Skateboard Buyers Guide

Preassembled Complete Skateboards

IF THE IDEA OF PICKING OUT EACH PART DOESN’T APPEAL TO YOU THEN WE OFFER A RANGE OF COMPLETE SKATEBOARDS WHICH ARE PRE-ASSEMBLED. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ADD IT TO YOUR CART AND YOU’RE READY TO GO. COMPLETES ARE USUALLY OF A MORE ENTRY LEVEL QUALITY AND ARE BETTER SUITED TO BEGINNERS THAT HAVE NOT YET DEVELOPED A PREFERENCE FOR WHAT SIZES AND BRANDS THEY LIKE. YOU CAN PURCHASE A COMPLETE BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW:

Young Beginners:

WE OFTEN GET ASKED WHAT SIZE BOARD IS BEST FOR YOUNG CHILDREN THAT ARE STARTING TO SKATE FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS CAN SOMETIMES BE A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ANSWER BECAUSE CHILDREN HAVE DIFFERENT GROWTH RATES AND TWO CHILDREN THE SAME AGE CAN OFTEN BE VERY DIFFERENT HEIGHTS. BELOW WE HAVE GIVEN SOME SIZE RECOMMENDATIONS BASED ON BOARD SIZE THAT TEND TO BE POPULAR WITH BEGINNERS OF YOUNGER AGE GROUPS.

• 4 - 7 YEAR OLDS: DECK SIZE 6.5” TO 7.5”.
  WE WOULD USUALLY RECOMMEND A SHORTER LENGTH BOARD FOR THIS AGE GROUP. GENERALLY A MINI COMPLETE THAT IS A SCALED DOWN VERSION OF A NORMAL SKATEBOARD IS IDEAL.

• 8 - 12 YEAR OLDS: DECK SIZE 7.5” TO 8.0”.
  WE RECOMMEND A FULL LENGTH SKATEBOARD FOR THIS AGE GROUP WITH A SLIMMER WIDTH. THIS IS USUALLY PERFECT IF THE PERSONS FEET ARE ON THE SMALLER SIDE

• 13+ YEAR OLDS: DECK SIZE 8.0 “ - 8.25”+
  THIS AGE GROUP USUALLY HAS MORE OF AN OPINION ON WHAT SIZE BOARD IS BEST SUITED TO THEIR NEEDS. WE USUALLY RECOMMEND THE AVERAGE POPULAR BOARD SIZES FOR BEGINNERS IN THIS AGE GROUP. 8.0” TO 8.25” DECKS ARE MOST POPULAR AMONG YOUNG TEENAGERS AND ADULTS LOOKING FOR A SKATEBOARD THAT SUITS MOST STYLES OF SKATING.
  
  
  

Decks

SKATEBOARD DECKS ARE MADE BY GLUING AND PRESSING 7 MAPLE PLYS TOGETHER. THE PRESS GIVES THE BOARD ITS CONCAVE SHAPE. IT IS THEN CUT GIVING IT A SHAPED NOSE (TOP) AND TAIL (BOTTOM). DECKS COME IN MANY SHAPES AND SIZES. THE MAJORITY OF SKATERS FOCUS ON THE WIDTH OF THE BOARD WHEN MAKING A PURCHASE. THE SIZE DECK YOU SKATE IS A MATTER OF PERSONAL PREFERENCE AND A TASTE FOR WHAT YOU LIKE IS USUALLY DEVELOPED BY TRYING DIFFERENT SIZED DECKS. 

WE USUALLY RECOMMEND THAT A BEGINNER CHOOSES A SIZE 8.0” - 8.25” DECK. THESE ARE VERY POPULAR SIZES BECAUSE THEY ARE VERSATILE AND SUIT A LOT OF STYLES OF SKATING. IF YOU ARE PARTICULARLY SMALL YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER A SMALLER BOARD AND IF YOU ARE TALLER WITH BIGGER FEET THEN A BIGGER BOARD MAY SUIT YOU BETTER. LIKE WE STATED BEFORE, IT’S ALL PERSONAL PREFERENCE, THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG SIZE. WE GIVE A FREE SHEET OF JESSUP GRIPTAPE WITH EVERY DECK SOLD, PLEASE CONTACT US IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR GRIP APPLIED BEFORE DISPATCH.

