BUYING A REPLACEMENT SKATEBOARD DECK

This guide takes for granted you already have a Complete Skateboard and are looking to replace the Deck Only and that you will be using your existing trucks wheels and bearings from a previous Deck that has worn out or broken.

1. The 1st and most important thing is quality.

You want to know that what you are buying is going to be a good Value. That it will last and wont break right away under normal use.  Name Brand Companies that have been around for over 10 years certainly have proven that their Brand Name is a Viable Company and that you can trust they will stand behind what they sell.

20+ Name Brands (for Street Skating) to look for are: Element, Zero, Baker, Flip, Girl, Chocolate, Zoo York, Shorty's, Birdhouse, Powell, Santa Cruz, Enjoi, Darkstar, Almost, Mystery, Alien Wokshop, Habitat, Black Label, Popwar, Foundation, Toy Machine, DGK, Think........

2. The 2nd most important thing is What size do i get ?

Starting skaters should begin with a 7.5 to a 7.6 inch width if they want to learn tricks. The newer or Current shapes today are referred to as Popsicle sticks (See Below).

After Skaters learn new tricks and progress from Curbs, to Planters then to Hand rails and Sets of  Stairs, the boards start to get wider starting at 7.75 inch Wide then sizes 7.8 or 7.9 and when jumping Large Sets of Stairs skaters go directly to an 8.0 to 8.5 Inch Deck.

3. How much Pop Does this deck have ?

Another factor that skaters consider is how flexible or how stiff is the wood, How Deep or how Flat is the concave, How Steep is the Nose or Tail. In the beginning it is best for a skater to have a deeper Concave to keep their foot in place while doing tricks while a less steep nose and tail will make it easier to pop the board into the Air when learning tricks. A Steep nose or tail requires the board to lift higher before the tail hits the ground which is great for an Experienced skater but not for the beginner. A Stiff board will not flex as much which is good for a beginner as they have not perfected their Landing techniques while having flex will be an advantage for an experienced skater when they pop the board at greater heights when Jumping Over taller objects

4. Broken Boards

Breaking a Wood board is somewhat easy. While the Manufacturers 1/4 turn the 7 ply's of wood,  add fiberglass between the plys, add Kevlar to the tops of decks, for strength etc. If the user lands with their weight on the Tail, Nose, or center section of the deck when jumping, there is a great Chance of Breaking the board. If the User lands over the Truck mounting bolts when jumping there is literally no way the Board can break. The Main Reason boards break is Improper Landing Techniques. A new Skater must know when they Start learning their 1st trick which is an Ollie, that they must land with both feet over the bolts. A regular stance skater will land over the front bolts with his/her Left foot over the front bolts and with his/her Right foot over the back bolts. The situation is reversed for a Goofy foot Skater.

5. Board Warranty is from the Manufacturer

The only person who can Warranty Skate Board Decks against defects in materials or workmanship is the Manufacturer. Shops or Sellers are unable to Warranty Boards. Warranty cards are placed inside the shrinkwrap and tell the consumer where and what they should do in the event there is a problem with the product. Most Companies have a 30 Day Maximum Warranty. Most Companies Do Not Warranty a Deck for Breakage whether Intentional or Unintentional

6. Blank Decks

Blank Decks are a great way to go when you are on a Budget. They come in Various sizes and you can pick one up with grip for about 25% to 35% less than the price of a Graphic Deck. The only Drawback to buying a Blank Deck is that you have no Warranty because there is no one to send a blank board to. The Other is how do you know you are buying a board that is near or equal to a pro Deck  Since the board is Blank there is no way to know where it came from, so it's pretty much trial and error. Blank decks have come a long way and in many cases are premium quality whether made in China or North America (including Canada). I prefer to buy American made so we keep jobs here in the USA

7. What size deck fits my trucks best ?

5.0 Housing Trucks (measure the truck body not the Axle) Like Indy 129mm, Venture, Krux, Grind King, Destructo 5.0 etc,  have an Axle to Axle width of  approximately 7.5 Inches and fit Decks from 7.5 to 8.0 inch wide decks. Trucks with a 5.25 housing are best for decks 8.0 to 8.5 inches wide. Larger decks from 8.5 to 9 use 149mm and i recommend Independent Trucks (Indy) from 9 to 9.5 inches and in some cases 10Inch the Use of 169MM Indy's work extremely well and Gring King makes a Thunderbird or a Jay Adams truck that works well with 10 Inch decks. I the case of Bigger than 10 Inch decks I have found only Indy 215MM are acceptable. These Applications are for Pool, Ramp and Streets. There are many types of Specific trucks for Downhill like Randall as well.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you find this guide helpful, and if you did please click the Button thats says it was helpful so I can get a Vote or two. If you have any further questions please e-mail me to let me know. When buying an item like this for the 1st time it can be overwhelming. I have been in business selling Skateboards for over 28 years. If you need help let me know - Dave / L.A. Skate Co.