Building a Deck V.S Buying a Complete Set-Up
Maybe your mates have been skating for years and you've wanted to join in, or you're hassling your gang to get into skateboarding and looking for an upgrade. But the crucial question is; Do I build a deck myself or Do I buy a complete board? Today we will give you the ins and outs, pros and cons of building your deck compared to buying a complete one.
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Complete boards; which comprise a: Griptapped Deck, Trucks, Bolts, Wheels, and bearings, are the easiest and most likely the cheapest option to get into skateboarding. With a straightforward price, we recommend this option to first-time skaters or people getting into skating, to find their balance and feel before they build their board. Complete decks are also fully customisable, meaning you can swap components in and out without a worry, All you need is a T-Tool (Which you can find here) and you can get to work.
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For people who want a more customisable experience and the highest quality of components, building a board may be for you, let's get into the specifics of building your board.
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Decks
The first component and sometimes seen as the most important is the deck itself. Decks come in all different shapes and sizes, and knowing what size and shape you want is crucial before you start building. The main question we ask you is"What type of skateboarding would you be doing?", this is crucial as we wouldn't recommend a cruiser or a longboard deck if you will only be skating at a park or vert. And while a normal shape 8" deck would be fine for cruising, a biggercruiser-styled deck may be easier to ride and manage for a first-timer or someone who is only skating to commute from A to B. Decks can range in prices starting at $79.99 and moving into the bigger decks which will usually be $179.99.
Gripping a deck can also be the most fun or challenging issue you will face, make sure you purchase grip tape that is the size or bigger for your deck! Grip tape is not usually expensive being around $10-$15 for a standard black grip, but can get fun arrangements of graphics from brands such as DGK which can go for $15-$30
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Find our full range of decks here
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Trucks
Same as decks, trucks come in many sizes and weights. Matching your trucks to the size of the deck is crucial, too small of a truck and you with face wheel bite and too big of a truck and you'll look like a doofus. Truck weights play a massive importance as well depending on the style of skating you'll be pursuing, Mag Lites, which are the lightest trucks on the market, will allow you to get higher ollies and complete tricks more fluently, but if you're looking at cruising, having heavier trucks will weigh your board down and give you a smoother ride and less likeability to launch the deck when you're cruising the street.
A more cost-effective way to buy trucks would be to look for Truck-Wheel combos, OJ wheels, Birdhouse and Enjoi all offer great Truck-Wheel packages which save you from having to buy bearings and wheels when you're looking for the complete package.
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Find our full range of trucks here
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Wheels
Wheels, you can't get anywhere without them. They're the most essential item to skateboarding, (when you've seen someone skate a TV, IYKYK). Wheels can get a bit daunting, you have a durometer which is seen as 'A' or 'B'. Example "99A" would be a 99 Durometer which is considered to be a 'heavier' wheel. Another factor in the wheel is the size whichis measured in Milimeters 'MM'. Bigger wheels are usually used on longboards and cruisers whereas smaller wheels are used on vert and skatepark boards.
One key point is the size and duro of wheels won't be wack so you don't have to sweat so much like you won't see a 99A 70MM wheel, that would just be absurd! If you're looking at skating the park and cruising from the car to the ramp a 99-101A and 50-56mm wheel would be perfect for that harder, smooth ground. If cruising is more your style and you want to take footpaths and roads a bigger wheel 60-70A and 60mm+ for that smoothenjoyable ride.
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Find our full range of wheels here
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Bearings and Hardware
Bearings keep the wheel spinning, being socketed within the wheel and attached to the trucks, these can be an important part of skateboarding but not super crucial. Cheaper bearings can tend to get water-logged more easily and lose grease quickly, whereas more expensive bearings with usally be double shielded that allows them to last longer and gives the bearings more protection. Bearings are measured in an 'ABEC' rating, a set of standards for the manufacturing tolerances of bearings. Higher the 'ABEC' rating the more fluid they will be and the more rotations you will get out of the wheel.
And Finally, to hold everything together we have nuts and bolts, commonly known as 'Hardware'. Hardware can be a difficult thing to buy, as they come in all shapes and sizes like Trucks and Decks. Your standard bolts, if you were building a 'Park board' would be 7/8", this is your standard, but incorporating into the mix the vast range of customizability building your deck can host, we offer everything from 7/8" to 1.5" to suit all needs of skating.
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Find our full range of hardware here
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Price Comparison
Price is everything when it comes to building or buying your first board, on one hand, you can pick up a basic complete for around $119.95 in-store or build your own for $250+, but what you don't get in a complete is the highest quality components and customisability you get with building your own.
At the end of the day, it's your life and your skate, do what makes you happy but if we can help out in any way get in touch!
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Shop the full range of skate here