Picking Out The Right Board Size
Wondering what size of skateboard deck or complete to purchase? Look no further. We're here to help you find the best size and shape for your riding style. If you have any additional questions not answered here, feel free to contact us anytime and we'll gladly help. Above all, don't be intimidated by this information. You can have a blast on a skateboard of any size or shape!
While choosing the right size of skateboard is largely a personal preference, there are 3 important factors to consider when selecting the right board size:
1. Riding Style & Terrain
2. Body Height & Weight
3. Shoe Size
Riding Style
If you skate mostly vert, parks, pools, (we call this "transition skating") or just like more stability and surface area under your feet, you'll want to skate a deck that is slightly wider. However if you like to do flip tricks, prefer a lighter weight setup, and skate mostly street freestyle (we call this "street skating"), you may want a narrower board - something under 8 inches wide. But riding style is only part of the equation in picking out the right size of board for you.
7.00" to 7.50": Narrow decks ideal for youth riders.
7.50" to 8.00": Medium deck width for teen or adult riders skating street terrain or doing more technical tricks.
8.00" to 8.50": Ideal for various street and transition terrain. Parks, pools, rails, stairs.
8.50" and up: Wider decks great for transition skating, bigger street tricks, pools, or just cruising.
Body Height & Weight
Choose a board that works well with your body size. Simply put, if you're mini - you'll want to skate a smaller board. If you're a taller adult, you should be skating a full-size board. While most street skateboard decks are similar in length, deck width is one of the more noticeable differences. And even if .25 inch doesn't seem like much, those small differences in measurement can make a big difference in the way the board feels due to the concave and overall shape of the deck. Here is a chart with basic sizing recommendation you can refer to:
Shoe Size
Perhaps one of the most important factors in choosing the proper board width is shoe size. Turning, ollieing, and doing technical tricks requires a good fit between foot and board. This is why "skate shoes" are actually a thing. Selecting a deck that is not too wide for your feet and not too narrow is important. Check out this graphic for some help:
Board Length
Even though board width is typically the most important factor in choosing the correct deck size, knowing the overall length can be helpful for technical skaters and transition or bowl skaters often like to know the wheelbase. We've included all of these measurements so you can geek out over the details as much as we do.
Width: 7.25" = Length: 29.50" (Wheel Base: 12.50")
Width: 7.50" = Length: 31.12" (Wheel Base: 14.00")
Width: 7.75" = Length: 31.12" (Wheel Base: 14.00")
Width: 8.00" = Length: 31.38" (Wheel Base: 14.00")
Width: 8.25" = Length: 32.00" (Wheel Base: 14.38")