How Long Do Skateboards Last? (6 Ways to Lengthen it)

one of the common queries of skateboarders now is how long does a skateboard last? If you want to know the answer of the same query and some ways of extending your skateboard’s life, this article is for you.   

Although it is not so easy to answer, the quick reply of a skateboard’s normal lifespan is about 6 months to 2 years. In fact, it mainly depends on some important factors such as how well known your skateboard company is, the quality of your skateboard, usage, and maintenance. 

However, it can break down within just 5 minutes if you try riding while you don’t even know the basics of skateboarding. On the contrary, it can last for even 5 years if you buy a good complete skateboard and use it with care and also maintains it well. 

Issues That Affect Skateboard’s Life

• The wider your skateboard is, the more space you get, and eventually, it will last longer.
• Weight is an important issue. If you are overweight, the skateboard is more likely to break down quickly.
• If you skate on rails and ledges, it will break down quickly as it affects your skateboard more than normal.
• Skating style is one of the main factors. Normally beginners do break down their skateboard quickly as they don’t know the style of skateboarding.
• Your truck shouldn’t be too loose or too tight.
• Know all the tricks and stunts related to skateboarding. Don’t try any of those seriously if you don’t know the basics.
• Always check wheels whether the are tightened enough or not. If not, loosen or tighten the skateboard nut in the truck using the skate tool.
• Not being able to drive properly, many people get annoyed and throw their skateboard! Never do that, if you don’t want your skateboard to be broken early and easily.
• Your skateboard will wear out sooner if you drag the tail of the board a lot or if you boardslide very frequently than normal.
• In case of an E-Skateboard, make sure that you recharge the battery before it reaches down to 0%.
• In order to maintain the battery status of 40-50%, recharge it every 6 months.
• Normally Longboards have more life span than other types like top cruiser boards or penny board.

6 Steps You Can Take

If you take the 6 below issues into consideration, you can lengthen your skateboards life for at least a year or two than the normal lifespan.

1. Avoid Watery Places

First, keep your skateboard away from watery places. if your skateboard gets wet, you can be sure that it will be damaged very soon. And, In winter, don’t put the board on the floor because the floor can be a little wet which will be harmful to your skateboard’s durability.

Most importantly, don’t go out with your skateboard in the rainy season. Especially if it rains in the winter, you may not even get the sun for drying the skateboard deck. By this time, it will lose its longevity.

Video Tutorial

2. Clean The Skateboard

It’s common that what you ride on a regular basis, you need to clean wheels with care regularly. The same work you must do with your skateboard wheels and other parts to lengthen its durability and soundness. Then you may get the most advantages of skating.

You need the following things to clean your skateboard:

• Bristol brush
• paper towel
• isopropyl alcohol
• bearing grease or lubricants
• grip gum
• screwdriver
• skate tool

All set! Now, clean your skateboard regularly with the above equipment.

3. Don’t Ride Skateboard On Stone, Glass, or Sand

Do ride your skateboard on smooth surfaces like skate parks, any turf or at your home where you have tiles on the floor. If you skate on a broken road or stone, grass or sand, the wheels, bearings or deck may break down earlier.

Even if it doesn’t break, it will lose its effectiveness in a very short time. and, eventually, it will not last long. So, choose a plain road or dedicated skate park where you can ride smoothly and try all kinds of tricks you want with your skateboard.

4. Land Well On Your Skateboard

Landing is so crucial in skateboarding. If you don’t know how to land well, your skateboard surely will break down within a short time. For landing, you must at least learn to land with one foot on your skateboard. 

Once you have mastered landing with one foot, try landing with both of your feet. Practice, practice, and practice slowly every day for a couple of times. you will surely learn how to land with two feet soon.

5. Shoe Matter

To keep your skateboard last longer, make sure to wear the best pair of skate shoes. Never buy and use cheap shoes while you skateboard. It will hamper your legs and the skateboard as well. You might get injured too. You might have running shoes that are too not perfect for skateboarding. These shoes are not designed to fight the tricky parts of skateboarding.

6. Warranty

You get a one-year warranty for almost all branded skateboards out there in the market. That said, you can well be tension free for the first year of your purchase. However, before purchasing any skateboard, don’t miss to read and check the warranty policy of the company.

See also: Price of Skateboard

Whether Skateboard Goes Bad or Not?

Yes, but it depends.

If you want your board to remain flexible and maintain its frisky nature, it needs a little moisture from time to time. If there’s not enough humidity in the air, then your board can crack, lose its luster, and it goes bad.

Plus, if there are no water marks and the paint on the skateboard isn’t worn & there aren’t any gaps, then it probably hasn’t dried out much as it’s been new for a while.

Related FAQs

How Long Do Electric Skateboards Last?

It depends on the battery that you are using for your e-skateboard. Normally, if you skate regularly, the battery will perform very well for the 1st year. Then, the performance may slow down and it will last for even 3 years.

How long do skateboard decks last?

If you skate on a regular basis and do all sorts of tricks on different types of terrains, your deck would not last long. But, if you skate casually without doing many tricks, it might last for a few years.

Will my skateboard break?

If you are a complete beginner and try out tricks with your skateboard, it may break down quickly. And, remember to keep it away from your growing child who does not know the basics of riding a skateboard.

Where should I keep my skateboard?

Where to keep your skateboard is a crucial query among skateboarders? The best answer is you should not keep it on the floor. 

If you keep it on the floor and if somehow the floor gets wet, the bearings will lose their lubrication and eventually, the board may slow down and it will not move as smoothly as before.

So, build a skateboard rack of your own or buy a good one from the market.

How long do skateboard wheels last?

It mainly depends on how often you skate. Normally, you can change the skate wheels every two or three months. If you rotate or swap the wheels by this time, they will work well for a long time.

Can I wash my skateboard with water?

Water is bad for anything made of wood. So, don’t let your skateboard get wet by water or fog as it is made of wood. It will hamper your skateboard bearings, deck, trucks, and bolts. Besides, if the skateboard gets wet, you might have to face hydroplaning which can affect badly in controlling your skateboard. So, avoid skating in the rain.

Conclusion

Normally the board must stay alright for a year. The trucks may last even longer. And, the wheels should stay fine for about two years.

But, you know and as you see in the above description that it depends on different factors what you need to do: tighten the trucks and wheels, store the board in a cool dry place, clean off the debris regularly, and recharge the battery at the right time if you have got the electric skateboard.

In the end, my suggestion is if you want your skateboard to last longer, you should first learn the basics of skateboarding, learn the tricks slowly and gradually and most importantly buy the best-branded skateboard. Good Luck!