8.25 to 8.5?

[usehername720]

Is there a big difference when switching from an 8.25 to an 8.5 deck? In the past I’v switched from an 8.18 to an 8.38 without any major issues with my flip tricks and I really liked the feel of catching tricks with it but I snapped the board pretty early before I really got used to it. Since then I’ve been riding an 8.25 for a little over a month.

I still want to increase my board size so would there be any major differences going from an 8.25 to an 8.5?

[smellsdead]

made my mustache grow quicker

thats all i noticed

[biaherl]

for me it was like going from a chair to a couch. But like everything that is good or horrible you get use to it

[sketchyrider]

the way i see it, a lot of this gear madness stuff has to do with the fact that a wide variety of gear can work for you. i've skated fine on everything from an 8.125 on forged hollow trucks, to a 10 inch shaped deck on standard trucks. its really only been on some extreme setups that i was like "yeah i cant do this".

buy an 8.5, skate it til it dies, see how you feel. i think the real key is your skateboard should feel like home.

for what its worth, the best setup change for me was going to an 8.5 and conical wheels years ago. all the tweaks i made since then didn't help me improve much. you'll notice if it's better or just different.

[IpathCats]

All depends on what you're looking for. I was 8.5 for years, started flipping more and went to 8.25, finally tried 8.37 and its def the sweet spot for me. I'll skate anything from 8.25 - 8.5 depending on what im feeling, but i find 8.3 is best all around for me. The relationship between board and truck size is really what matters most to me. I can ride 8.25 or 8.5 trucks on an 8.37, but if im on 8.25 or 8.5 i want my trucks to match my board width. Though Ace 44 CLASSICS (8.375) worked on both for me. I guess i just like my trucks within 1/8" of my deck size.

[Mbrimson88]

Is there a big difference when switching from an 8.25 to an 8.5 deck? In the past I’v switched from an 8.18 to an 8.38 without any major issues with my flip tricks and I really liked the feel of catching tricks with it but I snapped the board pretty early before I really got used to it. Since then I’ve been riding an 8.25 for a little over a month.

I still want to increase my board size so would there be any major differences going from an 8.25 to an 8.5?

As said above, the trucks to go with it might be the most important factor.  Do you have trucks to go on it, or are you running the same trucks as you had on the smaller board?  And what size are they?

I also prefer 149s on 8.38 to 8.5 sized boards, up from 139s then 144s on 8.12 to 8.25 when I used to ride smaller boards, so it was all relative.

Some people love smaller trucks on wider boards, others not so much.

[unregisteredhypercam2]

i am planning on going from 8 to 8.5 this week. wish me luck

[roba]

if the trucks you have on the 8.25 have axles that match the board or are wider then look for an 8.5 that’s close in length and wheelbase to the board you’re skating right now and put the same trucks on it. you’ll get used to that new deck in no time

[flintstagram]

I made the switch and loved it. Never looked back. 8.5 immediately felt like home to me, but I have big ass size 12 feet. Haven’t ventured wider yet, but don’t really have the desire to. 8.5 just feels right.

[Doodily]

I switched from 8.125 to 8.5 and loved it. I felt more stable and was able to hit tricks that I was missing before - grinds, shuvs, boardslides, etc. I don't do a lot of flip tricks (just kickflips and heelflips); it didn't really mess with those.

[Ol Nick]

if the trucks you have on the 8.25 have axles that match the board or are wider then look for an 8.5 that’s close in length and wheelbase to the board you’re skating right now and put the same trucks on it. you’ll get used to that new deck in no time

I agree; unless you’re already magic-carpeting on the 8.25, size up the deck but leave the trucks. If you want to size up the trucks later, maybe start with adding a washer or two to push the wheels out a bit before you go adding more hanger.

[Esmith5488]

Back when I rode 8.5 trucks with 8.25 I would commonly switch between the sizes in that range. I found that if I kept the length and wheelbase the same I felt no difference after a session. I haven’t done that since I went to a 8.25 venture but I think if you get the other dimensions the same you wouldnt suffer for too long