How To Choose A Skateboard

There are three main types of skateboard to choose from: a double kicker (we’ll refer to these as a standard skateboard in this guide), cruisers, and longboards. All three have slightly different purposes and uses. Within this, there are a lot of factors to consider; for instance- width, concave, and wheel base all play a part. But the most important question you need to be asking yourself before choosing a deck is, ‘What kind of riding am I going to be doing?’.

If you’re looking to work on tricks, both in the park and street, then a standard skateboard is the one to go for. If you’re after a more laid-back ride and want to work on some carves or use it to cover longer distances, then a cruiser or longboard will be the better choice.

We'll delve a little deeper into the differences and specifics of each type of board below.

At TSA, we’ve made life easy for you by stocking a huge range of completes, and if you’re a newer rider, maybe consider taking a look at a complete skateboard. These come prebuilt, and the components have been sized to ensure optimum performance. The only thing you’ll have to decide on is which size works best for you and, of course, which graphic catches your eye.

For more experienced riders or those who want something a bit more unique, we also stock decks and hardware, allowing you to custom-build your skateboard. By changing individual components of your board, you’ll be able to replace worn-out gear or slightly change how the board feels as you see fit.

Deck

Between different skateboard types, decks vary in length, width, and profile. Generally, longer decks are reserved for longboards and some cruisers, thanks to the stability and increased room underfoot.

The width of decks can vary between boards. Longboards and cruisers tend to have a standard size, which is generally wider than a usual skateboard. This is because wider decks offer more stability and control, making them suited to cruising, carving, and old-school skating. Standard skateboards can vary in width. For these boards, the main differences are that wider decks offer bigger landing platforms for tricks but are usually harder to flip than narrower decks. To start with, it is worth choosing a width of around 8" as this is a good balance between the two. There is no right or wrong width; it just comes down to personal preference.

Usually, longboards have a very gentle rocker and concave. Cruisers will often have a more pronounced rise in the tail of the board to help with your back foot placement and carving. Standard skateboards will have a rise in the tip and tail along with more pronounced concave across the width. Both the kick in the nose and tail and the concave across the board are to help improve your control and make tricks easier to perform and catch.

Trucks

The trucks attach to the underside of the deck and are what attach the wheels to the board. In general, the width of the trucks should match the width of your board.

The height of trucks can vary, with low trucks being more stable for flip tricks and high trucks preferred for cruising and carving whilst also accommodating larger wheels.

The angle of the hangers also makes a difference to the ride. Lower-degree hangers give more stability at high speed, and higher degrees offer tighter turns. Some trucks (such as those that come with our longboards) offer reversible hangers to provide two different angle options.

Bushings

Bushings are the rings that fit around the kingpin (the central bolt that goes through your trucks to hold them together). They allow the board to turn and pivot smoothly, and affect how responsive your trucks are. By tightening or loosening the kingpin, you can adjust how tight the bushings are and in turn, how easy the board is to turn. Bushings come in various stiffnesses, measured by a durometer, and in general, a softer bushing is more manoeuvrable, and a stiffer bushing offers a more stable ride.