Buying your first skateboard, whether you are 6, 16 or 60 is a great experience. But it can also be confusing. You can ensure you get the most out of your new skateboard, by buying the right board to suit your size, style and needs. That way you will feel comfortable and progress quickly. Whether you are cruising or learning tricks.
Our beginners buying guide will answer some of the most common questions. Helping you choose the best starter skateboard. Regardless of if you are a complete beginner or an old dog looking to learn some new tricks.
What is the Best Beginner Skateboard?
Choosing your first skateboard can be daunting if you don’t know what you are looking for. There are different styles and sizes to consider, not to mention graphics and hardware. But, buying your first skateboard isn’t as hard as you might think.
The best beginner skateboard is a good quality skateboard setup that suits your needs. It’s as simple as that. So now you just need to think about what type of skating you want to try.
What Type of Skateboarding Are You Into?
The first step is to determine what type of skateboarding you are into. There are many different styles including:
- street skating,
- longboarding,
- cruising and
- skating at skateparks.
All of which require different qualities from your board.
Classic Skateboards - For Tricks, The Skate Park and The Street.
Standard skateboards are trick skateboards. They are designed for learning tricks in the skatepark or on the street. If you want to learn a double kick, ollie, frontside 180 or any other skateboard trick, this is the board for you.
Most are a popsicle shape, meaning the nose and tail have the same shape. But there are other shapes available as well.
Longboards - For Longer Rides
Longboards are not suitable for tricks. They are wider and longer than classic boards making them great for travelling long distances. They are faster, and they tend to be more durable.
Longboard trucks are wider and more stable than you would find on a park or street skateboard setup. Longboard wheels tend to be bigger and softer, again to be better suited to the style of riding.
Complete longboards generally cost more than a regular complete skateboard for beginners. However, if this is what you are looking for they are worth the investment.
Cruiser Skateboard - For Cruising in The City
A cruiser board is perfect for cruising around town and getting from A to B. Compared to standard skateboards cruisers tend to be shaped differently. Cruiser wheels are generally softer for a more relaxed ride.
If you want something to get you around faster than walking then a cruiser could be the board for you. You can even opt for a mini cruiser, a smaller and lighter board that is perfect for strapping to a bag when you can’t skate.
As well as the options above there are also electric skateboards, surf skate boards and mountain boards, as well as alternative ways to skate such as roller skating.
For the rest of this article we will be looking at classic or standard skateboards for children and adults and what to look for when buying your first one.
Skateboard Size
Skateboard decks come in different sizes as well as styles. Making sure you have the correct skateboard size is a good starting point when narrowing down your options.
Deck width affects how easy it is to trick skate. It affects the weight and the manoeuvrability of the board as well as how much area you have to land on.
When looking at board width, shoe size and height both come into play. But as a general rule teenagers and adults will be happy starting on a deck of around 8 to 8.5 inches whereas younger children will find it easier on a slightly narrower deck.
Custom or Complete?
Once you have decided on the style of skateboarding you are interested in, it's time to choose between a custom and complete set-up.
Complete skateboards are ready to go. You don’t have to decide which trucks or skate wheels are best, or if you want other hardware such as riser pads.
Custom completes offer you the option to build your own skateboard. You start with a blank skateboard deck and add the skateboard wheels, trucks, bearings, hardware and grip tape of your choosing.
The board is then put together for you. You get a custom skateboard that is a little more personalised and unique than a standard pro complete skateboard. And, because the experts have put it together, you don’t need the set-up knowledge or the skateboard tools to get riding.
Finally, you can buy all the elements and put the board together yourself. This can be an amazing learning experience. And, it means you have the skate tools and the skills to change your set-up when you need to.
Complete Skateboards for Adults and Children
Without doubt, complete skateboards are the easiest option. They are ready to skate straight out of the box or your local skate shop. They come complete with grip tape, skateboard trucks that fit the board and wheels. Plus, they tend to be less expensive.
A complete pro skateboard is a great option for children and adults alike. You get a good quality skate truck and skateboard wheel to get you started. And, you can always upgrade the hardware to better suit your style and needs once you have mastered the basics.
Buying a skateboard for kids from a toy shop is very different to buying a pro complete skateboard. We stock junior size skateboards that are perfect for children and far better value than buying a cheaper kids skateboard that will either break or frustrate them so much they lose interest.
A plastic deck, plastic trucks and hard plastic or super-soft wheels are no fun to learn on.
Custom Completes - Customised Beginner Skateboards
While all the skateboard completes will sell are great quality boards, not every board is suitable for every person.
It might be as simple as choosing a graphic that you really love. Or wanting a slightly wider board or faster bearings. There are lots of reasons people choose custom completes over a pro complete.
If you are new to skating why not come into the store and get some advice from the experts?
Choosing your Board
Best Boards for Children Under 10 - Beginner Skateboards for Kids
Junior completes are ideal beginners skateboards for kids under 10. They are slightly smaller size skateboards which makes them lighter and better for learning tricks.
Just because they are junior sized doesn’t mean they are lower quality. We choose boards by the same brands that make pro skateboards. Kids skate for fun. And skating is definitely more fun, if you have a decent skateboard configuration that suits you and will allow you to improve and progress.
A mini skateboard such as a penny board might look like a fun toy machine, but they are not ideal for either street skating or the skate park. And while a mini complete skateboard may be fun for very young children. They will need a bigger board as they get older.
Speed demons do some fantastic smaller boards that are very competitively priced for beginners. They feature a maple deck with good pop that will last young learners a good few years.
We also highly recommend the Alien Workshop and Zoo York completes. Again they are made from maple wood and are perfect for learning and progressing.
Best Boards for Teenagers and Adults
The only real difference for teenagers and adults is board size. You can filter our complete boards by size to make it easier to see what’s available.
Habitat Skateboards are very durable boards that are suitable for riding on most surfaces making them great all-rounder boards for beginners. The company was founded by pro-skaters who put their names to these boards meaning you can be sure you are getting a great quality board that can be used by experienced skaters as well as those new to the sport.
How Much Are Beginner Skateboards?
As mentioned above we do not recommend buying cheap toy skateboards. Our complete boards start at £50 and go up to £100.
There are often discounts and offers available, as we love nothing more than encouraging new skaters.
Is the Artwork Important?
Absolutely! If you think the artwork on your deck is sick then you are far more likely to want to get out and skate. The same applies to kids. The more they love the board the more excited they will be to use it. And let's be honest, it takes time to get good so a little extra incentive can go a long way.
Getting Back Into Skating?
If you used to skate and are looking to get back into skating for fitness, fun or just to get around then complete skateboards can be a really good option as they are ready to use and very affordable.
However, if you have some experience of skateboarding you may prefer to choose a custom set-up, handpicking the components you wished you could have had as a kid.
What Else Do You Need to Start Skateboarding?
Safety first! Before you start skating we highly recommend investing in a set of wrist guards, knee pads and elbow pads as well as a helmet.
You can get pad sets that can be used for lots of different sports including kids scooters and even ice skates. Slide gloves are really good for protecting your hands during tricks or if you fall on concrete. And you can even get impact shorts to protect your tail bone.
The fact is when you are learning to skate you will fall. And the less it hurts the easier it is to get back up again and keep practising.
Getting a good skate shoe can also really help. Skate shoes are specifically designed with flat soles to give better board control.
You can view our range of complete beginner boards, decks, clothing, shoes and accessories at frontsideclothing.co.uk or in our Lyme Regis store.