Author Topic: Going down board sizes?  (Read 27027 times)

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hobochimp

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Going down board sizes?
« on: August 08, 2018, 07:40:52 PM »
I’ve always ridden bigger boards (8.8-9.25, with an 8.5 thrown in). I see a lot of people calling bigger boards a trend and just wanted to see what the general consensus was on sizing down. It would definitely open up opportunities to skate more brands and find boards more easily.

Note: I’m sort of a special case as I’m 6’5” and have size 12-13 feet depending on the shoe.
The smallest board I could ever see myself riding would be an 8.5 but I’m open to adapting possibly.

nosneb

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tzhangdox

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2018, 08:35:57 PM »
Depends on what you skate. I'm the exact same height as you, size 13 feet. I usually skate 8.5s, and try not to go under 14.5 in terms of wheelbase. I've skated the dlx 8.62 shape with a 14.75 wheelbase a few times, it's nice but definitely a hassle to do some tricks with, not as easy to manoeuvre especially if you skate mostly flat and ledges. Recently tried an 8.75 with a 14.75 wheelbase, too much effort and couldn't do a lot of my tricks. Feels really stable for wallies, skating really fast and things of that nature though.

If you skate more gaps, transition etc, then a bigger board will definitely feel more stable. I feel like taller skaters are more sensitive towards wheelbase which largely affects overall stability as opposed to width which affects how easily a board flips and your foot positioning. A lot of companies have been making 8.5 and wider boards with small wheelbases because everyone is skating bigger boards now but not everyone is really tall so it may pay to be more aware of the wheelbase dimensions on your boards.

Personally thinking of sizing down to 8.38 to see how it feels. I know that 8.5 is a safe bet for me and I'm pretty reluctant to go over that nowadays. Unless you skate exclusively tranny and huck, I don't imagine that an 8.8 - 9.25 is doing too much to benefit you.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2018, 08:40:14 PM by tzhangdox »

patrick c.

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2018, 08:38:19 PM »
I'm 6'2" with size 12 feet and was skating 8.62's for a few years and recently came down to 8.25. If you do it gradually(an 8.5 followed by an 8.38 etc) and try to keep the wheelbase relatively constant(I really like 14.5" and try to always skate a deck with that wheelbase regardless of width) the transition is not bad at all.
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tzhangdox

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2018, 08:41:13 PM »
I'm 6'2" with size 12 feet and was skating 8.62's for a few years and recently came down to 8.25. If you do it gradually(an 8.5 followed by an 8.38 etc) and try to keep the wheelbase relatively constant(I really like 14.5" and try to always skate a deck with that wheelbase regardless of width) the transition is not bad at all.

How'd you find the gradual size down? Worth it?

patrick c.

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2018, 09:30:32 PM »
It made it less intimidating for me. Going from 8.62 to 8.5 isn't that bad & going from 8.5 to 8.38 isn't that bad & going from 8.38 to 8.25 isn't that bad. It's like a scaffold to build confidence on narrower boards(which I didn't have at all before). I think making an effort to keep the wheelbase of every deck the same helps tremendously.
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tzhangdox

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2018, 09:47:18 PM »
It made it less intimidating for me. Going from 8.62 to 8.5 isn't that bad & going from 8.5 to 8.38 isn't that bad & going from 8.38 to 8.25 isn't that bad. It's like a scaffold to build confidence on narrower boards(which I didn't have at all before). I think making an effort to keep the wheelbase of every deck the same helps tremendously.

I mean, do you prefer the 8.25 over the 8.62? You think the thinner profile makes tricks easier or do you ever miss the extra room of the 8.62. My main concern with sizing down is less room for your foot on nose/tailslides and also more chance or heel/toe drag when landing.

HangtenNoseblunt

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2018, 12:14:31 AM »
maybe im just not good enough to notice but i find board width pretty trivial I keep the same foot positions for every width and just put my front foot further up on the thinner boards

honestly i find steeper concave and tails fuck with me way more than width
« Last Edit: August 09, 2018, 12:18:30 AM by HangtenNoseblunt »
Thank goodness we have HangtenNoseblunt in here as the voice of reason.

fs overkrook

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #8 on: August 09, 2018, 12:19:35 AM »
I usually skate 8.5s and I went into the shop the other day to get an 8.25 because unfortunately I don’t get to skate as much as I’d like. I thought maybe I’d be able to skate easier or something, idk. Anyways I ended up walking out with the Matt Mumford “retirement plan” 8.6 deck and I regret it already. Doing that made me realize I should down size.

patrick c.

