Finding Your Perfect Skateboard Deck Size: A Comprehensive Guide

Choosing the right skateboard deck size can feel overwhelming, especially for beginners. With so many options available, it’s essential to understand how deck size impacts your riding experience. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to select the perfect deck for your style, body type, and skill level, ensuring you get the most out of your skateboarding journey.

What Skateboard Deck Size is Right For You?

Selecting the ideal skateboard deck involves considering several key factors. While personal preference plays a significant role, focusing on these four aspects will help you narrow down your options:

1. Skating Style: What kind of skateboarding are you most interested in? Street, transition, or freestyle will all benefit from different deck sizes.
2. Truck Size: If you’re replacing just the deck, ensuring it matches your existing trucks is crucial for optimal performance.
3. Body Type: Your weight and height significantly impact the type of deck that will provide the best balance and control.
4. Shoe Size: While not the most critical factor, your shoe size can influence your comfort and stability on the board.

Matching Deck Size to Your Skateboarding Style

The type of skating you plan to do should be a primary consideration when choosing a deck. Are you looking to master technical street tricks, carve through bowls and ramps, or explore the fluidity of freestyle? Each style has its ideal deck size:

• Street Skating: Typically involves flat ground tricks, ledges, and rails. Street skaters often prefer narrower decks for enhanced maneuverability and quicker pop.
• Transition Skating: Focuses on riding ramps, bowls, and vert. Transition skaters often prefer wider decks for increased stability and control at higher speeds.
• Freestyle Skating: Emphasizes technical flatland tricks. Freestyle skaters tend to favor smaller, more agile decks.

Aligning Deck Size With Your Trucks

If you already have trucks, you’ll want to make sure your new deck is compatible. The width of your deck should match the width of your trucks to avoid issues like wheel bite, where the wheels rub against the deck during turns. This is generally a non-issue for complete boards, where trucks and deck are chosen to match. If you’re unsure, refer to the truck and deck size chart below.

How Your Body Type Impacts Deck Choice

Your body type directly influences the optimal deck size. Lighter riders might prefer thinner decks for greater responsiveness, while heavier riders may opt for wider decks for enhanced stability. Height also plays a role:

• Shorter Riders: May find thinner decks more manageable, allowing for better control and quicker turns.
• Taller Riders: Often benefit from wider decks that offer more foot space and overall stability.

Considering Your Shoe Size

While not as critical as other factors, your shoe size can influence your deck choice. You generally want your feet to be mostly on the deck, rather than hanging off the sides. Conversely, having too much board space can make flip tricks more challenging. Use the chart below as a guideline.

DVS Commanche 2.0 skate shoes on a skateboard

Best Skateboard Size for Beginners

For beginners, a versatile skateboard deck is essential. Starting with a “regular” deck allows you to explore different styles without feeling limited. A deck between 8.0″ and 8.5″ is usually a good starting point for adult skaters.

• Street-Focused Beginners: Should lean towards an 8.0″-8.1″ deck for its responsiveness.
• Transition-Focused Beginners: Might find an 8.5″ deck more stable when learning ramps.

Younger skaters and smaller teens should opt for thinner decks, generally ranging from 7.5″ to 8.0″, to ensure better control and maneuverability.

Understanding Standard Skateboard Sizes

While various sizes are available, some are more popular than others, particularly within specific skateboarding disciplines:

Standard Sizes for Street Skating

Street skating decks have steadily increased in size over the years. While 7.5″-7.75″ decks were once common, today, most street skaters prefer decks ranging from 8.0″ to 8.25″. This range offers the best balance between responsiveness, control, and comfort for technical tricks.

Standard Sizes for Transition Skating

Transition skaters have historically used larger decks for stability in bowls and on ramps. While old-school decks were often 9″ and over, modern transition skaters now lean towards slightly smaller, more maneuverable decks. The standard range for transition is now 8.5″ to 9.0″.

