Most skaters wonder how long do skateboards last before buying a new one. Tricky yet important to know because it will help you decide which kind of board you should buy for yourself. Judging the life of a skateboard is tricky because it depends on multiple diverse factors.
The lifespan of the skateboard really depends on the usability and the riding style. After spending years in skateboarding, we came to the conclusion that a skateboard can last between 5 months to 2 years. Don’t forget the factors like maintenance, built quality of the deck and weather conditions also determine the life of your skateboard. Some skaters will still be shredding the same skateboard for years and some will get it broken within months.
The quality of production, the technique of use, the environment of use, and maintenance all will affect how long the board stays in good condition. Skateboarding is a fun and healthy sport that is now becoming a source of commuting as well. Keep in mind that different shapes and types of boards are used for different purposes, and so their life span will also vary.
Due to an increase in demand and interest, skateboards with different lengths, widths, strengths, heights, and durability are available. For an occasional skater who rides on smooth surfaces and takes proper care of parts, the board will last for years.
For passionate users that use daily or learn different stunts in harsh environments, the board will last only months after which the deck will break or either the bearings will rust. Deck, bearings, trucks, and wheels are the most important parts of a board and are affected differently by use. These parts are individually available, and only the affected part can be changed without any need of purchasing a new one.
To learn how long do skateboards last we’ll go through the life of individual hardware parts, their cleaning technique and factors most often damaging them.
How Long do Skateboards Last?
Board decks are the most expensive and the ones most easy to wear and tear. Longboards used just for riding last longer. On average, a longboard lasts between 2 weeks to 5 months. Material and frequency of use also determine life expectancy of the skateboard. Usually, thicker decks last longer than other ones and occasional smooth is most safe than flipping and jumping. Keep these two listed points in consideration to increase the deck life.
- Keep deck away from moisture
Decks are made up of wood. Wood absorbs water and becomes damaged. Immediately dry off the deck after water skating or keep the board in the air to let dry off completely.
- Proper maintenance at home
Whether the edges have become sharp or some small cracks are visible use glue to seal off the spaces. With cracked decks, it’s necessary not to overload the deck or perform technical stunts.
How long do skateboard trucks last?
Do you feel a squeaky noise every time you ride the board? Lubricate your pivot cup and bushings. When these surfaces are too dry, turning the hanger in the pivot cup causes the noise. If you don’t know about how to select the right skateboard truck, you can read the reviews of best skateboard trucks.
How long do skateboard bearings last?
You can read the reviews of some of the best skateboard bearings here.
Bearings are made of steel. Steel is sensitive to water, so avoid using skateboard in water. After frequent rides, the board will be dirty. The bushings will have accumulated dirt and will cause issues while riding. Don’t make the mistake of lubricating a dirty bearing because then the dirt will get more dissolved and clog the bearing. Remove your bearings and clean them properly using a brush and cleaning solution once every three months if you are not a frequent user and once every month if you use your board in harsh environments often.
How long do skateboard wheels last?
Rotating the wheels is best to ensure even wearing and prolong life span. Remove all four wheels and put your right front wheel in place of the left rear wheel similarly put your left front wheel in place of the right rear wheel. When wheels are often rotated, changes of quick tearing are reduced. Moreover, If you don’t know which skateboard wheels are best for you, you can read the reviews of Skateboard Wheels and can easily select the right wheels for your skateboard.
Do you own high-quality skateboard wheels? If yes, then you’ll enjoy a fast ride and long durability. Hard wheels can endure more than soft wheels, but both wheels have different speeds and features. Soft wheels work with longboards for street skating. If you feel instability during the ride first adjust the axle nut, it should be loose or tight. The nut does become loose after use, and you can tighten it using a skate tool or screwdriver.
How to prolong the life of a skateboard?
Now you know all the individual parts of life and what affects them the most. Skaters often wonder how long do skateboards last, but nobody can give a perfect number. Some good tips for every skater about how to take care of their board, so it lasts long enough.