Trucks

SKATEBOARD TRUCKS ARE USUALLY MADE FROM ALUMINIUM ALLOY. THE TRUCKS HOLD EACH PART OF THE BOARD TOGETHER AND ACT AS A TURNING MECHANISM. WHEN IT COMES TO TRUCK SIZING IT IS BEST TO GET A TRUCK THAT IS AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE WIDTH OF YOUR DECK. TRUCK SIZING USUALLY GOES UP IN 0.25” SIZES. IT CAN BE CONFUSING BECAUSE TRUCK BRANDS USE DIFFERENT NAMES TO MARK THEIR TRUCKS SIZING AND NO TWO BRANDS USE THE SAME NAME TO IDENTIFY THEIR PRODUCTS, BECAUSE OF THIS WE HAVE NOTED THE AXLE WIDTH OF EVERY TRUCK IN THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION. PLEASE SEE BELOW THE RECOMMENDED SIZE TRUCKS FOR EACH BOARD SIZE:

7.5” DECK - 7.5” TO 8.0” AXLE WIDTH
7.75” DECK - 7.5” TO 8.0” AXLE WIDTH
8.0” DECK - 8.0” AXLE WIDTH
8.125” DECK - 8.0” TO 8.25” AXLE WIDTH
8.25” DECK - 8.25” AXLE WIDTH
8.375” DECK - 8.25” TO 8.5” AXLE WIDTH
8.5” DECK - 8.5” AXLE WIDTH
8.625” DECK - 8.5” TO 8.75” AXLE WIDTH
8.75” DECK - 8.75” AXLE WIDTH

Wheels

SKATEBOARD WHEELS ARE MADE FROM POLYURETHANE. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT SIZES AND HARDNESSES OF SKATEBOARD WHEELS. GENERALLY, THERE ARE 2 TYPES OF WHEEL: STREET SKATEBOARDING WHEELS ARE USUALLY SMALLER (50MM - 55MM) AND MADE UP OF A HARDER COMPOUND. THESE WHEELS ARE USED FOR PERFORMING TRICKS. THE HARDER URETHANE ALLOWS THE WHEEL TO SLIDE SIDEWAYS MAKING IT A MORE WELL ROUNDED WHEEL FOR SKATEBOARDING. SOFTER CRUISER WHEELS ARE USUALLY USED JUST FOR COMMUTING. THE SOFTER URETHANE ALLOWS THE WHEEL TO HAVE A SMOOTHER, QUIETER ROLL, BECAUSE OF THIS, YOU WON’T GET CAUGHT UP IN CRACKS AND STONES AS EASILY. PEOPLE ASSEMBLING CRUISERS USUALLY FAVOUR A BIGGER WHEEL (55MM+). SOFT WHEELS ARE ALSO WIDELY USED BY SKATEBOARD FILMERS. THE HARDNESS OF A WHEEL IS MEASURED USING A DUROMETER SCALE. THE HIGHER THE DUROMETER NUMBER, THE HARDER THE WHEEL.

78A - 87A HARDNESS - THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A SOFT CRUISER STYLE WHEEL

88A - 95A HARDNESS - THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A HYBRID WHEEL, ALTHOUGH THEY USUALLY FEEL ON THE SOFTER SIDE.

95A - 101A HARDNESS - THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A HARD WHEEL USED FOR STREET SKATING AND PERFORMING TRICKS. THESE WHEELS ARE MOSTLY 99A - 101A

Hardware

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE MOST FORGOTTEN ITEM, THE NUTS AND BOLTS TO HOLD YOUR TRUCKS TO YOUR BOARD. MOUNTING HARDWARE IS USUALLY PHILLIPS OR ALLEN HEAD AND COMES IN A VARIETY OF SIZES AND COLOURS. WE USUALLY RECOMMEND ALLEN HARDWARE AS IT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO ROUND THE HEADS. IF YOU ROUND THE HEADS OF YOUR BOLTS IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO REMOVE THEM FROM THE BOARD SO BE CAREFUL! LONGER BOLTS ARE USUALLY USED TO ACCOMMODATE RISER PADS. RISERS ARE USUALLY USED FOR LARGER WHEELS (55MM+) TO PREVENT WHEEL BITE (WHEN THE WHEEL TOUCHES THE DECK DURING TURNING). MOST SKATERS DO NOT USE RISERS UNLESS THEY PREFER A LARGER WHEEL.

7/8” - NO RISERS
1” HARDWARE - NO RISERS / 1/8” RISERS
1 1/4” HARDWARE - 1/4” RISERS
1 1/2” HARDWARE - 1/2” RISERS

CLICK HERE TO SHOP MOUNTING HARDWARE!