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #9 on: August 09, 2018, 06:48:43 AM »
Expand Quote
It made it less intimidating for me. Going from 8.62 to 8.5 isn't that bad & going from 8.5 to 8.38 isn't that bad & going from 8.38 to 8.25 isn't that bad. It's like a scaffold to build confidence on narrower boards(which I didn't have at all before). I think making an effort to keep the wheelbase of every deck the same helps tremendously.
[close]

I mean, do you prefer the 8.25 over the 8.62? You think the thinner profile makes tricks easier or do you ever miss the extra room of the 8.62. My main concern with sizing down is less room for your foot on nose/tailslides and also more chance or heel/toe drag when landing.
Oh sorry I didn't understand your question.  Yes I prefer 8.25 over 8.62 & for me at least it makes any trick where the board rotates or flips less clunky & more fluid.  I have barely any flip tricks & really want to improve on this so it really helps with that.  But yes you're right there is less room for your feet on slides & it's definitely noticeable.  A trade-off I guess.  I think getting a deck with a fuller shaped nose & tail might help a little with this(i.e. the Real full shapes).
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Firebert

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #10 on: August 09, 2018, 07:06:35 AM »
I like the lighter weight of a smaller board. I keep wb within 1/8" and it's not really any different feeling

FrozenIndustries

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #11 on: August 09, 2018, 07:13:41 AM »

6'3" and a size 11 here. I agree that it depends on what you're skating and that WB is way more crucial if you're tall.

Late spring/early summer I was skating mostly flatground and learning a lot of switch/nollie stuff, and I found a small (7.75") setup to be super helpful. As of the past few weeks, I have been spending more time pushing around in the streets, skating small transition, stuff like that, and an 8.5" is what feels right.

Both boards above have a 14.25" WB and I've found that is more important to me than width. A while ago I had 2 Quasi, boards...one was and 8.6" with a 15" WB and the other an 8.5" and a 14.125" WB. After the larger board got razor tailed, I switched to the shorter guy and I felt like my ankles were tied together. I got used to it, but it was so miserable.

I don't mean to encourage wheelbase madness, but...

tzhangdox

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #12 on: August 09, 2018, 12:14:57 PM »
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It made it less intimidating for me. Going from 8.62 to 8.5 isn't that bad & going from 8.5 to 8.38 isn't that bad & going from 8.38 to 8.25 isn't that bad. It's like a scaffold to build confidence on narrower boards(which I didn't have at all before). I think making an effort to keep the wheelbase of every deck the same helps tremendously.
[close]

I mean, do you prefer the 8.25 over the 8.62? You think the thinner profile makes tricks easier or do you ever miss the extra room of the 8.62. My main concern with sizing down is less room for your foot on nose/tailslides and also more chance or heel/toe drag when landing.
[close]
Oh sorry I didn't understand your question.  Yes I prefer 8.25 over 8.62 & for me at least it makes any trick where the board rotates or flips less clunky & more fluid.  I have barely any flip tricks & really want to improve on this so it really helps with that.  But yes you're right there is less room for your feet on slides & it's definitely noticeable.  A trade-off I guess.  I think getting a deck with a fuller shaped nose & tail might help a little with this(i.e. the Real full shapes).

Thanks for the feedback. This sounds like what I imagined. I personally don't like square noses and tails for flatground at all, but really like it for nose/tail/blunt slides which I do a lot. Big tradeoff. Perhaps a full shape on a thinner board won't be as bad as a full 8.5 or 8.75 or something though.

chris.

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #13 on: August 09, 2018, 01:14:32 PM »
I'm 6'5", size 12 shoes and I started skating in 1999. My growth spurt happened in probably 2002 but I never adjusted my board size, I only went up to 7.87" at the most.

I just started skating again this year and everything is seriously so much easier. I'm legitimately a better skater at 31, having been back on the board for 4 months, then I was when I was 16 with 4 years under my belt. It's a funny anecdote, but it's also sort of a bummer. So much time wasted back in the day  :'(

patrick c.

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #14 on: August 09, 2018, 03:10:21 PM »
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It made it less intimidating for me. Going from 8.62 to 8.5 isn't that bad & going from 8.5 to 8.38 isn't that bad & going from 8.38 to 8.25 isn't that bad. It's like a scaffold to build confidence on narrower boards(which I didn't have at all before). I think making an effort to keep the wheelbase of every deck the same helps tremendously.
[close]

I mean, do you prefer the 8.25 over the 8.62? You think the thinner profile makes tricks easier or do you ever miss the extra room of the 8.62. My main concern with sizing down is less room for your foot on nose/tailslides and also more chance or heel/toe drag when landing.
[close]
Oh sorry I didn't understand your question.  Yes I prefer 8.25 over 8.62 & for me at least it makes any trick where the board rotates or flips less clunky & more fluid.  I have barely any flip tricks & really want to improve on this so it really helps with that.  But yes you're right there is less room for your feet on slides & it's definitely noticeable.  A trade-off I guess.  I think getting a deck with a fuller shaped nose & tail might help a little with this(i.e. the Real full shapes).
[close]

