Seeing all these new surfskates and systems from Carver, Yow, Smoothstar, Swelltech, and others made me want to try them, but pulling the trigger on a new board can be expensive as all heck. This looked like an affordable way to give it a shot with gear I already own.
Packaging, Build, and Features: You get an octagonal box, with installation instructions printed on the outer facets if the interior box. Everything is packaged well, so no cosmetic nicks or blemishes due to shipping. Hardware is in color coded bags for front and rear adapters. The adapters them self are well built and feel substantial in the hand and on a board, adding heft.
Unlike a Carver C7, or Yow Meraki system, Waterborne used a unique square bushing system to create the surfy front truck.
Because it raised my boards above either of their stock riser heights, and was designed with a limiter to prevent wheel bite, I did not need to use risers or shock pads on either board with the Waterborne adapters. The increased ride height made me not want to try any tricks on it, however, aside from manuals, which somehow felt easier? 🤷
Another potential benefit to non-surfers is that it will work out muscles you didn't know you had and allows you another method of generating forward momentum.
Riding Experience: I tried these out on two different boards I've owned so far, a Sector 9 Ninety Five Cascade Mini-Cruiser with Gullwing Shadow Trucks and Sector9 Nine balls 60mm stomeground wheels, and a Landyachtz Ripper Watercolor Longboard with Bear TPK trucks, and 63mm Fatty Hawgz wheels. . Both times, I swapped the trucks and wheels from the original boards, just installing the surfskate adapters, though I also did try them out with Waterborne's Living Water surfskate wheels.
I'm 5'10, ~200 lbs, for reference.
The Sector 9 was the first experience and while it was fun, it wasn't quite right for my riding style and body type. The wheelbase was too short and it was kind of a strange stance. But it was still fun and interesting and the thing carved super deep and turned on a dime. It felt like a super carvey mini cruiser, but it rode very tall and the overall narrow width of the board made it harder to balance on if I needed to push. The smaller, rounded lip wheels also broke loose unintentionally once, leading to a fall. The Living Water wheels were a straight improvement there.
The Ripper, on the other hand, immediately felt like the winner. Stable, surfy, and very fun to ride. Turned faster and carved deeper than stock, of course, but also so playful. The Ripper was already one of my all time favorite setups, and now it's even better. It's slightly less stable to push on for distance, but it is also easier to push and ride normally than the mini cruiser. It really does feel like a surfboard, and I've had so much fun bombing around on it and exercising with it.
Conclusion: Really, because you could put this on any board and try it out, it does make it a universal adapter, and while it's not the same as say, a Carver C7 or Yow Meraki, it's definitely a great way to experience whether or not surfskating is for you.
As far the rear adapter, I like it. I don't think it's strictly necessary, but I've enjoyed my time with mine.
Disclaimer: I have not been paid or otherwise compensated for my review. I bought this product with my own money for my own purposes. My experiences are subjective of course, so ymmv.