Skateboarding advice

StoneAment

I'm 24 years and I've never tried to ride a skateboard. After a long debate about whether I'm too old to start I decided I'm younger now than I'll ever be so what the hell.

Now I have the difficult decision about how to chose my first board. I'm not really looking to do tricks or anything I just want to be able to cruise around. From what I've read online it seems I should be going for a longboard.

There seem to be a lot of choice in regards to size, I don't know what to get. I'm about 6 foot, size 12(US) feet, what sort of length/width should I be looking at?

Thanks in advance - I would really appreciate any assistance.

....or am I really just too old to start??

BinauralJam

Your not too old to start, but try not to invest too much money until your sure your into it. Longboards the way to go being 6'.

RKCNDY

The only advice I can give you is 'get a good helmet' and that's about it.... and you're not too old...I'm 11 years older then you, and a buddy of mine is getting me one of the longboards he designed so I can learn to ride. I didn't get much advice here (prob cuz I'm a chick), but I'd check out YouTube videos. BTW Jeff still skates...

Break The Sky

I'm 24 and I just took up hockey. I've known how to skate just never played hockey but been a big fan all my life. It's great to finally play the sport I've enjoyed watching for so long. The only difference between you now and you ten years ago is as a kid we're not afraid to make mistakes, and as adults we are. If you want to skateboard, there's no time like the present. Also I second the "get a good helmet" notion, unless you've got a hard hard head.

Cosmo

Rule Number One: In an adult... things that get broke, tend to stay broke.
...
You just want to cruise around... street or beach strand, not making many turns?
Go with a longboard. Standard short decks are eaiser to turn than longboards... but, they are squirrelly.
If you don't want to shovel out the cash for a longboard (tend to be more expensive), then I'd say start out on a slower board... a cheap one. That way, you are not putting out a lot of cash in case you decide it ain't for you. Look for one that 32" or longer with an 8" width.
Avoid the ABEC 5 bearings and above... the higher the number, the faster the bearing.
Go with the larger, softer wheels that won't stop on little pebbles. I have 72mm/82a Marshmellos on my cruiser. Great for going from sidewalk to asphalt and back.
Learn on a fairly smooth surface (like on a playground or big empty parking lot)... but, not too slick (like the smoothed out concrete you'd see in a garage).
...
Start slow... and be careful. I ride with wristguards and look like a dork... but, according to Rule #1... you break it... it stays broke.
Have fun!!!

StoneAment

Thanks for the advice guys - and the encouragement! Yeah I'm definitely going to get me some safety gear with the board. My head's not that hard eh.

Cosmo wrote:

You just want to cruise around... street or beach strand, not making many turns?!

Street only. Not many turns but eventually I'd like to be able to make the odd turn y'know.

I've come down to a decision of 2. The cheaper one is 38" x 9.75" flat deck. The slightly more expensive (£7) one is 44" x 9" Concave Deck.
Is the flat contour a problem? Should I go for concave?
Is bigger better? Or is 44" a bit excessive (no pun intended)

Cosmo wrote:

Avoid the ABEC 5 bearings and above... the higher the number, the faster the bearing.

It seems all the ones I've come across have ABEC 5 Bearings - Is this a huge problem? Should I avoid and keep looking?

he.who.forgets

def longboard. they are expensive but fun. I'd recommend just going to your local skate shop and getting on a few. I have a sector 9 which can run about $150-$220 new but you can always try and find a used board too. Check out some of these: http://store.sector9.com/Default.aspx?cat1=COMPLETES. Longboards are designed to "carve" so it's easy to turn and weave without your front wheels ever leaving the ground. Some are more flexible than others. I mostly just ride mine around the neighborhood. I'm 30 and just started riding a couple years ago. Have fun!