The question is simple, and we get asked it every day at the store: How do you choose a beginner skateboard?
Most of the time, to get started, we steer our new skateboarders towards complete skateboards, already assembled and ready to use. This is for a simple reason: to reduce the budget while benefiting from a quality board made by a big brand (Globe, Flip, Baker, Santa Cruz, JART, etc.).
To know: There is no disadvantage to start with a custom skateboard. It is more expensive, but the items are of higher quality. For more information on this topic, check out our guide "Choosing my skateboard deck".
Which skateboard to start with?
The first thing to do is toidentify the size of the deck you need. The size of a skateboard is always noted in inches (") and corresponds to the width of the deck.
The size of the deck is determined by your shoe size and your body type. For example, an average-sized adult wearing a size 43 will most often use a skateboard in the 8.0 to 8.375" range.
The following table summarizes the correspondence between shoe size and deck size:
| Pointure (EU) | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45+ |
| Minimum tray width (in ") | 7.0 | 7.25 | 7.25 | 7.5 | 7. | 57.757 | .758 | . | 08. | 08. | 08. | 1258 | .125 |
| Maximum tray width (in ") | 7.5 | 7.625 | 7.625 | 7.75 | 7.75 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.25 | 8.25 | 8.25 | 8.375 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
There are many different sizes, mostly between 6.0" and 9.0". A 6.0" wide skateboard is very small and dedicated to young children. On the other hand, 9.0" is a very large size reserved for Bowl or Cruising enthusiasts. Note that there is almost a size every 0.125". The difference between two sizes that follow each other is a few millimeters (3.1mm). So don't be afraid to select a size slightly larger than your recommended size.
Good to know: Size is a theoretical factor to guide you. You can use a different size than the one recommended, especially if you want to practice a very specific discipline. Bowl and Cruising enthusiasts will generally opt for larger sizes (8.5" and up).
Size of the tray: what does it change?
The axles of trucks are usually the same width as the deck. This is one of the reasons why you can choose a wider skateboard: to benefit from wider and therefore more stable trucks .
This is the case for bowl skaters who mostly want to optimize the width of the axles, or for those who skate daily and want maximum stability, especially at high speed.
Keep in mind, however, that a wider board and axles require more wood and metal to be made. It's a small difference between two sizes that follow each other, but it can become important between sizes like 7.75" and 8.375" for example.
Finally, keep in mind that a narrower skateboard is easier to trick (it's less heavy and easier to turn) while a wider skateboard offers more room to reposition your tricks and move around comfortably.
If you are a beginner, wearing a size 8 and want to focus on "Flip tricks", choose a 7.75" or 7.875" skateboard.
What about the other accessories on my board?
To start, it is not really necessary to focus on the model of trucks or the wheels.
Most of the time, the trucks are equivalent. As for the wheels, they can have different shapes, but all complete boards are equipped with medium and high duro wheels. For more information on wheels, check out our "How to choose my skateboard wheels" guide.
The full skateboard range is dedicated to beginners who want to start and progress. As such, almost all the models offered offer similar benefits. The objective, most of the time, being to make Park and Street, all the boards answer this program.
You can consult us for advice on wheels, trucks or bearings.
Otherwise, our advice is simple: once you have identified the size, choose the skateboard that you find the most beautiful ! If it fits in the budget, you found your happiness ;)