Deciding what skateboard to purchase as a beginner can be very difficult but we're her to help. Here are some of the things you need to consider.
- How much should I pay for a beginner skateboard? - You should typically pay anywhere from $65-$99 for a good starter skateboard ( excluding sale items ). If a skateboard cost less than $30 you should be skeptical. A bad quality skateboard can make for a horrible experience.
- What brand should I get? - You should not be focused so much on the brand as you should on the quality of the skateboard as a beginner. There are plenty non brand skateboards that are great quality.
- What determines if a skateboard is good quality? - You want to make sure the deck is constructed of 7 layers of maple wood. The trucks are made out of light and durable aluminum. Never purchase a skateboard with plastic trucks or wheels. The wheels need to be polyurethane with a hardness level above 95A unless you are getting a cruiser in which case the wheels can be softer. the bearings need to be at least abec 3 and above. The grip tape and hardware also need to be durable but these items are usually descent even on the worst skateboards.
- What size should I get? - A common size for beginner skaters is 8" x 31.5" for good reason. The typical width of a skateboard ranges from 7.5" - 8.5" with 8" being right in the middle. An 8" skateboard is very versatile. You can do tricks, cruise, drop into bowls, grind, jump stairs, do flips... If you are 5 years old or younger than a 7.5 - 7.75 might be a better size to start with. A rule of thumb is to make sure your feet extend across the entire board to give you ultimate control for street skating.