Quad Artistic vs. Quad Speed Skates

Question
I am having a hard time choosing the right skate type for me.  I am also getting lots of different opinions.  What are the basic differences between quad artistic and quad speed skates?  Which would be better for:  Outdoor, at the Roller Rink, or Roller Derby?  Thank you for your time.

Answer
Julie,
Your question doesn't have an answer that fits all 3 venues perfectly. For outdoor skating & rink skating artistic beats speed quads by a mile - but the caviat is you should have 2 sets of wheels for maximum comfort & skating potential - 1 for indoor (harder wheels - 98A hard, 101A harder, or hardest 103A durometer) & 1 for outdoor (softer 78A best or  85A an in between durometer called indoor/outdoor) - 78A is my choice for its' forgiving softness - easier on the knees,  shins & ankles - changing them is very simple.
Roller Derby is another kind of skating & all the girls on the 2 teams that I train, use the lower profile speed type skates with the wide wheels - some of the referees who I also train use the artistic quads. If it were up to me I'd have them all skating on artistic quads for ankle support & edge control - but that's not the Derby style. I hope this helps you decide what's right for you.
Roll On!............Lezly (Lezly Skate School - NYC - estab. 1979)