- Don’t use skateboard in wet conditions
Water is harmful not only for your deck but trucks, bearings, wheels as well. The deck wood will absorb the moisture to become weak and break easily or slit open. Protect your board from rain and if it does get wet, somehow use an air dryer to dry it off quickly. Do not dip board in water for cleaning it’s worst it will do a lot of harm and damage. If you want to clean the deck, use a cloth to wipe off the surface.
- Proper maintenance of skateboard
Like any other machine, your skateboard needs your attention and needs to be cleaned off from time to time. If you pay no heed and let dirt accumulate for long, the damage is irreparable, and you need to buy a new one. Cleaning a skateboard is very simple and easy for even beginners. Sand the edges of your skateboard to avoid tearing. Sanding will make edges smooth and avoid any damage from chipping. Use a skate tool to take wheels off from the axle. Remove bearings from a wheel. Place them in a cleaning solution and brush and dry off afterwards. Lubricate bearings using grease and wipe away dirt from wheels and trucks. Wheels can be dipped in the cleaning solution for enough time to soften the dirt and grime, but all other parts shouldn’t be.
- Using tail guards for the skateboard
The most frequent issue of every skater is tail scrapping. If you learn the proper technique to stop the board, and you can avoid this problem. Tail scrapping causes razor tails thus damaging your board deck. The board will chip and tear down. The right way to stop the board is to use your shoe heel to stop. Dragging tail along the ground is what wears it down so keep tail above ground. Avoid using your ground on rough hard surfaces if you want to prolong the life of the board. Skateboarding in skate parks and car parks saves board from a lot of damage as they have smooth surfaces.
- Symmetrical shape skateboard
The front and tail surface of a deck have different lengths and shapes, but now many companies are offering symmetrical skateboards which means you can ride your board anyway there’s no tailor front end. And considering how long do skateboards last it’s important to consider the shape of the deck.
How to Clean Grip Tape
Don’t soak the grip tape in water or brush it off you’ll rip it off and destroy it. Use Company manufactured grip tape cleaners so it will last you long. You can buy some of the Best Grip Tapes for your skateboard.
FAQs
Skateboarding is a trendy fun sport that’s equally beneficial as well. The people intending to buy one might be thinking how long do skateboards last, for all beginning skaters it is encouraging to know that skateboards last long and individual parts can be purchased and replaced. Some queries which some people have regarding skateboards are listed next
Is cleaning parts important for skateboard life?
Yes, individual parts maintenance affects the whole board. Cleaning a skateboard is easy even for beginners. Clean deck, trucks, and wheels with some cleaning solution while for bearings use bearing cleaning kit. Dry off all parts afterwards as moisture is very harmful to the whole board. It causes irreversible damage to different board parts. Lubricate the bearings and use sandpaper to make the edges smooth. Also, it avoids it from chipping off.
Does tail guard help prolong board life?
Yes, it does help. Due to tail scraping the tail becomes thin and is called razor tail. Tail scrapping is a technique of stopping a moving board by dragging the tail along the ground. Harsh grounds damage the tail wood extensively and cause it to chip off. Using a tail guard is one way to save the tail from damage; otherwise, the rider can learn the proper technique of stopping the board, riding on the smooth ground, or use an asymmetrical board.
Conclusion
We hope that you must have cleared your question about how long do skateboards last. Skateboarding is a fun, cheap and a pretty cool sport. The life of a skateboard depends on its manufacturing, maintenance, use, and quality. The factors are so diverse that no one time limit can be given for all boards. The Skaters should be cautious about using board only on smooth, dry surfaces if they want it to last for years. Cleaning and lubricating parts are key to a good ride experience even after long. Rough use damages all parts and ultimately leads to the need for buying a new one. If you have never bought a skateboard, we recommend checking out these Best Skateboards For Beginners.
Skateboard has very few simple parts which can be changed about damage. Skater won’t need to buy a whole new one. Thus avoid all such acts which destroy board, e.g. tail scraping, flipping, jumping, dipping in water, and overloading. For smart users, the board will last in good condition for years.