Thanks for the feedback. This sounds like what I imagined. I personally don't like square noses and tails for flatground at all, but really like it for nose/tail/blunt slides which I do a lot. Big tradeoff. Perhaps a full shape on a thinner board won't be as bad as a full 8.5 or 8.75 or something though.
I had the dlx 8.38 full(14.62 wheelbase) and it was okay.  The shape of the nose does mess with your flick a bunch but the fuller nose & tail make the board seem a lot wider than it is.  I know 917 and Habitat make 8.25's with a 14.5 wheelbase (https://habitatskateboards.com/collections/decks/products/twin-peaks-welcome-8-25 & https://callme917.com/collections/frontpage/products/cyrus-spyrus-deck-8-25) & I really like the amount of nose & tail tapering on both of those(they might actually be the exact same Generator shape).  A good moderate option.
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CINCINNATI

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #15 on: August 09, 2018, 04:57:42 PM »
6'6" with a 13 shoe, rode 9" dlx boards for a few years with a 15" wheelbase. recently got an 875 alien thats 875 with a 14.5 wb. kick flips are easier with a somewhat skinnier board. Im trying to size down to an 8.5 just because thats what is really easily available pretty much everywhere. but yeah, wheelbase is the biggest determining factor for me. my sweet spot would be a 14.75wb on an 875 board with a 33 length. I feel like after sizing down .25 inch at a time I can get used to a board, but if I went straight from 9-8.5 id have some trouble.

FULTON

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #16 on: August 09, 2018, 09:25:56 PM »
6’5” 200 LBS Size 13 shoe
I’ve skated since the 80s and have rode every size imaginable. Last year I rode an 8.5 and 8.25 BUT randomly rode an 8” and was in heaven. Now it’s all I skate. 8” feel the best and I agree that your foot position just changes depending on the width. I have a 9.5” for fun and enjoy that as well but nothing beats the 8” for me with 144 (8.25) trucks. That little bit wider truck for some reason made my ride different. That’s my .02

gsosa

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #17 on: August 09, 2018, 11:25:33 PM »
6’5” 200 LBS Size 13 shoe
I’ve skated since the 80s and have rode every size imaginable. Last year I rode an 8.5 and 8.25 BUT randomly rode an 8” and was in heaven. Now it’s all I skate. 8” feel the best and I agree that your foot position just changes depending on the width. I have a 9.5” for fun and enjoy that as well but nothing beats the 8” for me with 144 (8.25) trucks. That little bit wider truck for some reason made my ride different. That’s my .02
I'm 5'7 size 9 had gone up to 8.25 but went down to and 8 and was in heaven, it's all I skate now, although the occaisional 8.125 is sick also.



Little Debbie

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #18 on: August 10, 2018, 09:22:55 PM »
It made it less intimidating for me. Going from 8.62 to 8.5 isn't that bad & going from 8.5 to 8.38 isn't that bad & going from 8.38 to 8.25 isn't that bad. It's like a scaffold to build confidence on narrower boards(which I didn't have at all before). I think making an effort to keep the wheelbase of every deck the same helps tremendously.
this is exactly what i'm doing, can't wait to get back to 8.25. i'm 6'2" and size 11.5 shoe. everyone around me rides 8.25 and i want to get back to skinnier boards. grew up riding 7.62, 7.75 and 7.88. i dream of a long, pointy and relatively flat board, been looking at Element a lot recently... the Julian Davidson and Mason Silva 8.3 shapes look pretty good too

Baron Samedi

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #19 on: August 10, 2018, 09:48:02 PM »
damn some big boys up in here. i'm 6'2" 190ish and 10.5 foot and i've just been going bigger and bigger with board size since i started skating. Started at 7.5 as a 5 foot tall 13 year old, now I'm at 8.75 18 years later. also a big board being hard to flip is a misconception, in my opinion. i'm on the tech side of things and can do all the same tricks i could ever do on a smaller board, my clumsy ass just has more board to land on now.

LemThurdy

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #20 on: August 11, 2018, 06:07:40 AM »
I think it’s all relative. Im 6’ and size 10.5 I will skate 8.25 or 8.18 but I occasionally will use my smallest board which is a 7.75 and it feels like I have most control over that board. Some of those bigger decks you all have mentioned seem crazy big but to each his own I think it’s a matter of preference more than anything. Was thinking of purchasing a 8.38 for the park

stephop

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #21 on: August 11, 2018, 09:20:11 AM »
I really can't tell much difference until it's 1/2 inch increments. Then It's clearly noticeable. I only skate like two decks a year which is pathetic so it really doesn't matter much unless I drop from 8.5 to 8.

hobochimp

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #22 on: August 22, 2018, 09:39:25 PM »
Just setup the new gonz Krooked 8.5 full shape. Feels amazing and doesn’t even feel small. The 14.6 wheelbase is perfect and the lack of taper in the nose and tail gives me a really good balance. I also am riding Indy 159 trucks. Pretty solid tall person setup so far.

metsuri

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #23 on: August 22, 2018, 11:57:05 PM »
This is interesting. I'm currently considering doing the exact opposite, get a bigger board. Years ago I gradually worked my way up from 7,62 to 8" over a few years. Pretty much the last 8 years i've been going back and forth between 8" and 8,125, which is where I'm currently at. And it feels great. I'm 5' 10" with 9,5 feet.

