Skateboarding is a fun, popular, and thrilling activity that poses a certain level of risk. For safety reasons, Adults seeking to begin or return to riding a skateboard should always consider wearing protective gear such as a helmet, wrist guards, elbow and knee pads.
This article can be used as an easy reference guide to understanding the different types of skateboard gear and their uses.
Table of Contents
- Complete Skateboard • Types of Skateboards
- Skateboard Protective Gear • What is Skateboard Protective Gear?
- Skateboard Shoes • What are Skateboard Shoes?
- Skateboard Clothing • What is Skateboard Clothing?
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
• What is a Complete Skateboard?
• Complete Skateboard Parts List
• Skateboard Protective Gear List
• Skateboard Helmet
• Skateboard Wrist Guards
• Skateboard Elbow Pads
• Skateboard Knee Pads
• Skateboard Impact Shorts
• What are the Most Common Styles of Skateboard Shoes?
• What Makes a Good Skateboarding Shoe?
• What Shoe Material is Best for Skateboarding?
• What Skateboard Clothing to Wear?
Complete Skateboard
If you are new or just getting back into skateboarding , the first piece of must have gear is a complete skateboard. Keep in mind that when referring to a skateboard, throughout this post, I am speaking about the skateboard deck/model style (see diagram below, Types of Skateboards) that are commonly used for skating street and vert (i.e. half pipes, bowls).
How to
Get Back into Skateboarding
Read Post >>
Types of Skateboards
For reference, the following is a breakdown of the most common types of skateboards and uses:
Penny / Cruiser Board
- Mini versions of long boards
- Best for cruising around the neighborhood and commuting around town
Skateboard
- Standard deck type and style
- Commonly used for skating street and vert ramps/bowls
- Best type of skate deck and board used for technical tricks (i.e. ollies)
Longboard
- Much longer than a standard skateboard
- Easier to ride and more comfortable than a regular skateboard
- Best for cruising around and commuting around town
What is a Complete Skateboard?
A complete skateboard is a setup that includes a standard skateboard deck, grip tape, two trucks, truck hardware, four wheels, and wheel bearings.
Purchasing a complete skateboard at your local skate shop or online can often be less expensive and more convenient than buying the parts and assembling it yourself.
Complete Skateboard Parts List
Skateboard Deck (x1)
The skateboard deck is the board platform that you place your feet and stand on while riding. Most common types of skateboard decks are made of thin layered and pressed wood that are held together by durable resin or adhesive. The standard skateboard deck width size ranges from 7.5 – 8.25” and the standard deck length ranges from 29-32”.
Grip Tape (x1)
Grip tape is a type of sandpaper material that adheres to the top of your skateboard deck for securing your feet from sliding off the board.
Skateboard Trucks (x2)
Skateboard trucks are mounted to the bottom of the skateboard deck and allow the skateboard to maneuver, steer, and pivot.
Truck Hardware (x8)
Truck hardware are the four individual nut/bolts used to mount each of your trucks to the bottom of the skateboard deck.
Skateboard Wheels (x4)
The skateboard wheel size and hardness determines how your skateboard rides, feels, and performs. For example, street and vert skateboard riders mainly use wheels that have diameter sizes that range from 50-60mm and hardness level of 95-101. Overall, choosing the right skateboard wheels will depend on your skill level and preference.
Skateboard Wheel Bearings (x8)
Wheel bearings are the two metal circular pieces placed on each side of the inside part of the wheel. Skate bearings allow the wheels to roll much smoother and faster by reducing friction.
Skateboard Protective Gear
As a beginning or returning skateboarder, it’s very important to protect yourself from unexpected skateboard related injuries. The best way to do so is by wearing the proper skateboard protective gear.
What is Skateboard Protective Gear?
Protective gear is designed to be worn on the most common impact areas of the body and protects the rider from major injuries.
Skateboard Protective Gear List
1. Skateboard Helmet
The skateboard helmet is the most important protective gear that a beginner or returning skateboarder should consider wearing while skateboarding. Head injuries and concussions pose a huge risk, especially, for beginning and young skaters. Well designed skateboard helmets can provide maximum protection while minimizing the risk of injury to the head.
How to Choose the Right Skateboard Helmet?
- Full all around protection, especially, back of the head
- Comfortable and snug fit
- Sufficient padding inside helmet
- Clear range of view and doesn’t impair sight
- Ample amount of air vents to keep head cool
- Sturdy retention strap and secure quick release buckle
2. Skateboard Wrist Guards
Other than head injuries, another common injury for skateboarders are wrist fractures. For some, it’s a natural instinct to break your fall while riding a skateboard by placing your hands between you and the ground. If you impact the ground hard enough while breaking your fall with your hand(s), potentially, you can be at risk of fracturing your wrist.
To minimize the risk of injury to the wrist, it’s best to wear skateboard wrist guards, which are designed to support the wrists. The standard skateboard wrist guards are padded on both sides and have durable splints inside of them to prevent too much bending or movement of the wrist and hand.
