One of the most challenging aspects of any board sport is figuring out what deck size is right for you. The real truth is that you will need to try a few and learn which one feels the most comfortable. I find that is true of skateboarding. However, you are going to need to buy a deck to figure out where to start. These are guiding principles I’ve used over the years as well as a culmination of research that is out there online.
Don’t worry too much about getting the perfect deck width or length. Get a deck that looks fun to ride and have fun riding it.
Skateboard Size Calculator & Board Finder
Here are some principles to help you pick the right skateboard size.
- Learn about skate deck width.
- Gauge the right board dimensions by your age.
- If you are taller than 5 foot, learn about the typical size for street and vert.
- Are you shorter than 5 foot tall? If so, choose a micro, mini or mid size deck.
- Find the right deck width based on your shoe size.
- Learn what size deck the skateboard pros ride.
- Learn which size trucks will fit your skateboard deck.
- Learn if your skate deck comes with griptape.
- Use the skateboard size calculator and board finder
Width vs Length: Which Skate Deck Dimension Matters More?
The width of the deck will matter more.
When a skateboarder refers to the size of their deck, they are referring to the width rather than the length most of the time.
Picking a skate deck width based on your age.
Guiding principle:
If you or your child is six years old or younger, you are probably going to want to start with a micro skateboard deck.
If you or your child is between the ages of 6 and 10 years old, you should get a skate deck size that is between 7.0 inches and 7.75 inches. You should start with a mini skateboard deck.
If you’re between the ages of 10 to 13, then you are going to want a deck width that is 7.5 inches to 7.75 inches wide. You are probably going to want a mid-size skate deck.
If you’re a teenager older than 14 years old, you are going to want a wider deck that is 7.75 inches or wider. You are going to want what we will call a “normal” skateboard deck. Check out the shoe size section below to get a better idea of the type of deck you will need.
| Skateboarders Age | Skateboard Deck Width |
|---|---|
| 3 – 5 | 6.5 inches |
| 3 – 5 | 6.75 inches |
| 4 – 6 | 6.825 inches |
| 6 – 7 | 7.0 inches |
| 6 – 8 | 7.125 inches |
| 7 – 9 | 7.25 inches |
| 8 – 10 | 7.375 inches |
| 9 – 11 | 7.5 inches |
| 10 – 12 | 7.625 inches |
| 12 – 14 | 7.75 inches |
| 12 – 14 | 7.875 inches |
| 14 & Up | 8 inches & Up |
Deck Size Categories and Who These Would be Good For
Normal Skate Deck Dimensions Start Here if You Are Above 5 Foot Tall
Typical Deck for Skating Street
Will you be skating mostly flat ground, ledges, or rails? If so, go with a deck like this.
If you’re a skateboarder who is taller than 5’’ with a men’s shoe size larger than a 7.0 in the usa, then you’re most likely going to like skating a “normal” full-size skate deck size. I would consider a normal skateboard deck to fall within these dimensions currently. It is between 7.75” to 8.5” wide and 31” to 33” long.
If you aren’t sure what size to go with, a common deck for street skating would be a 8.0” x 31.6”. (The width is usually listed before the length.)
If those dimensions sound good to you, then I would go with a deck like this one
or search specifically for “skateboard 8.0”
to see other decks with those dimensions too.
Typical Deck for Skating Ramps
Will you be skating mostly ramps or bowls? If so, go with a slightly wider deck like this.
If you plan to ride transitions like bowls, vert ramps, or mini ramps, then you might want to go wider with an 8.3” x 32” deck like any of these.
If You Are Smaller than 5 Foot Tall, Start Here
There are smaller skateboard deck sizes for kids and younger teenagers.
These fall into categories names of their own.
A Micro Skate Deck
This is an option for skaters under 3’5”.
A micro skate deck has a width of 6.5 inches to 6.75 inches with a deck length that I’ve seen go as low as 27.2 inches.
A Mini Skate Deck
This is an option for skaters between 3’5”- 4’5” tall.
A mini skate deck will usually have dimensions near 7.0 inches wide by 28 inches long. These are good for new skateboarders between the ages of 6 to 8. They look close to what they will see the older skateboarders riding.
A Mid-size Skate Deck
This is an option for skaters between 4’5”- 5’ tall.