Standard Sizes for All-Around Skating

With the rise of hybrid skaters, deck sizes have gravitated toward the middle ground. All-around skaters, who enjoy both street and transition, typically choose decks in the 8.3″ to 8.5″ range. This size provides enough versatility for most terrains.

What Sizes Do Professional Skateboarders Use?

Professional skateboarders often have specific preferences based on their skating style. Examining their deck choices can provide insight into the optimal sizes for different disciplines:

Street Pros: 8.0″ – 8.125″

Toy Machine skateboard deck

Street pros tend to favor slightly smaller decks that emphasize maneuverability and trick performance. Examples include:

• Gap Skaters: Riders like Aurélien Giraud, Chris Joslin, Dave Bachinski, and Tommie Sandoval all use 8.0″ decks.
• Rail Skaters: Jamie Foy and Yuto Horigome also ride 8.0″ decks. Nyjah Huston opts for a slightly wider 8.125″ deck.
• Flow Skaters: Louie Lopez and Gustav Tonnesen often ride 8.125″ decks, while Mark Suciu prefers an 8.0″ deck.
• Technical Ledge Skaters: Paul Rodriguez, Gustavo Ribeiro, and Shane O’Neill generally ride 8.0″ decks, with Felipe Gustavo choosing a slightly wider 8.25″.

All-Around Pros: 8.25″ – 8.5″

Hybrid skaters like Wes Kremer (8.25″), Zion Wright (8.25″), and Aaron “Jaws” Homoki (8.38″) use boards that facilitate both street and transition riding.

Park Pros: 8.5″+

Transition skaters’ deck choices vary widely. Some use old-school shapes, while others stick with the traditional popsicle.

• Bowl Skaters: Tristan Rennie, Pedro Barros, and Jaime Mateu ride 8.5″ decks. Ben Raybourn uses a slightly wider 8.675″ for big transitions.
• Vert Skaters: Tony Hawk now rides 8.5″ decks (though he’s used larger in the past). Mega ramp riders like Danny Way and Bob Burnquist ride 8.625″ decks.

Freestyle Pros: 7.25″ – 7.5″

Freestyle skaters, like Rodney Mullen, typically use smaller decks with distinct rails. Modern freestyle pros like Kevin Harris (7.25″), Rodney Mullen (7.375″), and Andy Anderson (7.49″) use narrower decks for better agility.

Is a Bigger Skateboard Always Better?

8.5-inch Skateboard Setup for Adults

In skateboarding, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The best deck size is the one that feels most comfortable for you.

• Larger Decks: Provide more stability and a wider turning radius, ideal for cruising, pools, and transition.
• Thinner Decks: Are more responsive, easier to spin, and favored by technical street skaters.

Ultimately, it’s about finding a balance that suits your individual needs and preferences.

How Long is an 8.0″ Skateboard?

While the width of a deck is a primary factor, the length of an 8.0″ board typically falls around 31.75″. However, slight variations exist, with some boards measuring 31.63″ or 31.875″. Some 8.0″ decks can even be significantly shorter or longer depending on the brand, shape, and concave. These minor length variations have less impact on overall performance compared to width.

Skateboard Deck Width and Shoe Size

Matching your deck to your shoe size is important for stability. If your feet hang too far off the board, it can hinder progression and lead to injuries. Unless you have very large or small feet, most of the recommended sizes in this guide will work for you. Try out different decks at a local shop if you’re unsure.

Skateboard Deck & Shoe Size Chart

This chart serves as a starting point when choosing a deck. It primarily applies to street skating.

best skateboarding shoes

Matching Trucks to Deck Size

The correct association between trucks and deck width is crucial for avoiding issues like wheel bite and ensuring optimal turning. Use the following chart as a guide:

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right skateboard deck is a journey of exploration. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different sizes until you find the setup that feels best for you. Consider this guide as a starting point, and always prioritize your personal comfort and riding style. Remember, skateboarding is all about having fun and pushing your limits, so select a deck that empowers you to do just that!

For a deeper dive into other aspects of deck selection, like shape, concave, and wheelbase, check out our review of the best skateboard decks.