers a very responsive riding experience
- Requires minimal effort to gain speed
- Suitable for beginners but has a learning curve
- Excellent quality components that work well together
- Visually appealing design
- Wheels and bearings are not the best
- Heavier than a standard skateboard, but lighter than a longboard
- May be too small for taller or heavier riders
- Requires some time to break in the bearings and adjust the trucks
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Ready to see it in action? Check out our test ride video. If you’re already convinced, find the best deals at evo.com, or browse Amazon.
Landyachtz Dinghy Performance: A Detailed Look
The Landyachtz Dinghy performs well on diverse surfaces, handling various terrains with ease. Its design excels in urban environments, making it ideal for city cruising and campus commutes. The wheel size allows for rapid acceleration, while the board’s length ensures smooth turns.
Detailed view of the Landyachtz Dinghy
The Dinghy’s kicktail is a standout feature, enabling riders to hop curbs easily, a common necessity in urban settings. It offers a complete urban transportation experience, designed for commuting around the city, including quick turns and curb-hopping. The board is both responsive and provides excellent control.
Not Ideal for Freeride Longboarding
The Dinghy is primarily a cruiser, not a freeride longboard. While you can still have fun attempting freeride maneuvers, its shortboard design makes it less suitable for long slides. However, its concave shape provides good foot lock-in, which can aid in sliding. The Dinghy is designed for cruising, not dedicated freeriding, so if that is your main focus, another board would be a better option.
Pumping Capabilities
The Dinghy can be pumped, although it requires some skill. While it might not be the ideal pumping board, it is capable of maintaining momentum through pumping techniques. The stock Polar Bear trucks might not be optimal for pumping, but with the right technique, it can be done. Upgrading trucks could improve its pumping performance, but this would be an unnecessary cost.
Trick Potential: Limited Yet Possible
You can perform basic tricks like ollies and manuals, but the Dinghy is not intended for skatepark riding or technical tricks. While it can handle tight turns, its soft wheels can make landing tricks feel less stable compared to a traditional skateboard. It is possible to ride bowls, but a different setup is recommended for this purpose. This board is for cruising and carving, not for complicated skatepark tricks.
Riding on Rough Roads
The Dinghy performs exceptionally well on rough roads. The large Hawgs wheels effortlessly roll over debris like rocks and twigs. It handles uneven surfaces and grass patches with ease, though you should become familiar with the board to avoid falling. Its stability and smooth ride make it perfect for varied terrains.
Downhill Riding
The Dinghy is not designed for downhill riding. Its small size and narrow trucks can become unstable at high speeds. The smaller wheelbase further reduces stability, which is critical for downhill riding. Although you can reach some speed, this is not a downhill board. If downhill riding is your goal, choose a board that is purpose-built for that use.
The Dinghy: A Perfect Portable Commuter
The Landyachtz Dinghy is the ideal board for commuting. Its compact size allows it to be carried easily by hand or strapped to a backpack. The mini 24″ version can even fit inside a backpack. This portability is essential for using public transport or storing it in small spaces.
Landyachtz Dinghy size comparison
Designed specifically for urban cruising, the Dinghy’s trucks and wheelbase are set up for sharp turns while maintaining stability. The kicktail allows for tricks such as ollies and manuals, and experienced riders can even attempt slides.
However, it is not ideal for serious downhill or technical street skating. It accelerates quickly but lacks the top-speed of downhill boards. The Dinghy is designed for a fun, relaxed ride rather than high-speed thrills.
The Dinghy is constructed with high-quality components, including a 7-ply maple deck, 4” Bear trucks, 1/4″ rubber riser pads, 63mm 78A Hawgs wheels, and Bear Spaceball 8mm ABEC7 bearings.
Stiff Maple Wood Deck
The Landyachtz Dinghy deck is known for its strength and durability. It is made from high-quality 7-ply maple wood. Available in lengths from 24” to 28.5” and widths from 6.5” to 8.5″, the board has a short and sturdy design with no flex. This sturdy deck is suitable for performing ollies.
