Buying your first skateboard can be quite daunting - there are so many different options and within those options there are a whole bunch of different options and parts to learn about - a board isn't just the wooden bit that you stand on, there are also the trucks, wheels, bearings and bolts to think about. And then there are risers and bushings and rails and and and… it gets confusing quickly! I will soon be running a workshop on all of this (and how to grip your own deck and make it look funky with your own designs) so keep your eyes peeled.

 

Places like Amazon and Sports Direct offer up an easy option for buying your first board, but trust me, you really don't want to get one from there... the product you get will likely be too small for you, will be terrible quality and will genuinely make the ride on your board feel pretty gross. Don't do it. Plus, they don’t need your money.

 

But, you say, you don't want to spend loads of money on a board... you might not even keep going with the hobby and then what? Well, if you get a crap one and try skating on it, you probably won’t want to continue! Buying a board doesn't have to cost the earth; there are some very good beginner complete options out there for around the £40 - £80 mark (which may still seem a lot for a skateboard, but anything under £40 just isn't going to cut it). With skateboards the “buy cheap, buy twice” saying really applies.

 

Before we move on, it might be worth mentioning that buying an already fully built complete skateboard isn't the only option. It is in fact, not the norm when it comes to getting a setup - most skaters will carefully select and purchase all the different parts to their liking and then build the board themselves. This allows for personal riding preference to be taken into consideration... Deck width and shape and wheel size and hardness being the most common thing that skaters look for. 

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So it is possible for you, as a beginner, to buy all the components separately but it does take having some prior knowledge of all the parts (or someone to help you) and how their differences will affect your ride. In the long run, buying everything separately will actually also save you money, as everything will last a lot longer but it is more of an up front investment that not everyone wants to commit to at the beginning.

 

The upside to buying a complete is that you usually get a really high quality deck. The downside is that often the wheels, bearings and trucks are not as good but these can then be easily changed out for better ones as you start to progress and know that you want to put a little more money into your setup. So my suggestion for beginners will always be to get a complete setup and then go from there.

 

The below are brands that I feel are good quality and will offer a great ride for your first months and possibly, years of skating:

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Globe. All of their completes are great (I have had a few of their decks and really rated them). They come with Tensor trucks (founded and designed by Rodney Mullen), own brand wheels and Abec-7 bearings. An all around great option and my number 1 go to recommendation for a first board.

 

https://rollersnakes.co.uk/products/globe-g2-tarka-pre-built-complete-park-8

 

https://rollersnakes.co.uk/products/globe-g2-sprawl-pre-built-complete-disappearing-trees-8-125

 

Krooked. Founded by Mark Gonzales. Their completes are pretty good. They come with Enuff trucks which are maybe not as good as the Tensors but definitely still fine for a beginner. Abec-7 bearings as well.

 

https://rollersnakes.co.uk/products/krooked-team-sweatpants-pre-built-complete-grey-8

 

Element. Well known and long established brand, their completes are made up of all Element hardware, aside from the bearings which are Abec-5. You can't really go wrong with one of their completes.

 

https://rollersnakes.co.uk/products/element-trip-out-pre-built-complete-8

 

https://rollersnakes.co.uk/products/element-superbot-pre-built-complete-8-25

 

Birdhouse and Chocolate are also good but they don’t tend to make boards any bigger than 7.75" and 8". Santa Cruz is also another good brand to look for. 

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All of the above come with standard hard wheels (99a - 101a most likely) and will usually be between 52 and 54mm. 

 

There are of course loads of other brands that make completes, so it really is up to you and your budget. My absolute favorite deck brand is Welcome Boards. They make a complete but it is on the spennier side:

 

https://rollersnakes.co.uk/products/welcome-bactocat-on-bunyip-pre-built-complete-black-8

 

Have a look around on different sites and see what is available. There will be loads of different deck graphic options and there are always sales and good deals.

 

https://rollersnakes.co.uk/collections/complete-skateboards

 

https://www.skatehut.co.uk/skateboards/complete-skateboards

 

https://www.nativeskatestore.co.uk/skateboards-c7/complete-skateboards-c17

 

https://www.routeone.co.uk/collections/complete-skateboards

 

https://www.threeamigosskateboardshop.com/collections/decks

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In terms of deck size, I would look for anything between 8" and 8.5" (and at least 31”, 32” long). If you are on the taller side, go for a slightly wider deck but ultimately, deck width is a preference. The pros to a wider deck are more stability and space to land your feet. The cons are that they are heavier and more difficult to pop and flip. This is why most street skaters have smaller and lighter setups so that they can do their flippy tricks with more ease.

 

For a child under 10 years old, I would suggest going for something around 7.5” or 7.75”. For a child younger than that, it obviously depends on their size but around 7.25” and 28” long would be ideal.

 

Hopefully the above is helpful! Over time you will learn what you like and what brands work for you and you can move towards a more tailored skateboard setup. But for now, grabbing a good quality complete is the way to go.

 

Happy skateboard buying!