Cheap Skateboard Decks: 3 Tips to Find Discounted Decks

If you are like me, you are always on the lookout for quality, inexpensive skate decks. Here are four tips I’ve learned to help you find a high-quality deck that will last you for a discounted price.

The Top Places to Find Cheap Skateboard Decks

Sometimes, skate brands will sell discontinued decks at a discounted price. These decks are still perfectly good to skate; they might just have the name of a rider that is no longer part of the skate company’s team. It won’t be the newest graphic. However, you can save a lot of money by buying discounted decks like these.

Here are a few of my favorite places to find cheap skateboard decks online.

Elementbrand.com

Element offers free shipping to its “My Element” email newsletter subscribers. Sign up for a free My Element account, and keep an eye on their emails for when they have sales. Lately, it seems like there is always some sort of deal going on. Recently, I’ve been able to find decks in their sale section for an additional 50% off. I’ve bought decks from this site for as low as $17.

Here is how to find the cheapest, yet still pro-quality, Element Skateboard decks.

On their site, go to their Sale Decks page, filter for your size, and sort the products from cheapest to most expensive. You will find some insanely good deals in there. Often these are clearance decks that just didn’t sell, so the Element team is discounting them to make room in their warehouse for new gear.

Are Element decks any good, though? Yes, Elment Skateboards are good. Element are decks are made by a well-known woodshop called BBS (Bare Back Skateboards). The same woodshop makes high-quality skateboard decks for Baker, Hockey, Limousine, Primitive, Quasi, Toy Machine, and Zero. Element’s skate decks are made with the same high-quality American maple.

Check out my Element complete skateboard review to learn more.

I’ve reviewed both the complete Element skateboards that come with trucks and wheels as well as the individual Element skate decks. I find the individual decks are made with a signifigantly higher quality maple than the decks used in the complete skateboards. When all you need is a deck, you will have a difficult time finding a better deal than the $20 decks from Element’s sale page.

TheDrop.com

TheDrop.com is a streetwear and skate site that often has clearance decks from various brands for $20 – $35. To find these decks go to The Drop’s skateboard deck category page, filter for your size, and sort the products from cheapest to most expensive, and you will find a deck that is perfect for you.

I tend to find boards from Primitive, 303, and Pizza on sale, most often on The Drop. Take a look and you will find a quality deck for an insanely good deal.

Tactics.com

Tactics is an online skate shop that has been selling skateboards since 1999. The shop always has a few boards for the $30-$40 range. To find these decks, simply go to the clearance decks page, filter for your size and sort the products from lowest to highest price.

The biggest perk to getting a deck from Tactics is that they offer free grip tape too.

Bamboo Skateboards

If you use the 10% off coupon code 01QF0NBT0ZVM on Bambooskateboards.com, you can get skateboard decks shipped for $31.95. The main detail to note with this site is that every deck they sell is made with 6-ply bamboo rather than standard skateboard deck construction of 7-ply maple.

Why buy a bamboo skate deck, though?

Bamboo skateboards are stronger, lighter, and better for our planet than maple construction. Using bamboo prevents soil erosion because bamboo doesn’t need any fertilizer to grow. Additionally, bamboo is a type of grass that can grow up to two feet per day, whereas maple can take 60 years to mature. Best of all, when you cut bamboo, it grows back stronger than it was before you cut it. A strong deck for $32 winds up being a really good deal. z

Tips for Finding Quality Skateboard Decks for Cheap

Keep an eye out for sales and promotions

Many skate shops and brands run sales and promotions throughout the year. These sales are a great opportunity to find cheap skateboard decks.

A few general times skateboard deck companies offer sales.

Memorial day
Labor day
Black Friday
Cyber Monday

Subscribe to Email Newsletters

Most skateboard brands offer an email newsletter you will want to subscribe to. Each brand usually runs promotional sales, and they will alert you about them through an email. Watch your email for these sales and stock up on decks when they are the cheapest.

Be Patient

Finding the perfect deck for you at a discounted price may take some time. The key to getting these deals is to be patient and not be afraid to keep looking until you find one you love.

Filter for Your Deck Size and Then Sort By Price

If you know your skateboard deck size, you can save time by filtering the decks by your size and then sorting the page from the lowest to the highest price. This filtering process will help you quickly find decks that are the right size and price range for you.

Look for decks that are discontinued or on Sale. Sometimes, skate brands will sell decks that are discontinued or out of stock at a discounted price. These decks are still perfectly good to skate, so you can save a lot of money by buying them.

Things to Consider When You Are Shopping for Cheap Skateboard

Here are some considerations to keep in mind when finding a quality skateboard:

Deck quality: The deck is the top part of the skateboard that you stand on. It’s most often made of 7-ply maple. Decks vary in quality due to the wood used and the number of plies. Look for a pro-quality skate deck by buying decks from a skate shop or a well-known online skate brand.
Trucks: The trucks are the metal pieces that connect the deck to the wheels. The width of the trucks also matters, as wider trucks will be more stable, but narrower trucks will be easier to turn. Look for skate trucks made of aluminum or magnesium and come from a skate shop or a well-known online skate brand.
Wheels: Skateboard wheels are made out of polyurethane and come in various sizes, qualities, and durometers (hardness levels). The size of the wheels affects how smoothly the skateboard rides, while the hardness affects how grippy the wheels are. Look for wheels that are sized between 52-54mm, have a durometer of 97a-100a, and come from a skate shop or a well-known online skate brand.
Bearings: The bearings are small metal balls that allow the skateboard wheels to spin freely. They’re rated on a scale of ABEC 1 to ABEC 9, with ABEC 9 being the highest quality. Look for bearings that are at least an ABEC 5 and come from a skate shop or a well-known online skate brand.

Good luck in your search for cheap skateboard decks.

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Steve Weber

Steve Weber is an avid snowboarder and skateboarder. He has been snowboarding for 26 years, skateboarding for 20, and is always looking for a new board sport to try out. When he is not riding or skating, he runs a marketing agency. Board of the World is Steve’s blog for skateboard and snowboard gear reviews. The blog’s goal is to help people find the right board for them and encourage people to have fun outside.