The clear grip tape, on some models like the Dinghy Summit, is durable and offers a secure grip, it maintains its effectiveness even after years of use. The board includes wheel wells to prevent wheel bite, a great feature for those who enjoy loose trucks and deep carves.
Concave and Shape
The Dinghy deck features a mellow radial concave. This design increases board feel when performing tricks and enhances responsiveness. While concave can reduce stability, the Dinghy is designed for playful riding. It facilitates sliding movements while remaining comfortable enough for maneuvering.
Close-up of the Dinghy concave and shape
The Dinghy has a directional shape, with an elevated nose and tail similar to a popsicle skateboard. The kicktail allows for ollies and curb hopping, and provides balance when leaning back. The short wheelbase can result in speed wobbles at high speeds. The nose, while similar to a skateboard, may be more for looks as it doesn’t offer much functionality.
Polar Bear Trucks
The Dinghy uses Polar Bear trucks with a 105mm axle width. While they may seem narrow, Landyachtz has achieved a balance between stability and maneuverability. These trucks are designed to withstand hard impacts while returning to their normal shape, thanks to their heat-treated and reinforced axels.
Top view of the Dinghy's Bear trucks
The truck’s baseplates have 8 holes, that can be used to adjust the wheelbase. The trucks are highly maneuverable and provide a stable and responsive feel. The cup washers protect the bushings from damage, and the pivot cups ensure effective turning.
Bushings
The Dinghy’s bushings are a medium-soft barrel/cone combo, that allow for tight turns. The bushing setup is designed for city commuting, requiring quick, sharp turns. If the trucks feel too loose, it might be related to your weight, or they could just need breaking in.
Close-up of the Dinghy bushings
It’s recommended to break in the bushings first before tightening them. Over tightening could damage the bushings, causing them to crack or break. The bushings are designed to provide reliability and responsiveness for urban riding.
Bear Riser Pads (0.25 Inches)
The Landyachtz Dinghy includes 1/4″ riser pads between the trucks and deck. These pads prevent wheel bite and provide extra clearance between the board and wheels. They also absorb shocks and reduce vibrations, which enhances the riding experience.
Bear 1/4 inch riser pad
These riser pads are particularly useful for heavier riders, who are more prone to wheel bite. The soft nature of the pads helps with impact absorption and reduces overall vibration.
The Dinghy Hawgs Wheels
The Dinghy features 63mm Fatty Hawgs wheels, designed and manufactured by Landyachtz. These wheels are smaller than average longboard wheels, allowing for quicker acceleration, but result in a lower overall top speed.
Close-up of the Dinghy Hawgs wheels
Despite their small size, the wheels provide a smooth ride, capable of handling rough surfaces and small bumps. They have a 78A durometer, which is soft and solid, providing a good balance of grip and slide potential. The large 50mm contact patch provides excellent grip while enabling controlled slides.
Swapping Wheels
While the Fatty Hawgs wheels perform adequately, upgrading to other wheels can significantly enhance the board’s performance. Orangatang Fat Free wheels offer better grip and smoothness. Upgrading bearings to Bronson Raws also improves performance. While OJ Super Juice wheels were tested, the contact patch was a bit too small. Upgrading to Fat Free wheels can help to achieve the best performance.
Three Landyachtz Dinghy boards
Bear Spaceball Bearings
The Landyachtz Dinghy comes with Bear Spaceball bearings, rated ABEC7. While ABEC ratings are not crucial for skateboards, these bearings feature built-in spacers. These open bearings allow for easy cleaning and lubrication. While built-in spacers are a unique feature, some riders prefer separate metal spacers for enhanced performance.
Close-up of the Bear Spaceball bearing
Although they keep dirt out, riding in the rain is not recommended. They are not as durable as some other brands and may need replacing sooner than expected. If they start to wear down too soon, an upgrade to Bones bearings may be necessary.
