How to ride an electric skateboard: a first-week guide for beginners
The short answer: start in the lowest speed mode on a flat, dry, empty surface, learn to stop before you learn to go, and wear a certified helmet and wrist guards from the first minute. Keep sessions short and practise starting, stopping, turning and stepping off until they feel boring. Only then ride anywhere with people, cars or hills. You do not need to know how to skateboard first. This guide gives you the setup, the technique and a day-by-day plan for your first week.
What gear do you need before your first ride?
Every board we sell tells you to wear a helmet and protective gear, and the Origins and Apex spec sheets spell it out: a certified helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards. When you fall while learning, your hands usually go down first, so wrists and palms take the hit.
| Gear | Why it matters | When to wear it |
|---|---|---|
| Certified helmet | Head injuries are the ones you cannot undo | Every ride, from the first metre |
| Wrist guards | Your hands go down first in a fall | Every ride, especially in week one |
| Gloves | Palm and knuckle protection on tar and paving | Every ride |
| Knee and elbow pads | Low-speed falls on hard ground | While learning, and on any rough route |
| Flat, closed shoes | Grip on the deck and a clean step-off | Always |
| Lights and a reflective layer | Deck lighting is not a substitute for real lights | Dusk and dark, once you are past week one |
If you only add one thing to a helmet, make it hand protection. Our full-finger riding gloves come in sizes M to XXL with palm and knuckle protection, and our glove guide helps you pick your size.
Where should you practise?
Look for somewhere flat, dry, smooth and empty, where you are allowed to ride: a quiet estate road where the rules permit it, a private driveway with room to roll, or an empty parking area or court you have permission to use. Avoid slopes, gravel, sand, wet patches and paving with deep joints until stopping is automatic.
South African road law has not caught up with electric skateboards, so the rules on public roads are not clear-cut. Our guide to whether electric skateboards are legal in South Africa covers the detail. Check your municipality's by-laws and any estate or campus rules before you ride somewhere new.
On the Highveld, summer storms usually arrive in the afternoon, so morning sessions are the safer bet. Do not ride in the rain or on wet surfaces: every board we sell is specified for dry conditions, and wet tar costs you grip and braking.
How do you set up the board and remote?
- Charge the board and the remote fully. On our spec sheets the Nova charges in 1 to 2.5 hours, the Origins in about three hours and the Phantom in 4 to 5 hours.
- Read the manual and pair the remote the way it describes.
- Select the lowest speed mode. The Nova and DNASkate V4 remotes have four speed modes and the Phantom has three. Stay in the lowest mode until the drills in the plan below feel automatic.
- Check the direction. Some remotes, including the Origins and DNASkate V4, have forward and reverse. Make sure you are in forward before you step on.
- Learn the throttle with nobody on board. Turn the board upside down on grass or a mat, nudge the throttle and watch the drive wheels, then try the brake. Now you know which way the thumbwheel goes before it matters.
- Do a quick pre-ride check. Wheels spin freely, nothing rattles or feels loose, and the remote shows a connection and enough battery on both board and remote.
How should you stand?
First, find your lead foot. Stand with your feet together and have a friend give you a gentle, unexpected nudge from behind. The foot you step forward with goes at the front of the board. Left foot forward is called regular, right foot forward is goofy, and neither is better.
- Front foot just behind the front truck bolts, angled roughly 45 degrees towards the nose.
- Back foot across the deck over the back truck bolts.
- Feet about shoulder width apart.
- Knees bent, back fairly upright, weight centred between your feet.
- Eyes up, looking where you want to go, not at your feet or the remote.
Keep your remote hand relaxed. A tense thumb makes for jerky throttle and sudden braking.
How do you accelerate and brake without surprises?
An electric skateboard moves under you, so you lean with it:
- When you accelerate, shift your weight slightly onto your front foot so the board does not pull away from under you.
- When you brake, shift your weight slightly towards your back foot and bend your knees, so your body does not keep going when the board slows.
- Squeeze, do not flick. Move the thumbwheel slowly in both directions. Grabbing too much throttle or too much brake is the quickest way to fall off.
Braking on an electric skateboard is electronic, through the motors, controlled from the remote. There is no mechanical brake to fall back on, which is why stepping off is a skill you practise too. Braking can also feel weaker on a full battery, so after every full charge, test the brake at walking pace before you build speed. Our battery, rain and braking FAQ explains why it happens.
Keep the remote charged as well as the board. A remote that runs flat mid-ride is a problem you can avoid by glancing at its battery level before you set off.
How do you turn?
