No idea which deck you need? Take a look at our buyer's guide video!
Your old skateboard deck is broken and you need a new one for the upcoming season? Or as a beginner, you're wondering which deck will suit you best? No matter the case, we’ve got the right deck for you. We’ll explain which deck width you need and what else is important when you’re buying a skateboard.
Your board has seen better days and you're looking for a new low-priced skateboard deck? Then check out the sale section and get a real bargain deck!
The size of a skateboard deck is mostly regarding the width. The width of a deck is measured in inches [″]. One inch equals 2.54 cm. Most skateboard decks are 7.5″ to 8.5″ wide. While decks up to 8.5″ are referred to as all-around boards for street and park, wider decks are mostly skated in pools or vert. Narrower decks flip easier than wider decks, whereas wider decks provide you with a stronger hold, which can prove helpful with landing tricks. There are also skateboard decks made especially for kids that are narrower than 7.5″ and a little bit shorter. For each deck in the skatedeluxe shop, you will also find the length of inches. Wider decks tend to also be a bit longer than narrow decks. The most common length of a skateboard deck is about 31.5″. Nevertheless, when you’re looking for a new deck, the decisive factor should be the width.
Especially as a beginner, choosing the right deck can be quite nerve-racking. But there are some clues that indicate what deck will suit you best, i.e. your shoe size and height. The following chart should help you orient yourself. Once you have found the right deck width for yourself, simply use the filter option "width - skateboards" to show all the decks that are the right size for you.
One of the fundamental factors is that wider boards offer a smoother ride at high speeds. However, they are also heavier, which makes them a bit harder to flip so you’ll need more power in your legs. On the other hand, the wide surface provides plenty of space for catching the board, which can be an advantage when landing tricks. So if you’re into gaps, transitions or just going full speed, a wider board might be right for you.
Contrary to wide boards, narrow boards are lighter and easier to flip. Especially for beginners, this can be an advantage because you’ll need less power to learn your first tricks. However, narrow decks can be hard to control at high speed and have less space to catch and land on. Therefore, narrow decks are ideal for technical skateboarding like doing combos on curbs or flats.
Here's a tip: We’d recommend a narrow deck for beginners learning flip tricks.
| Shoe size US | Shoe size EU | Shoe size UK | Deck Width |
|---|---|---|---|
| US 1 | EU 31.5 | UK 1 | < 7" - 7.25" |
| US 1.5 | EU 32 | UK 1 | 7" - 7.375" |
| US 2 | EU 32.5 | UK 1.5 | 7.25" - 7.5" |
| US 3 | EU 34 | UK 2.5 | 7.375" - 7.625" |
| US 3.5 | EU 35 | UK 3 | 7.375" - 7.75" |
| US 4 | EU 36 | UK 3.5 | 7.5" - 7.875" |
| US 4.5 | EU 36.5 | UK 4 | 7.5" - 7.875" |
| US 5 | EU 37.5 | UK 4.5 | 7.625" - 8" |
| US 5.5 | EU 38 | UK 5 | 7.625" - 8" |
| US 6 | EU 38.5 | UK 5.5 | 7.75" - 8" |
| US 6.5 | EU 39 | UK 6 | 7.75" - 8.125" |
| US 7 | EU 40 | UK 6 | 7.875" - 8.125" |
| US 7.5 | EU 40.5 | UK 6.5 | 7.875" - 8.25" |
| US 8 | EU 41 | UK 7 | 8.00" - 8.25" |
| US 8.5 | EU 42 | UK 7.5 | 8.00" - 8.25" |
| US 9 | EU 42.5 | UK 8 | 8.00" - 8.375" |
| US 9.5 | EU 43 | UK 8.5 | 8.00" - 8.375" |
| US 10 | EU 44 | UK 9 | 8.125" - 8.5" |
| US 10.5 | EU 44.5 | UK 9.5 | 8.125" - 8.5" |
| US 11 | EU 45 | UK 10 | 8.25" - 8.5" |
| US 11.5 | EU 45.5 | UK 10.5 | 8.25" - 8.625" |
| US 12 | EU 46 | UK 11 | 8.375" - 8.625" |
| US 13 | EU 47.5 | UK 12 | 8.5" - 8.625" |
| US 14 | EU 48.5 | UK 13 | > 8.5" |
The parts of a skateboard deck can be roughly classified into three sections: nose, tail and wheelbase. The wheelbase describes the space between the inner holes in your deck, where the trucks are mounted. Consequently, the nose is the part in the front and the tail the section in the back of the deck. The graphic on the right can help you! Generally, the nose is a little bit longer than the tail, which clarifies the regular "direction of skating". If you are not sure which part the nose is, you can orientate yourself to the graphic or the engraving on the top of the deck. If you don’t have any trouble reading the engraving, the nose is probably pointing upwards!
Another term that will cross your path while choosing your new deck is concave. There are three types of concaves describing the long side of a deck. You can distinguish between low, medium and high concaves. Most decks have a medium concave, which is also the favourite of many skaters. The best way to find out which concave suits you best would be to simply test them. As for beginners, we would recommend a skateboard deck with a medium concave.
The formula of success for decks comprises seven plies of maple that are glued together with a special kind of adhesive. There are many constructions that are supposed to make decks more durable since wood obviously isn’t indestructible and decks have to take a few hits every now and again. These constructions include extra plies of wood, other kinds of adhesives or fibreglass. For example, the Impact decks from Almost are equipped with carbon fibre sheets that make these decks particularly durable. If you want to learn more about skateboard deck technology, take a look at our skateboard deck wiki!
Not all decks are made equal! Many decks also differ in shape. Today the most common shape is the popsicle deck. These decks are almost symmetrical and have the advantage that you can easily ride them switch (tail to the front). Contrarily, there are also oldskool decks that’ll throw you back into the 80's. Oldskool decks are often wider and have a flatter tail than popsicle decks. These decks are mostly skated in pools or are used as cruisers. Pretty new and quite hot nowadays are the so-called shaped decks, like the decks from Welcome Skateboards. Here's a tip: If you've just started skating and you want to learn tricks, we recommend that you start with a classic popsicle. By the way, you can easily search for standard decks or oldskool and shaped decks by using the filter option "shape".
» Check out the shaped decks
1. Popsicle Deck 2. Oldskool Deck 3. Modern Shaped Deck
Now you know what it comes down to when you’re buying a skateboard deck and you can choose from the many brands in our online skate shop. You will find hot European brands like EMillion, Jart, Palace, Magenta and Polar. Furthermore, we’ve got the top US brands like Plan B, Almost, Girl, Toy Machine and many more for you in stock. If you’re interested, you can read more about the top bands at skatedeluxe on our blog!
By the way, we’re convinced that brands are an important part of supporting the scene. That's why you won’t find blank decks here in the skatedeluxe Online Skate Shop. Why? We’ve summarised it all for you in our blog post on the topic of blank skateboard decks.
Is choosing the right deck making you feel overwhelmed? Just give our skateboard-configurator a try! You can create your new setup in just a few, easy steps. In case of doubt, our customer service team can help you out. If you want to learn more about skateboard decks, you can take a look at our skateboard deck wiki. There, you will find more information on skateboard decks.
Unfortunately, we can't accept orders from Vereinigte Staaten. We only ship within Europe and to Japan.
