Start with your deck. It’s the foundation of your complete and largely determines how the rest of your setup comes together.
What to keep in mind
- Your shoe size: pick a width that suits your feet.
- Where you skate: mostly street, in the skatepark, on transition (mini-ramp, pool or vert), or a mix of everything? That decides the length, concave and wheelbase that suit you.
- Know your shapes: learn the difference between a popsicle shape, a shaped board and a cruiser so you can pick the right one.
- Graphic: last but not least, go for one that speaks to you.
A skateboard is made of 7 to 9 layers of maple, glued together and pressed into one. That press is what puts the curve in your deck, the concave.
Width
Decks run from 7 inch up to 10 inch. The main call is whether you skate street or transition. If you mostly skate transition, go for a wider deck, from 8.375 inch up. You carry a lot of speed in mini ramps, bowls and vert, so a wider board makes it easier to keep your balance.
Street skating is generally a bit more technical, so a narrower deck works better, from 7.5 inch up to 8.25 inch. You do more flip tricks on the street, so you want a board that’s nimble. A narrower plank spins around its axis more easily than a wide one.
Want to skate both street and transition? A board between 8 inch and 8.375 inch lets you hold your own on any terrain.
Never skated before and not sure what you’ll ride most? Go for something between 7.75 inch and 8.38 inch. Smaller feet or a smaller build, lean narrower. Bigger feet or taller, size up a touch. Pick what feels comfortable for you.
Length
Deck length sits between 31 inch and 33 inch, with most decks around 32 inch. A longer deck is mainly interesting if you skate a lot of transition, for the extra stability. For most people we recommend a normal length, around 32 inch.
Deck shape
Most decks these days have a curved nose and tail (front and back). That lets you skate regular or switch without turning your board around. Older decks only had a curve at the tail. If you like street skating, go for a deck with a normal shape; we recommend this for beginners too. Keen to experiment with other shapes, like an old-school shape? Then pick a different form.
Concave
The concave is the curve you find in your deck. It runs up to your nose and tail, and also from the sides of the board toward the middle. Concave largely determines how your deck reacts and how it feels underfoot. A deck with more concave reacts faster to a movement than one with a flatter concave. Whether you go flat or steep comes down to preference. For beginners we recommend a mild concave; over time you can experiment and find what you like best. One thing to know: decks with a steeper concave are a bit stronger than flat ones, so if you break boards easily, lean toward a steeper concave.
These are general pointers. Once you’ve skated a while, you’ll experiment more with different widths and concaves and find your own preference, and that can shift over the years too.