If you’re a beginner and searching for what size of skateboard do I Need, you’ve landed in the right place.
In this article, we’ll guide you with everything that matters while picking your first skateboard.
You should always keep in mind these features of a skateboard, includes deck size, the shape of the board, truck size, wheel size, hardness, and bearing. It will decide the perfect skateboard for you.
All right, let’s deep dive and solve your query for what size skateboard do I need.
If your kid is 12 you can better read our guide on the best skateboard for 12 year old.
Table of Contents
What size of skateboard do I need?
Nowadays, various types of skateboards are available in the market because of increasing demand. Each board comes with different specifications and uses, like a shortboard, longboard, cruiser board, etc. For more information on this, check out our article, on different types of skateboard.
After choosing the most suitable skateboard according to your need, you have to necessitate checking the skateboard size to make it perfect for you.
Skateboard Deck Size Chart
The most important part of the skateboard is a deck, where you stand and ride the board.
If you fail to choose the deck’s size according to your need, it will be hard for you to ride it; either you talk about balance or doing tricks. So let me explain to you in-depth what size skateboard deck you should get that fits you.
To measure the deck, you need to consider the below-given skateboard deck size guide.
Width
Deck width is available in a range of 6-10 inches, so we divided it into Micro, mini, medium, and full.
Micro: Comes with 6.5 to 7.5 inches width and for shoe size 0 to 3. Best for under six year old beginners with height less than three feet and five inches.
Mini: It comes with 7 inches width and for shoe size 4 to 6, and is best for 6 to 8 year old kids with height three to four feet.
Medium: It comes with 7.3 inches width and for shoe size 7 to 8, and best for 9 to 12 year olds with height four to five feet.
Full: It comes with 7.5 inches width and for shoe size nine or more. Best for adults with a height of more than five feet and three inches.
While measuring, always give more preference to width over length, and select the deck according to your height and shoe size as shown in the above table.
Length:
The distance from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail is called skateboard length. The deck’s average length is 28 to 33 inches, and for longboards, it goes up to 44 inches.
Width and Wheelbase size is most important to look for either the length of the deck. Length is only considered when you plan for longboarding; otherwise, it is not essential.
Wheelbase:
The distance between the board’s inner mounting holes is called wheelbase, and It means the gap between the front and back wheels.
It ranges from 13 to 16 inches. Only your experience can show the right wheelbase for you; otherwise, it will affect turning radius and stability, but it can be neglected for a beginner to consider while choosing the best skateboard according to size.
Tail and nose:
The tail is the back and the nose is the front part of a skateboard, and it together is measured from the center of the outermost mounting holes.
In most of the decks, you get graphics that show tail and nose. The nose is somewhat longer and wider than the tail, while the tail has a sharp angle.
The wider nose helps to perform better flips, and it gets easy to prefer the direction you wish to go.
Skateboard Truck Size Chart
Trucks are T-shaped metal that connects wheels to the deck and allows for pivoting and turning on the skateboard axle.
Trucks have different size widths according to various riding styles and needs. But before sorting out the truck, you should know the size of your skateboard deck.
The Skateboard truck axle must be suitable with deck width, to get better performance. For that, you can prefer the below-given table.
| Truck Axle Width | Supported Deck Width |
|---|---|
| 7.4 | 7.25 – 7.625 |
| 7.6 | 7.4 – 7.875 |
| 7.75 | 7.5 – 8 |
| 8.0 | 7.75 – 8.25 |
| 8.25 | 8.0 – 8.5 |
| 8.5 | 8.5 – 9 |
| 8.75 | 8.5 – 9.25 |
| 9.0 | 9.0 – 10 |
| 9.5 | 9.25 – 10 |
| 10.0 | 9.75 + |
| 10.5 | 10 + |
Skateboard Wheel Size Chart
Nowadays, different types of skateboard wheels are available in the market in various sizes and shapes. It also varies in diameter, measured in millimeters, and hardness is calculated on a durometer scale.
It depends on you which type of skateboard ride you prefer, and both factors will make a massive change in your riding performance.
| 50-53mm | 54-59mm | 60mm + |
|---|---|---|
| Small, Slow, Solid for tricks, Skate parks, bowls, & Street skating for small riders. | Standard wheel size, right for beginners, vert ramps, Skate parks, bowls & Street skating for bigger riders. | High speed, rough surface. Suits Longboards, downhill, old school board, and dirt board. |
Skateboard Wheel Diameter
The Skateboard wheel diameter is measured in millimeters and printed on the wheel’s outer surface.
For a different style of a skateboard, several wheel sizes are applied. Most wheels range from 50 to 75mm.
50 to 54mm smaller wheels are slower and prone to getting caught on rocks and cracks, but they are lightweight and easy for tricks, though technical skaters and street riders use it.
For park and street roads, 54 to 60mm wheel size is utilized.
60mm+ diameter wheels are used on cruisers or longboards because it is faster and bypass cracks, further it is heavyweight also. old school boards, downhill and dirt boards.
