i seen topics saying to buy completes but not one about buying a custom one (if you decide to upgrade from your complete or just a whole new board) so i thourght i give an idea what people should look for if they decide that they want to buy a custom. Dont Forget these are guidlines not everyone is like this but its a good idea to start off so you know what you should be looking for.

Deck

Your hight usually determands on length you want your board

Skater's height to this chart:

Under 4' = 29” or smaller
4' to 4'10” = 29” to 30” long
4'10” to 5'3” = 30.5” to 31.5” long
5'3” to 5”8” = 31.5” to 32” long
5'8” to 6'1” = 32” to 32.5” long
Over 6'1” = 32.4” and up

For your skateboard's width, it all depends on how big your feet are. Most skateboards are around 7.5” to 8" wide, but can be wider or narrower. If you have larger feet, get a wider skateboard deck.

Once you have the basic size in mind, you can tweak it a little depending on what you want to do with your board. If you want to skateboard transition or vert, if you want to ride a lot of ramps or spend most of your time riding at the skate park, then a wider board is a good choice (8” wide or more). If you want to ride around streets more, and do more technical tricks with your board then try to keep it under 8” wide.

Wheels

Skateboard wheels come in a variety of colors, sizes and degrees of hardness. Skateboard wheels have two stats -- diameter (how tall the wheel is) and durometer (how hard the wheel is -- I will refer to the "a-scale" for durometer. Most skateboard wheels use the same scale).

For a quick and easy answer to what kind of wheels to get, most skaters will be happy with wheels from 52mm to 54mm, with a hardness of 99a. But, if you want to give it a little more thought, then first ask yourself what kind of skateboarding you think you'll be doing:

Transition / Vert

Larger skateboard wheels roll a lot faster, and when riding ramps this is what you want. Try 55-65mm size wheels (though many ramp skateboarders will use even larger wheels -- try something like a 60mm wheel first, as you learn), with a hardness of 95-100a.

Street / Technical

Skateboarders who like doing flip tricks often like smaller wheels, as they are lighter and closer to the ground, making some skateboarding tricks easier and faster. Try 50-55mm skateboard wheels, with a hardness of 97-101a.

Both / All Terrain

You'll want something in the middle, with slightly softer skateboard wheels. Try a wheel size 52-60mm, with 95-100a hardness. This should give you a balance between speed and weight.

Bearings

The rating is called ABEC and goes from 1 to 9, but only odd numbers. Unfortunately it was originally developed to rate the bearings in machines, not on skateboards.

Therefore, the ABEC rating only rates the precision of a bearing. Plus, the more precise he bearing, the weaker they usually are. Skateboarders take their bearings and abuse them, as normal skateboarding does. Skateboarders want bearings that are both precise and durable, so the ideal ABEC rating for a skateboard is 3 or 5. Smooth enough, but not going to break when you jump on your board. Some skateboard bearings don't even bother with the ABEC rating system. The best thing to do is try some out, ask your friends, or ask the guy behind the counter at your skate shop. i would recomand Bones Reds as your first bearings, they last a while, fast and are very good for the price.

Trucks

There are three things to pay attention when thinking of what trucks to get:

Truck Width

You want to match the width of your trucks to the width of your deck. Match your truck side to your deck with the following chart:

4.75 for up to 7.5" wide decks
5.0 for up to 7.75" wide decks
5.25 for up to 8.125" wide decks
For 8.25" and up, you can use 5.25 trucks, or use super wide trucks (like the Independent 169mm)
You'll want your trucks to be within about 1/4" of the size of the deck.

Bushings

Inside the trucks are the bushings, a small part that looks like a rubber donut. The Bushings cushion the truck when it turns. The stiffer the bushings, the more stable the skateboard. The softer the bushings, the easier the turn.

Truck Height

The truck height can vary. Low trucks make flip tricks easier and add some stability, but with lower trucks you will want smaller wheels. High trucks allow you to use larger wheels, which will help when skateboarding at higher speeds or long distances.

If you are a new skateboarder, I recommend using medium trucks, unless you know for sure that you want to use your skateboard for street or cruising. For street, low trucks are good and for cruising, medium or high trucks are a good choice.

pin it

hope this helped people and you could put it up as a guid if it helps anyone (i got bored in work so i thourght i do it lol)

But, you didnt actually write this though?
This is Copy and pasted from elsewhere...Right?

nope done it my self was in you besies you get this info off any1 really quiet basic when u go to ya local shop they will probly tell you the same thing

How come you're spelling in the first post was so good then....

and now its not so great.

Sorry if I'm being picky.

tird only had 1 hour sleep and also i can spell good on word lol just done spell check lol

how on earth did you produce a guide and then this below



edit: i was too slow posting, damn you tv

cos it true but it better to go in tyour shop having an idea what you want

KMA, this all seems a little fishy doesnt it?

i think someones telling Porkys!

OH, he is
Unless he's an Admin for About.com

i found this while Cruising the web.
http://skateboard.about.com/od/boardmainte...ngSkBoard_2.htm

WOAHHHHHHH.

This looks FREAKING SIMILAR!

its rickydavies all over again

Does it really matter. it helps people, chhose there decks sizes and what not, i agree there was no point in lieing to score browny points but don't be a bell jockey about it.

Sorry, Just thought it was a silly thing to lie about.

Meh im just tired and craving

im a noob and ive found in that list things that i was looking for but didnt find elswhere, specifically the hi and lo trucks, was not sure of the difference. also skaters height chart is awesome.

is there any kind of skaters foot chart? im size 10/10.5 feet wise, 7.5 inch board be ok?

another thing is is that im like 16stones in weight 5,11 in height. im too heavy hey, i'll probably break boards too often

Foot size don't mean shit. I'm size 11 feet same height as you and weigh about 11stone and i ride low trucks and a 7.75 deck. If you think you'd be too heavy id suggest maybe getting an 8inch deck.

cheers mate. used to skate a little bit when i was 10. 32 now lol.

what you think of this just to get the hang of things and see how i go

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/cata...ber/0103275.htm

but ppl say they have more success with quality boards, i want to olie and do some flip tricks all from stand still, surely im not capable of seeing the difference between doing it with the argos board and a quality one right? im a noobian

Well that is my first ever skateboard i bought for actually skating and looking at it now i think its crap, but its brilliant to learn on and see if you want to carry on. it's got a decent construction i think so unless you land awkwardly on the board it should hold up ok. There are adults on the forum who will probably be a similar weight to you so see if they've got any advice.

yo i just noticed in the description of that board it just says concave, however if you look further down the page you will see another board "pro" which is more narrow(not too fussed about that) and it says in its descip "deep concave".

this deep concave thing has me worried, will ollies and tricks be easier with deep concave board? its only a tenner extra so not fussed about the money


hmm just been looking at some boards, you see i thought deep concave ment the tails are more pronounced/deeper so like if you looked at a board side on the tails would be pointing more up in the air on a deep concave board. just looking at some boards and ive just noticed on the one i was looking at that the deck area between the bolts is curved heavily, most boards seem flat but seeing this boards makes me think that the description deep concave is actually talking more about the board area not the tails. am i right?

COncave means the bend width not length.

nice one. gota help out the new comers!