Frequently Asked Questions

What size deck do I need?

Buying a skateboard can be confusing. Here's some guidelines to think about when buying your skateboard. Remember that none of these suggestions are rules. You should go with what you want, and make sure you have fun. The longer you skate, you'll get more of an idea of what you want. But at the start, here's some good ideas to keep in mind. At the bottom of this page you will find some good examples of each board for terrain type.

First, choosing your deck. Ask yourself, what kind of skating do I think I'll do most?

Transition / Vert

Are you looking forward to mostly skating at the skatepark, vert ramps or pools? Most of this type of skating uses a wider board, something wider than 8" (8.25" or 8.38" are good choices).

Street / Technical

Do you see yourself skating around a school yard, the street in front of your friend's house, or downtown? Most of this type of skateboarding involves flip tricks or grinds. These types of skaters are usually most comfortable with a deck 8" wide or smaller (7.5", 7.75" or 8" are good). Anything much wider can make it hard to do technical tricks.

Both / All Terrain

If you want to master both street and vert styles (not a bad idea at all), then you should look at a board that's right about in the middle. An 8" deck would be a good choice. If you find yourself leaning one way or the other, you might want to adapt your board. A wider board makes ramps easier to ride but flip tricks harder, where a more narrow board makes flip tricks easier but gives a lot less stability on a ramp!