For a beginner, we recommend starting with a 52-56mm wheel size. For more on this, you can read what size skateboard wheels should I get.
Skateboard Wheel Hardness
To maintain the overall performance, you have to focus on a wheel’s hardness, which is measured by a scale called a durometer.
This scale is ranging from 1A-100A, while the 100A will be the hardest one.
There are two main types of wheels:
Soft Skateboard Wheels: Wheels Less than 90A known as softer wheels. It is best for rough areas, rolling over pebbles and cracks But not suitable for technical or street skateboarding because the grip and softness of wheels degrade to do tricks.
It is utilized for easy cruising and by those who want a stable and smoother ride like filmers.
Hard Skateboard Wheels: Wheels Between 95A to 100A are known as harder wheels. It is best for technical or street skateboarding. They ride faster due to less friction.
It works best in almost all regular skateboarding areas like streets, parks, or vert. In some cases, hardness is measured in Durometer B. This scale is used on extremely harder wheels, as you can see in the below table.
| Durometer A | Durometer B |
| 100 | 85 |
| 95 | 81 |
| 90 | 76 |
| 85 | 71 |
| 80 | 66 |
| 75 | 62 |
Skateboard Bearing Size
Bearing is one of the most important factors to consider while selecting a skateboard size. It will fit inside the skateboard wheels and increase the speed by decreasing the friction.
You can test it by spinning the wheels and seeing how long it rotates. If it keeps turning for a long time, it means the bearings are suitable to go.
To choose the bearing is easy because all are manufactured in the same size, which fit in any wheel.
You need to consider speed, build quality, and ABEC (Annular bearing engineer committee) rating factor between a scale of 1 to 9.
A higher rating indicated the bearings are very precious but also weaker. So the most recommended bearing is between 3 to 5 ratings, which is strong and long-lasting.
Choose Skateboard According To Your Riding Style
There are many types of skateboard styles, and different riders favor different styles. Thus, if you pick a skateboard similar to someone else’s, it won’t work for you, even if it is expensive or high-quality.
The best way to make the right choice is to look at your riding style and make a selection.
Here are the skateboard sizes and their best uses:
7.00″ to 7.50″: Suitable for youth riders with narrow decks.
7.50″ to 8.00″: Teenagers and adults can perform various tricks and do street skating on this skate.
8.00″ to 8.50″: Suitable for tricks and transition terrain on smooth surfaces like skateparks, ramps, rails, and pools.
8.50″ and Up: Wider decks are better for cruising, transition skating, pool, and street tricks.
Q. How do you know what size skateboard you need?
The deck width and riders shoe size can predict the skateboard size. If you wear a shoe size, 9 or more, go with a skateboard deck width of 7.5” and above. If you wear shoe size 6-8 go with a skateboard deck width of 7.25”-7.3”. Lastly, if you wear shoe size 2-5, go with a skateboard deck width of 7.0”.
Q. What size skateboard should I get for my height?
Although it’s preferred to choose a skateboard size based on shoe size and deck width, if you want to go by height, then a deck width of 7.5″ or more is appropriate for someone who is 5’3″ or taller. If you’re 4’5″-5’2″, you need a skateboard deck width of 7.25″-7.3″. For 3’5″-4’4″, choose 6.5″ to 7.0″ deck width skateboard.
Q. Is 8.25 skateboard too big?
Yes, an 8.25 skateboard is considered a big skateboard but not too big as there are skateboards bigger than that. This 8.25 skateboard is suitable for street skating and cruising.
Q. Is an 8.0 skateboard too small?
No, 8.0” deck width skateboards are not too small. They are suitable for anyone over 12 and are considered medium-sized skateboards. There are also small skateboards that are smaller than 8.0 skateboards.
Q. Is a 7.75 skateboard too small?
No, 7.75 skateboards are not too small, they are suitable for kids aged 8 to 10. You can also find smaller skateboards than this.
Q. Is a 8.0 skateboard a good size?
The 8.0 skateboard is a great size for beginner to intermediate skaters. It is also a good size for those who like to do tricks and street skating.
Q. What size skateboard should I get with size 12 feet?
For 12 feet size, you should get an 8.0″ to 10.0″ skateboard. This size will be good for stable and easy cruising. If you want to do tricks, then you should go for an 8.0″ or smaller size board.
Q. What is a good size skateboard for adults?
There is no definitive answer to this question since it depends on the skating style and foot size of the adult. However, most adults prefer an 8.0 skateboard for cruising, carving, and street skating.
You can also read our related article on what size skateboard should i get for my height.
Conclusion
Nowadays, different skateboard sizes are available in the market, which is good for different riding, but quite tricky for a beginner to choose.
But after reading this skateboard size guide I am sure you have no query like what size of skateboard do I need, and you are ready to select the best skateboard that suits your need.
Still, have any questions? Feel free to ask me in the comment box.
I am James Buckridge, the founder of skateboardidea.com. Skateboarding is my passion, and I have years of teaching experience in this field. Our vision and mission is to provide you with accurate information on everything related to skateboarding. Catch me on Twitter & Pinterest.