3. Skateboard Elbow Pads
Skateboard elbow pads are designed to protect your elbows from scrapes and rashes. Elbow pads are very useful to absorb the impact of falling on your back while skateboarding.
When choosing a pair of skateboard elbow pads, make sure that the pads are comfortable, snug fit, and provide an ample amount of protection to your elbow and surrounding area.
4. Skateboard Knee Pads
Skateboard knee pads are designed to protect your knee caps from sudden hard impacts and reduce the severity of scrapes, cut, rashes, and bruises to the knee and surrounding leg area.
Wearing skateboard knee pads can be very useful if you are a beginner or skating vert (half pipes, bowls).
Types of skateboard knee pads
- Plastic Cup
- Worn over pants
- Designed to slide on surface (i.e. Half Pipes, Concrete Skate Bowls)
- No Plastic Cup
- Worn underneath pants
- Good for overall protection around the knee
When choosing a pair of skateboard knee pads, make sure that it provides ample protection and has thick padding for comfort. Also, the tighter the fit, the better, to prevent the knee pad from sliding out of place.
5. Skateboard Impact Shorts
Impact shorts are padded mesh shorts placed under your clothes that help soften the impact of a fall.
Impact shorts are designed to protect your buttocks, hips, and thighs from severe injury. The most common type of skateboard impact shorts have thick padding located on the tail bone, hips, and thigh area.
Skateboard Shoes
What are Skateboard Shoes?
Skateboard shoes are a type of footwear designed to be comfortable and durable while providing better board feel and control.
What are the Most Common Styles of Skateboard Shoes?
The most common style of skateboard shoes are slip ons, low top, mid top, and high tops.
Slip On Skate Shoes
- No Shoe Laces
- Comfortable & Snug Fit
- No Ankle Support
Low Top Skate Shoes
- Most popular style of skate shoe
- Low cut shoe with shoe laces
- Durable and Light
Mid Top Skate Shoes
- Mid height with some ankle support
- Ankle protection
- Medium movement
High Top Skate Shoes
- Full ankle support
- Ankle protection
- Less movement
What Makes a Good Skateboarding Shoe?
Good skateboarding shoes are comfortable, durable, and provide overall support.
Other characteristics of a good skateboarding shoe are:
- Style & Fit
- Flat Soles
- Snug Fit
- Flexibility
- Good Insoles & Support
- Heal Support
- Impact Support & Protection
- Provide Excellent Board Feel & Control
What Shoe Material is Best for Skateboarding?
When it comes to board feel and control, skateboarding shoes constructed with either suede or leather upper materials are the best choice. Both suede and leather shoe material are very durable, especially, in the most common wear and tear areas of a skateboard shoe which are the toe and side of the foot.
| Shoe Upper Material | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Mesh | Lightweight, Breathable Material | Not meant for skateboarding (i.e. jogging shoes) and upper material isn’t durable. Not recommended. |
| Canvas/Textile | Lightweight, Breathable Material | Upper Material can easily tear and rip, Not Durable |
| Leather | Very Durable | Takes longer to break in. More expensive than both Canvas & Suede skateboard shoes. |
| Suede | Durable, Grips Well | Slightly Heavier and More Expensive than Canvas/Textile Shoes |
Skateboard Clothing
What is Skateboard Clothing?
In general, the most popular type of skateboard clothing are loose fitting top and bottoms that are both comfortable and durable for skateboarding.
What Skateboard Clothing to Wear?
Choosing what skateboard clothing to wear will depend on the type of skateboarding you enjoy. For instance, street style skateboarders are mostly known to wear loose fitting t-shirts, hoodies, and jeans/casual pants that provide maximum flexibility and movement. While, vert style skateboarders also are known to wear loose fitting t-shirts & hoodies, but, instead of jeans/casual pants, more riders wear shorts for better leg movement and to expose their knee pads.
Beginner Skateboarding Tips
Learn More >>
Conclusion
Just beginning or getting back into skateboarding in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond is a very exciting goal to achieve.
Luckily, most achievable goals in life already have a success formula you can follow.
One major part of the success formula for beginning or getting back into skateboarding as an adult, other than setting your Skateboarding Goals, is to make sure that you have the proper skateboard equipment and gear for your journey.
With that said, I encourage you to use this post as a reference for assisting you with questions regarding skateboard gear, complete skateboards, protective gear, shoes, and clothing.
Skateboard Gear – Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common types of skateboards?
The most common types of skateboards are a penny board, cruiser board, skateboard, and longboard.
What is a complete skateboard?
A complete skateboard is a setup that includes a standard skateboard deck, grip tape, two trucks, truck hardware, four wheels, and wheel bearings.
What protective gear do you need for skateboarding?
Protective gear is designed to be worn on the most common impact areas of the body and protects the rider from major injuries. The most common skateboard protective gear is a helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads, and impact shorts.