A mid-size skateboard deck will have dimensions close to a 7.3 inch wide by 29 inch long deck.
After that, you’re ready for what I wrote above as a “normal” skateboard deck size.
Picking a skate deck based on your shoe size
For kids and smaller feet, here is a good chart to help guide you.
| Skateboard Deck Width | Shoesize US | Shoesize EU |
|---|---|---|
| 6.5 inches | 6C – 11C | 23 – 28 |
| 6.75 inches | 7C – 11C | 24 – 28 |
| 6.825 inches | 9C – 12C | 26 – 30 |
| 7.0 inches | 10C – 1Y | 28 – 32 |
| 7.125 inches | 11C – 2Y | 29 – 33 |
| 7.25 inches | 12C – 3Y | 30 – 34 |
| 7.375 inches | 13C – 4Y | 31 – 35 |
| 7.5 inches | 1Y – 6 | 32 – 38 |
| 7.625 inches | 2Y – 7 | 33 – 39 |
| 7.75 inches | 4Y – 9 | 35 – 42 |
| 7.875 inches | 4Y – 9 | 35 – 42 |
| 8 inches & Up | 9 & Up | 42 & Up |
If your shoe size is larger than a men’s 7.0 US, then you are probably going to want to go with a normal full sized deck.
I am a small guy at 5’ 6” with a men’s size 8.0. When I grew up skating in the 90’s it was common for everyone to skate a deck that had the 7” to 7.75”width. I remember the first time I skated a board over 8.0 inches, and it felt like I was skating a boat. It flipped slower. It was heavier, and it just took me longer to get used to than I wanted it to. Those days are gone now. It is actually strange for me to run into any skaters who skate a deck below 8 inches wide. Why is that? The truth is probably more around the trends, and what we see pros ride in videos. If a deck that is a little wider works for them, then it will work for you.
So let this be your guiding principle. If you have a shoe size that is larger than mine (a men’s 8 / women’s 9.5), then get at least an 8 inch wide deck.
The most common deck size I hear friends ride is 8.25. My friends tend to be average height with a shoe size between a men’s 9 – 11.
Which skate would fit your trucks? & Which trucks would fit your skate?
| Skate Deck Width | Skate Truck Size | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Between 7.25 and 7.9 inches | 129 mm or a 5.0 inches | See Examples Here |
| Between 8.0 and 8.125 inches | 139 mm or a 5.5 inches | See Examples Here |
| Between 8.25 and 8.5 inches | 149 mm or a 5.8 inches | See Examples Here |
| Between 8.75 and 9.0 inches | 159 mm or a 6.26 inches | See Examples Here |
| Greater than 9.75 inches | 169 mm or a 6.65 inches | See Examples Here |
What Size Skateboard Decks Do the Pros Ride?
Nearly all the pros are going to be riding a deck in the sweet spot, typical street deck, range size that I described above. The average pro skateboarder typically rides a board that will be in the range of 7.75″ to 8.5″ wide and 31″ to 33″ long.
You can search for the last name of the pro along with the brand of skateboard they ride for to see the exact dimensions they ride.
A pro model skateboard deck is a board that has the name of the pro written somewhere on it. These decks are not necessarily better or worse than another deck you would buy from that same company. Getting a pro model deck is a way that you can show support for your favorite skateboard pros as a portion of the deck sales will go to that rider.
Do All Skateboard Decks Come With Griptape?
No. It ultimately depends where you buy your decks from. Some of the major retailers include a free sheet of griptape along with a board purchase. You will have to check with the website or skateshop that you purchase your skateboard from, though.
That said, griptape is relatively cheap. The typical sheet will fit a normal sized skatedeck. If you are looking for a great, inexpensive, sheet of griptape, I’d recommend you with either this Mob sheet
or Jessup sheet
.
So what Do I Skate?
The size that feels most comfortable under my feet is an 8.0” x 31.6” deck. I typically like these.
I am a street skater. I like skating ledges, rails, and the occasional transition. I skate the typical street size that I mentioned above. I have a men’s size shoe size that is 8 – 8.5, and I am not very tall at a 5’ 6”.
At the moment I am reviewing all of the strongest skateboard decks for another post, so you can follow my reviews there.
Learn More In Our Other Skateboarding Guides:
Try our other board size calculators here:
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.