Skate decks are simple in appearance, but a deck that’s just a half inch too wide (or skinny) can make or break your ride. Whether you’re skating vert, transition, or street, or even if you’re just cruising around town, it’s important you pick the right deck. This guide covers it all. Let’s go!

How to Choose a Skate Deck Width

Choosing the right width for your skateboard deck is the most important aspect of getting the right board setup. Decks were once just one or two sizes, but they can now range from as skinny as 7″, to as wide as 10″+. Here’s how to determine the best width for you:

Deck Width vs. Riding Styles

Choosing the wrong deck width will severely hinder your ride. If you do plenty of flip tricks on the streets, you’ll want a skinny, nimble deck. If you’re more into tight carving and cruising, or dropping into big inclines, a wider deck’s better for balance, speed, and leverage. Let’s review.

Street Skating / Youth Riders

Recommended Deck Widths: 7″ – 8″

Why: Street skating focuses on technical tricks, grinds, and flips. The 7.5″ to 8″ decks are preferred for their light weight and responsiveness. These skinny decks provide maximum control for completing all those technical tricks, and they make it easier to pop huge Ollies, clear obstacles, and dial in sketchy grinds.

The 7″ to 7.5″ decks work best for children and teens, who typically learn to push, ride, and do their first tricks on the street.

Transition Skating

Recommended Deck Widths: 8″ – 8.5″

Why: Transition skating involves riding ramps, bowls, and other curved surfaces, and popping tricks in the air. A medium-width deck sits in the “Goldilocks” zone. It provides the stability needed for carving tight lines in a park, dropping in, maintaining balance on verts, and performing air tricks off smaller copings.

The additional width also offers a larger platform for comfortable foot placement during high-speed maneuvers.

Vert Skating / Cruising

Recommended Deck Widths: 8.5″ and above

Why: Vert skating requires maximum stability and control when performing full-body tricks between ramps, getting huge air off quarter and half pipes, and riding steep boxes. An 8.25″ to 8.5″ decks offers the best support and stability to make it all happen. The extra width makes it easier to land vert tricks and maintain balance at high speeds on inclines.

If you’re building an old-school or cruiser-style board, a wide deck width will suit you best, too. Some O.G. cruisers measure as wide as 10″ to 10.5″. These ultra-wide decks provide maximum leverage for super-tight carving in crowded streets and urban areas.

Deck Width vs. Shoe Size

Choosing a deck based on your riding style only get you in the ballpark of picking the right width — and your optimal width may change entirely based on shoe size. Even if you only ride street, a 7″ to 8″ deck might be too skinny for your feet. You may have to stick with a wider deck instead.

The comparison above shows what works best for all skaters.

• If your feet hang off the sides of the deck too much, your board will feel wobbly and unstable.
• If your feet are too small for the deck, your board will feel unwieldy and unresponsive.
• Your toes and your heels should just barely hang off the sides of the deck, as seen on the right.

“What deck width is best for my shoe size?”

Use these guidelines to try out different deck widths, and confirm whether they fit your feet, like the illustration above:

• Narrow (Width < 8″): Suitable for skaters with smaller shoe sizes (US Men’s Size 6 – 8, Women’s Size 7.5 – 9.5).
• Medium (Width 8″ to 8.5″): Ideal for skaters with average shoe sizes (US Men’s 9 – 12, Women’s 10 – 13).
• Wide (> 8.5″): Best for skaters with larger shoe sizes (US Men’s 13 and up).

Ready to Pick a Deck?

We’ve got you covered! Check out all our skate decks here. We have options for vert, transition, and street skating, with some pretty sweet, ultra-ride cruiser decks for those who appreciate a little nostalgia.

Want a full setup? Grab a skateboard complete here. Make it easy, and grab a setup with trucks and wheels, and you’ll be ready to ride out of the box.