Dinghy Durability
The Dinghy is made from quality maple wood that is quite durable, although it can chip if not handled carefully. It’s designed for cruising, not for heavy tricks. Treating it well will help it last for years. Avoid riding in the rain, as this can damage the board. Even after years of use the board should still be in good riding condition.
Comparison of old and new Landyachtz Dinghy boards
Is the Landyachtz Dinghy Too Small?
The Dinghy is smaller than most longboards, which may lead to concerns about its size. This really depends on personal preferences and the type of riding you plan on doing. If you have large feet, you may find the 8” wide deck too narrow. Taller people may have difficulty with their stance, although the board should be suitable for most people under 6’4″.
The size is ideal for navigating urban environments and weaving through obstacles. Ultimately, the board’s size depends on personal preference and the style of riding.
A Variety of Designs
The Landyachtz Dinghy comes in over 20 designs and three sizes: 28.5″, 26″, and 24″. Popular designs include the Emboss, Beach Party, Summit, and Trout. Each offers a different style to match personal preferences.
For a more stable, flat ride, the Dinghy Handstand, without any concave, is an option.
Is the Landyachtz Dinghy Suitable for Beginners?
The Dinghy has a steeper learning curve for beginners due to its responsive trucks and twitchy nature. While some reviews might say it isn’t for beginners, it can be a great board for a first time rider, although it might take a little while to get used to the concave.
For beginners looking for an easier start, the flat Landyachtz Dinghy Handstand might be more suitable. If you want to learn to hop curbs and slide, the Dinghy is a good option. If you’re a more experienced skater or longboarder then this board is a great choice. The Dinghy might not be suitable if you’re a heavier rider or have a shoe size of 11+ (US). In this case the Landyachtz Tugboat is a better option.
Recap: The Good and The Bad
The Landyachtz Dinghy combines the feel of a longboard with the agility of a skateboard. Its stiff deck, medium concave, and kicktail allow for tricks like ollies and manuals. The Fatty Hawgs wheels are suitable for slides, and the Bear Spaceball bearings are high-quality, though they may not be as good as other brands. Although it is not a downhill board, experienced riders can enjoy cruising downhill. It’s smaller size makes it very portable.
While beginners can use it, the learning curve can be steeper. If you have big feet, the deck may feel uncomfortable. The board is a bit heavy, but it is not a major issue and can contribute to its stability. It can easily be carried around without much bother. Check prices at evo.com or find it on Amazon.
The board’s beautiful designs may discourage heavy tricks, and larger feet may be a problem for some.
Price of the Landyachtz Dinghy
For its quality and efficiency, the Landyachtz Dinghy is very affordable. You can expect to pay around $150 for a high-quality cruiser with top-notch components. There are other boards that sell for more but don’t provide the performance of a Landyachtz Dinghy.
About Landyachtz
Landyachtz started with two people and has grown to over 60 employees. This Canadian company has locations in California and British Columbia. They have been making longboards and accessories for over 20 years.
Landyachtz also manufactures Hawgs Wheels and Bear Trucks. The company plants a maple tree for every board sold, showing a commitment to environmental responsibility.
In Conclusion
The Landyachtz Dinghy is a compact cruiser designed for commuting in urban areas. It offers stability, a smooth ride, and the ability to hop curbs and perform tricks. It is made of high-quality components from Landyachtz.
The Dinghy excels at urban commuting, and its design allows for quick turns and acceleration. Although not a freeriding or downhill board, experienced riders can still have fun. With over 20 designs, various sizes, and a flat version, the Dinghy is a very versatile board. If it doesn’t suit your needs, you can explore other mini cruisers or check out the top 11 cruisers that were personally tested.
Despite not being a longboarder, the reviewer is impressed by the quality of the Dinghy. The board received a 4-star rating, mainly due to the wheels and bearings. The Comet Cruiser got a 5 star rating.
Ruben Vee
By: Ruben Vee
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