The thing is, I have never ridden a bigger board (apart from the old school days when I first started). I've noticed that my skating has become more simple, been trying to skate more tranny and I barely do any flip tricks anymore. I can do my few heelflips that I still regularly do on any fucking cruise ship, so that's not an issue.

I'm thinking of getting an 8,5 with 149 Thunders, just to see how that feels and maybe get a new boost for skating in general. Seems like most pros ride big boards, even though a lot them are small guys.

rob

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #24 on: August 23, 2018, 12:42:43 AM »
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6’5” 200 LBS Size 13 shoe
I’ve skated since the 80s and have rode every size imaginable. Last year I rode an 8.5 and 8.25 BUT randomly rode an 8” and was in heaven. Now it’s all I skate. 8” feel the best and I agree that your foot position just changes depending on the width. I have a 9.5” for fun and enjoy that as well but nothing beats the 8” for me with 144 (8.25) trucks. That little bit wider truck for some reason made my ride different. That’s my .02
[close]
I'm 5'7 size 9 had gone up to 8.25 but went down to and 8 and was in heaven, it's all I skate now, although the occaisional 8.125 is sick also.

Heck yeah we got some big boys up in here

I’m 5’7 maybe 5’8 with size 9 shoes and I recently took a step down to 7.8-8 again from 8.12-8.3 that was stable and comfy but I was regressing in learning tricks and just did the basics

Stepping back down to the classic size is like your guys feeling, heaven

My pop is way more consistent and high and my flip tricks are easier, I forgot It’s easier to learn on a lighter smaller board and just commit
yes

cosmicgypsies

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #25 on: August 23, 2018, 03:32:21 AM »
skinny ass 145 lbs, 5ft 11, us 8.5 bouncing around between 8.5 8.6 8.75. i don't particularly do many flip tricks but the ones i can do take the same effort as on a smaller board atleast until it gets to say tre flips or fs flips then i gotta chuck it a bit more.

MareVitals

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #26 on: August 25, 2018, 07:35:19 AM »
I've been a believer lately that the wheelbase/your height and build matter a lot more than the width. I feel like I can skate 8-8.5 comfortably with similar wheelbases but once you drastically change the wheelbase (most big boards have larger wheelbases) the board handles completely differently.

Pretty odd that skate culture leaves fit and geometry in the dark when it's such a big part of cycling, etc. 

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #27 on: August 25, 2018, 11:36:56 AM »
This is interesting. I'm currently considering doing the exact opposite, get a bigger board. Years ago I gradually worked my way up from 7,62 to 8" over a few years. Pretty much the last 8 years i've been going back and forth between 8" and 8,125, which is where I'm currently at. And it feels great. I'm 5' 10" with 9,5 feet.

The thing is, I have never ridden a bigger board (apart from the old school days when I first started). I've noticed that my skating has become more simple, been trying to skate more tranny and I barely do any flip tricks anymore. I can do my few heelflips that I still regularly do on any fucking cruise ship, so that's not an issue.

I'm thinking of getting an 8,5 with 149 Thunders, just to see how that feels and maybe get a new boost for skating in general. Seems like most pros ride big boards, even though a lot them are small guys.

Im 5'10 with 8.5 feet and I skate an 8.8 I don't think size matters that much with flip tricks just kinda what you're most comfortable with
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Ziad

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #28 on: September 29, 2018, 01:42:31 PM »
I always skated 8.5" recently skated two 8.75's cause i was skating tranny for a while but they were too heavy for street so I'm thinking of buying the real low pro 8.38 i like and change between 8.75 and 8.38 depending on street or transition session

Daniel

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Re: Going down board sizes?
« Reply #29 on: September 30, 2018, 01:14:24 AM »
Sized down from 9/8.75 with 14.5/15 WB on thunders to an 8.0 14 WB on aces gradually in the last two years. The size down increased control and maneuverability drastically..

Been thinking of sizing down to a 7.8 or even a 7.75.... Also having read the wheels/small wheels thread and seeing Dane Brady's part, maybe even sizing down to 50mm wheels..
« Last Edit: September 30, 2018, 01:17:43 AM by Daniel »