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Skateboard Deck Materials

by Samuel Wayne in Legacy Articles

The skateboard deck is the actual board of the skateboard. Although you may think a skateboard is simply a piece of wood with axles and wheels attached underneath, this is not the case. While the deck is usually made of plywood, today there are many choices of skateboard deck materials. Most beginners are fine with plywood, but as you get more involved in skateboarding, you may want to upgrade your deck to one of the following types.

Composites, aluminum, nylon, fiberglass, resin, Kevlar, Plexiglas, and other artificial materials are being experimented with to increase the rigidity of the skateboard deck. The main issue that many have found with these designs is that the deck requires some flexibility to perform tricks and other maneuvers. Also, these materials can make decks too heavy to use. Some experimental designs use artificial materials to form a honeycomb design inside a wooden exterior. Inexpensive decks may be made simply of plastic.

Even if you opt for a simple plywood deck, you still have several options. Most plywood decks are made of maple, laminated together with glue. The grain of each wood layer is laid in an alternating direction, so that the deck cannot split along the natural grain of the wood. The main difference here is between 7-ply board and 9-ply boards. 7-ply have seven thin sheets of wood laminated together, while 9-ply have nine sheets. The 9-ply decks are thicker and heavier, which can make it more difficult to manipulate the board.

Most skateboard decks measure about 32 inches long and 8 inches wide, and are roughly rectangular or oval in shape. Longer boards are better for downhill or street riding, as well as transportation, while shorter ones make it easier to use skateboard parks and perform tricks. However, the length of the board is not nearly as important as the width.

If you are very tall, choose a wider deck, as it can help you feel proportionate while riding the board. On the other hand, a wider deck will also give beginners stability as they learn to balance on the skateboard. The dimensions of the board may vary depending on intended use, so decide whether you want to use your board mainly on streets, in skate parks and bowls, or as transportation. A deck that is too skinny will be hard to use because your feet may hand over the edge of the board, reducing your stability. On the other hand, a larger deck may be too difficult to control during tricks.

After the laminated boards are shaped into a skateboard, holes for the truck mount are drilled, and the board is coated with paint or sealant. Grip tape may then be placed on the top of the deck, although some manufacturers leave this step for the user. Most decks also include a large logo of the manufacturer.

Decks also differ in their angles depending on the intended use. Decks are not straight across and flat. All decks rise slightly at both ends. The amount of curvature and the shape of the front and back are designed specifically for different uses; a bigger curve will give more leverage, making it easier to perform more tricks.

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Because of the different roof racks, each will be attached differently, but it’s important that no matter what rack you have, you take care in installing it properly. For rack pads, velcro them on your roof rack bars tightly. For straps, clamp them down tightly and check them for any worn or weak spots. For more specialty paddleboard racks, follow the instructions and make sure they fit properly with your car. After you’ve installed the rack, do a quick post-inspection so you really know that everything is snug and secure. You don’t want to lose a paddleboard because you were in a rush and forgot to attach a part of your rack. For cars with roof rack bars, the standard setup is roof rack pads that fasten to your bars and act as a cushion between the bars and your paddleboard, and a strap system to secure your paddleboard to the rack pads. The pads fit around the roof rack bars and secure typically with velcro. 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Paddleboards come in different sizes, but they’re all pretty big, and if you have a small car, the straps on your roof rack setup may not be wide enough apart to adequately secure your paddleboard. For example, if you’re trying to strap a rack to a car without roof rack bars, it secures underneath the roof via the inside of the car. Generally, the front strap runs through the open space created by the front door and the back strap runs through the open space created by the back door. If you have a coupe, you only have a front door. So both your front and back straps will have to be secured via that space. The distance then between your front and back roof rack pads and straps will not be that great. If you strap in your paddleboard the straps may only be 3 or so feet apart. On a 12 foot paddleboard, that leaves almost 5 feet in the front and back of the board without any support. 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Run the strap across the top width of the paddleboard to the other side of the board, underneath the rack bar, and back along the width of the board. There it will meet the clamp end, and you will tighten appropriately. Tie off the excess strap and give your paddleboard and the straps a couple of pulls to make sure nothing is loose. For cars without roof rack bars, securing the roof rack straps is a bit more straight forward. The front straps and back straps each extend from both sides of the car. Pull them up from each side over your paddleboard and secure the plain end through the clamp and tighten. Repeat for both front and back straps, once again giving the straps a couple of pulls to double check. Don’t overtighten your straps. Avoid damaging your paddleboard by wrenching your roof rack straps too tightly around it. Different paddleboards are made of different materials, but you can crack fiberglass or other board materials if you pull your straps too tight. Find that just right tightness for your paddleboard. Mind your straps. Take the extra couple of seconds and make sure your straps are straight and not twisted around your board for maximum contact and hold. Then tie off the ends of the straps, as nothing good can come from them flapping in the breeze. Stacking Multiple Paddleboards When you’re heading out with a couple of your friends and need to stack multiple paddleboards on the roof of your car, one on top of the other, a few more issues come into play. Biggest paddleboard on the bottom. The biggest paddleboard goes at the bottom of the stack of SUPs because it provides the best foundation/ stability. Watch the spacing of fins and tails. Make sure there’s some space between the tails of the paddleboards and the fins facing up from the boards below them. If you stack your SUPs too closely together, with some wiggle or if you hit a bump, the tail of one paddleboard could be cut by the fins from the paddleboard below it. 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