You steer by leaning. Press gently through your toes to turn one way and through your heels to turn the other, and the trucks do the rest. Look through the turn to where you want to come out, and slow down before the turn rather than braking halfway through it.
Board length changes how it turns. The 700 mm Nova turns in a tighter circle than the 950 mm Phantom or the 1000 mm Spartan, so give a longer board more room. Wide figure-eights in an empty space are a simple turning drill that works.
How do you step off and fall safely?
To step off, brake until you are at walking pace, then step your back foot down to the ground and let the board roll to a stop. Practise it until you can do it without thinking, because it is your exit when something goes wrong.
If you lose your balance at low speed, step off and run it out rather than fighting to stay on. If you do go down, try not to land on straight arms. Wrist guards and gloves are there for exactly that moment.
Your first week, day by day
Keep each session to roughly 20 to 30 minutes. Tired legs make mistakes, and short daily sessions build more control than one long one.
| Day | Practise | Move on when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gear on, stance, standing on the board, tiny throttle, braking to a stop at walking pace | You can start and stop ten times in a row without a wobble |
| 2 | Smoother starts and stops, plus the step-off drill | You can stop on a spot you picked in advance |
| 3 | Gentle turns both ways, then wide figure-eights | Turns feel controlled at low speed |
| 4 | Braking from a jogging pace, and a firmer, controlled stop | You brake without looking at the remote |
| 5 | Paving joints, small cracks and driveway lips at low speed, knees bent | You roll over a joint without stiffening up |
| 6 | The same drills in the next speed mode, on the same flat area | Everything from days 1 to 5 feels the same one mode up |
| 7 | Rest or review. Check bolts and wheels, and plan a short, quiet route you are allowed to ride | You know your route and its hazards before you ride it |
Which South African surfaces should beginners watch for?
- Potholes and cracked tar. Small wheels catch in cracks that a car would not notice. Bigger, softer wheels are more forgiving, which is why the Phantom and Spartan run 105 mm Cloud wheels. Our wheel guide explains the differences.
- Paving bricks, storm-drain grates and speed bumps. Slow down, bend your knees and cross them square-on.
- Sand and gravel on the verge, especially after a storm. A street wheel can stop dead in it, and that is the classic beginner fall.
- Low sun at dusk. Drivers are squinting, and nobody expects a skateboard. Ride in daylight while you learn.
Which board is easiest to learn on?
A board that is light, slow at the bottom of its range and rated for your weight. These figures come from our spec sheets, and top speeds are no-load figures, so real speeds with a rider are lower.
| Board | Rated load | Top speed (no load) | Speed modes | Why it suits a learner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nova | 70 kg | 15 km/h | 4 | 4 kg with a built-in carry handle and the lowest top speed in the range |
| Origins | 120 kg | 40 km/h | Selectable | Rated beginner to intermediate; the LCD remote shows board and remote battery and direction |
| Phantom | 120 kg | 60 km/h | 3 | Rated beginner to intermediate and light at 6.8 kg; start in the lowest of its three modes |
| DNASkate V4 | Not listed | 45 km/h | 4 | Its spec says beginners start in the low gear; riders must be 16 or older |
If you weigh more than 70 kg, skip the Nova and look at the Origins or Phantom. The Spartan and Apex are rated intermediate to experienced and the Relentless experienced, so they are second boards rather than first ones. See them all side by side on the compare page, or browse our street and campus boards.
Common first-week mistakes
- Riding with straight, locked legs instead of bent knees.
- Looking down at your feet or the remote instead of ahead.
- Jumping to a higher speed mode before stopping feels automatic.
- Leaning back while accelerating, so the board shoots out in front.
- Trying a hill or a slope in the first few days.
- Forgetting to charge the remote.
- Riding on wet surfaces, or after dark without lights.
Frequently asked questions
Is it hard to learn to ride an electric skateboard?
It takes practice rather than talent. The skills that matter are balance, a smooth thumb on the remote and stepping off cleanly, and they come with short, regular sessions in a safe space.
Do I need to know how to skateboard first?
No. There is no pushing involved, so you can learn on an electric board without ever having ridden a normal skateboard.
Which speed mode should I start in?
The lowest one. Stay there until starting, stopping and turning feel automatic, then move up one mode at a time.
Can teenagers learn on one?
The Nova in its slowest mode suits responsible teenagers under adult supervision. The DNASkate V4 is specified for riders aged 16 and over, and we do not recommend any electric skateboard for young children.
When can I ride somewhere busier?
Only once stopping, turning and stepping off are second nature, and only where you are allowed to ride. Rules vary by municipality, estate and campus, so check before you go.
