This update adds nose and tail kicks to allow free ride tricks for riders and an additional flex model for riders who prefer more control over their board’s flexibility.
After seeing another top board that Loaded had to offer with the Loaded Tan Tien, we simply had to test out the Loaded Dervish Sama
to examine the differences and similarities between two of the top of Loaded’s selection.
The Board
Much the Loaded Dervish, the Sama primarily consists of a bamboo core which allows the board to flex easily. The bamboo is sandwhiched by epoxy and fiberglass for strength.
The deck itself measures 42.8 inches long and 9” wide which is ½ inch wider than the Loaded Dervish. This increased space provides more space for the rider on the board and allows riders to “walk” up and down the board.
The Dervish Sama deck has a more pronounced concave profile than the old Dervish. One of the main advantages of this concave is that it allows riders to feel and control the edges of the longboard better which leads to an improvement in control.
What Flex to Get?
Are you wondering what flex to get with the Loaded Dervish Sama? See to the left for the sizing chart. Now it’s important to plan for what you want to do with the board and not simply just buy one flex type based off of weight.
Having a flexier longboard will give you more control and tighter turns at slow speeds. It’s been said that really flexy boards will “bounce” you out of tight turns.
However a very flexy deck leads to increased speed wobbles. Having a slightly stiffer deck will give you more stability at higher speeds.
If you simply want to cruise and occasionally try tricks on your Dervish Sama, go for the flex 2 or 3. If you want a slightly stiffer board to go at faster boards, try out the Flex 1 or Flex 2. If you don’t know, go with the Flex 2. It’s the most versatile out of the bunch.
A big new feature and upgrade from old to the new design is the addition of the nose and tail kicks. These kicks come with lengthened tips giving the rider greater leverage and subtle kicks which allow the rider to lock their feet in.
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To keep the rider on the board during extreme maneuvers, Loaded placed a custom grip tape design on the longboard. Contrary to almost all other longboards on the market, this grip tape actually varies in coarseness.
On the main body of the Loaded Dervish Sama, there is regular grip tape but to allow quick and responsive tricks, there is actually coarser grip tape placed on the nose and tail kicks to keep the riders foot on the board. It certainly gives the Sama a unique design.
Main Components
For the main components, Loaded recommends 180mm trucks from one of the top longboard trucks manufacturers, ie Paris, Bear, Gullwing Charger, etc. Our featured complete setup that we tested came with Paris V2 180mm black trucks which perfectly fit the look and feel of the board.
For wheels, Loaded recommends any wheel size under 75 mm. They purposefully designed the Dervish Sama to accommodate 75mm wheels without any wheelbite.
On our complete board setup, the wheels were Orangatang Stimulus 70mm, (see our review), which aim to provide a more free ride experience. These wheels are best sellers in longboard wheels because of their balance of grip and drift to provide a cruising and sliding experience at the same time.
For bearings, the setup came with pre-oiled SL Abec 7 bearings which allowed the wheels to roll easily. A slight upgrade that we might implement in the future is replacing those with Red Bones Bearings. For less than $20 extra, the upgrade will increase the quality of the ride.
Weighing in at only 7 lbs for a complete setup, the Loaded Dervish Sama is a light board. It has the perfect weight which makes it easy to carry around and take with you all day.
Riding the Loaded Dervish Sama
Putting my feet on the board, I’m impressed with the sheer amount of space that I have to do stuff on the deck. I know in my head that there is only an additional ½ inch in width but it makes a difference.
I rode the Dervish Sama Flex 2 to try and get a feel for the range of flexes that Loaded offers. The board bent as I stepped onto it by around 1-1.5 inches.
Going around turns and testing the carving to its limit, I was happy with my choice of the flex 2. It enabled me to feel like I controlled every movement of the board without being too flexy as to make me lose control at high speeds
When pushing the board, I was happy that Loaded decided to go with a drop through design for this board instead of a top mount, such as with the Loaded Vanguard. The drop through keeps the board low making pushing this board easier than on similar free ride board. It also provided more stability when going downhills.
The upgraded kicks that the Sama is known for as well as the coarser grip tape were very appreciated on the board. I was able to quickly throw some manuals while never being worried that my feet were going to fall off of the longboard.
With the small kicks built into the board, I was easily able to lock in my feet to really dig into carves and make them as tight as possible.
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These same kicks did much the same for sliding this board too. With pressure to the back of the board and my feet pushing against the kicks, I was easily able to kick out the back of this board and produce beautiful and controlled slides down hills.
One overall comment I have about this longboard is that it’s simply fun to ride. The flex gave a smooth feel to the board and it really felt like I had super-fine control over every part of the longboard’s motion.
This longboard is called a whirling Dervish because of its superb abilities in carving, freeriding, cruising, and ultimately dancing with this longboard and it was a real pleasure to be able to ride it.
Who should buy the Loaded Dervish Sama?
For riders looking for an amazing downhill board or a high-speed free ride, this is not the longboard for you. (hint: try out the Sector 9 Fractal and the Sector 9 Mini Shaka if you’re looking for those things).
But for people looking for a high-quality longboard which can do it all, is insanely fun to ride, and guaranteed to last for years, the Loaded Dervish Sama is the right longboard for you.
In the words of one rider we talked to, the Loaded Dervish Sama “can dance, freestyle, commute, slide, and shred like no other, so why not take it for a spin?”
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The one disadvantage of this longboard is its price which can you can see above along with additional reviews and pictures of the Sama.
