Choosing a skateboard is a decision that requires careful consideration, because you may need to ride that board for quite some time -- whether you like it or not -- depending on your budget. You will look at three main components of board when you shop: deck, truck and wheels. Understanding the various choices you have for these three components and how they affect a board's performance will help you choose a board that keeps you off the pavement and in the groove.
Step 1
List the type of riding you will most likely do with your board, in order of frequency. You may be doing freestyle, vertical, transition, street, park, cruising, technical flatground, downhill or big air. This will determine whether you need more speed, control or maneuverability.
Step 2
Write the board, or deck, length best suited for each type of riding after each style you wrote on your list. Longer boards are 35 inches or longer and work best for cruising. Shorter boards work best for most other skating, because they provide more control. Choose a wider deck for more stability and narrower boards for more maneuverability. Choose a more concave deck for more maneuverability during tricks, and a less concave for more control. Choose wood -- the most common material for decks -- for more maneuverability, and plastic for more durability. Ask a store sales rep about newer materials that claim to offer a better combination of durability and control.
Step 3
Write the wheel sizes best suited for each type of riding after each style you wrote on your list. Choose 52 mm to 55 mm wheels for more nimble skating, such as street, park or bowl riding, or if you are smaller and weigh less, such as youth riders. Choose 56 mm to 60 mm wheels if you will be skating street, parks, bowls and vertical ramps, and if you are larger and weigh more. These wheels will give you more support. Choose 60 mm or larger wheels if you will be choosing a long board and doing hill or dirt riding.
Step 4
Choose harder wheels if you need to get airborne, and softer wheels if you need more traction. Choose softer wheels for long board riding, cruising and rough surfaces. Choose harder wheels for smoother surfaces. Top competitors choose the hardest wheels, which are more difficult to control and provide little cushion and shock absorption when you land. Choose medium hard wheels if you want durability but some responsiveness for tricks.
Step 5
Choose wider trucks if want more stability on landings and a shorter turning radius. Choose narrower, lighter trucks if you need more maneuverability. Choose a wider truck if you are buying a long board.
Step 6
Test ride skateboards that have the characteristics you think you want in a board. Skate board feel comes down to personal preference, not simply a combination of deck, wheels and trucks that meet a particular formula. Test ride boards with similar deck lengths with different wheels. Test boards with the same wheel hardness but different truck sizes.
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