While this site isn’t a high volume site, nor am I trying to make this site mainstream, I do have many people who often still ask me various questions.  Board sizing is a question that comes up more often than not.  What size board should I get?  Can I ride a smaller size board?  This board has weight recommendations, what does that mean?  I get questions a long these lines quite often, and while there is no “sure fire” answer,  I’ll speak to some of these from my experience.

What Size Board Should I Get?

This question is pretty common, and rightfully so.  There really isn’t any magical process, formula, or charts that will pick the proper board for you.   There are however various things like terrain, riding conditions, weight, and more including your own preferences which are used to pick out your ultimate shred stick!  I always ask people, what type of riding are you going to do?  That question in and of itself should be pretty important.  If you’re riding a softer park deck out in big mountain conditions, you probably won’t enjoy the ride as much. Figure out what terrain you’re going to ride, and from there you can narrow down the type of board you’re going to get.   Board length really comes into play more so based on your weight than your length.  Bigger guys should opt for longer lengths, as distributing weight over the length of the board helps improve riding.   Now with that being said, it is possible to ride shorter decks, but understand the decks won’t respond the same as a longer deck or perhaps be as durable as a deck designed for larger riders.  I’ve personally ridden boards as short as 155w at my height and weight without any issue.  I did notice the board was much softer for me, than a rider much smaller, but I still found the board to be fun.  It’s all about understanding how the board is going to respond to you riding it.  So rule of thumb.  If you’re a bigger guy, (6′+ or 250lbs+) the longer lengths (160cm or higher) tend to work better for us, but you can experiment with sizing on various decks if you have the chance.

This Board has Weight Recommendations.. What does that Mean?

Many manufacturers provide general size and weight recommendations for boards they produce.  These recommendations are tolerance based and are recommendations to ensure boards ride as described.   These recommendations are not set in stone, and should be considered guidelines, but not rules.  I’ve seen bigger guys riding 158cm decks without structural or response issues.  I’ve also seen big guys riding decks they probably shouldn’t be on (152cm ) but if they enjoy the ride so be it.    Generally speaking, just understand that if you’re a bigger rider and looking at decks that are sized for smaller riders, the board may not be as durable or respond the same as it would for a rider in the recommended size range.

General Thoughts

Realistically, these are my thoughts on two questions I get asked about more often than not.   If you notice, the overlying response is really to get out there and try out decks.  While I know that’s not always possible for all riders, most resorts have some sort of demo day where you can try out various decks.  Larger riders should generally stick to the bigger boards, whether it’s waist width, or length, but keep in mind, this isn’t set in stone.  I usually ride boards that are 160cm or bigger, with the biggest board in my quiver being 169cm.    I’ve spent time on softer park decks as shorts as 155w, and definitely notice on smaller decks, it’s possible for a bigger guy to tweak the hell out of a smaller deck.  Smaller decks can be very fun to ride, especially in park, or flat trick conditions.   If you push the smaller deck to much, it may fail quicker on you, because hey you’re a bigger rider, and the board wasn’t necessarily designed for you.  Don’t let that stop you from having some fun with smaller decks if you want to though, just keep in mind (AGAIN) they will ride, flex, respond differently and durability may be sacrificed.  You may find that riding on shorter decks makes it easier to “wash out” or over compensate in turn initiation etc.  Go out and play… experience is the best teacher!

I intentionally neglected to post a board size/weight chart because most of the time I don’t pay attention to them :-)  You learn after riding a while what you as a rider like, and you learn to look at boards in those categories!  If any of you want a generic board sizing chart  I can put one together, but again, experience is gonna help you find your preferences.