The skateboard deck is what most people think of when purchasing cheap skateboards. The skate deck should be durable – the last thing you’d want is for it to break in the middle of a trick!

The Most Important Thing

The most important thing, especially when you first starting to buy skateboards, is to buy from a reputable seller. By buying for someone you trust you’ll know you will end up with a quality skateboard.

Choosing the Deck Material

Decks are usually made of two materials – wood and plastic. Wooden is considered superior, although plastic decks can be durable. Of the wooden decks, you should generally look out for Canadian maple. Canadian maple is the most consistently durable wood. Decks can also be made in both Chinese maple, and other woods – both of these are hit and miss when it comes to quality but are more common when buying cheap skateboards.

Wooden decks are made of “plys” of wood. This means that lengths of wood are compressed together and they make up the deck of the board. The optimal number of plys is 7 – this offers the greatest degree of control whilst still keeping a lower weight and maintaining flexibility. Sometimes boards are made of 9 plys – these are unsuitable because of how stiff and heavy they are.

Other deck materials that are available include aluminium and fibreglass.

What Size Deck?

What deck size should you choose when buying cheap skateboards? This depends on what you want to use your board for, and your foot size and height!

Decks are generally around 28-32 inches long. Shorter decks are better for shorter people, and offer increased manoeuvrability. Longer decks are better for (you guessed it) taller people, and for increased stability which means they are great for cruising.

Decks are generally between about 7.5 and 8.25 inches in length. Narrower decks offer increased manoeuvrability. Wider decks offer increased stability and control. Do not get a deck under 7.5 inches wide unless the rider is young (under 14) or has a small shoe size (under 9).

So what width should you choose?

Less than 8 Inches – Choose a narrow deck (under 8 inches) if you’re going to be doing traditional skating or street skating and tricks like ollies, flips and grinds.

More than 8 Inches – Choose a wider deck (over 8 inches) if you’re going to be doing vert (pipes, bowls etc). You need a wider deck because it offers increased stability and control.

What is a Concave Deck?

A concave deck is when the sides of the deck curve up slightly along the length of it. This increases board strength and rider control. Even when buying cheap skateboards this is something to look out for!

Blank Decks and Graphics

Graphics are always a personal choice, and you don’t need to think about them other than choosing a personal preference. When trying to save money, blank decks are a great idea! They are usually superior quality for the price you pay for them.

Good Brands for Decks

These brands are recommended because they are known to produce good quality, cheap skateboards: Habitat, Blind, Toy Machine, Alien Workshop, World Industries and Golden Dragon Skateboards.