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Smallish hire board, or time to buy?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Off to Andorra in Feb for a week, which will by my 10th or 11th week boarding. I'm trying to work out whether the hire kit on offer is going to suit, or whether it's time to get shopping.

We've always hired kit, and I've usually been given the biggest thing in the shop, 161-164W. Last year one of the staff in the shop lent me one of his own boards, a 168W Burton Bullet, a good few years old. That felt like such a better riding experience, smoother at speed, lots more control, nicer turns and a better stance width.

So the big question: was that because it's a better quality board, or because previously I'd been riding boards too short for me?

Right now, I'm 96kgs on the scales in my birthday suit - so guess 105 with gear, boots, bag and hard hat. I'm 6'5", mostly legs, so have ended up using the widest stance inserts on previous boards. I'm a UK11 shoe, so a wide board is pretty much a must. We'll spend 30 minutes a trip in the park, the rest of it on and off piste.

I've badgered the TO and found that the hire shop has 165s.

Now most sizing guides get up to the top end, and then start making useful recommendations like "95+kgs and 6'3+ = 160-175cm board" which is pretty vague.

I guess what I really want to know is relative effective edge lengths, but as a general guide, has anyone got much experience in sizing boards at this sort of range and how they felt?

Or answer the 1st question: Was it the extra length, or the quality ( Toofy Grin ) that made the difference?

Thanks,

Jess.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Size is important to a degree. Shape and stiffness will also play a big part too in terms of how it rides. It would be worth trying to test a range of boards to see what works best.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Trying boards is best, but "size" is the label they put on the board.... bigger boards are longer, but they're also stiffer in construction. Generic "Size guides" are useless because they don't take into account the detailed design of each board. You need therefore to look at the manufacturer size guide for the specific board you're after.

That said, some manufacturers may only have three sizes of board... in which case if you're heavy, then you probably want the largest.

"Quality" is an interesting one. Some boards have cheap (extruded) bases; some have topsheets or other construction which doesn't feel particularly high quality; some have poorer warranties than others ... but they all ride the way they're supposed to for the given weight/ design.

Most uk people ride boards sized for people smaller than they are... so I'd guess that's the issue, and also why the shop guy lent you the correct sized board. It was the length, but really it's the length + flex pattern.
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I've no experience to add at that length + weight, but this topic might be interesting to you Very Happy

http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=2860056&highlight=tanker#2860056
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@boarder2020, Someone was always going to say the sensible thing: "try before you buy". I'll have to see if there's a chance to try different boards from a store out there perhaps.

@philwig, I think I've mainly ended up on shorter boards due to hire shops having a stock of what they are likely to use most, and therefore the ends of the demographic get given something near, but not ideal, 'cos otherwise that 168 is only going to get used a few times a season. I couldn't tell whether the last board was stiffer than previous boards, they are at least a year apart in use, but I guess it rode as though it was. It was also sold as a retail board, rather than built particularly as a hire board most likely for beginners/intermediate.

As you say, length and stiffness help.

I fear that 1 week a year doesn't really warrant purchasing kit for me - I love snowboarding, but it falls a little way down the list for toy shopping. Think I'll end up on hire kit this time, and see whether it feels naff or not.... or probably more like whether I think it feels naff or not. Going to need a nice, positive headspace to get started again without feeling as though I'm stuck taking a backward step kit-wise.

Thems the choices! Laughing
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BigSouthernJesse wrote:
Off to Andorra in Feb for a week, which will by my 10th or 11th week boarding. I'm trying to work out whether the hire kit on offer is going to suit, or whether it's time to get shopping.


If you're coming out this way, do your research on kind of boards you want beforehand. I'm not a snowboarder, but have gone shopping for a snowboard with my son a couple of weeks ago. Seems there is really only three brands on sale and besides that you are going to be restricted to what the shops have in the area that you are going to. (or make the trip down to Andorra-la-Vella to some of the bigger shops down there). Judging by the prices in the shops at the moment you are looking to spend at least €650 for board, boots and bindings.

It might be worthwhile to explore what you can get in Ellis Brigham / Snow & Rock and try those out in one of the local indoor snow centres, if you are lucky enough to have them nearby.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Its a good suggestion by ysb33r. Rather than just turn up looking to buy its best to do your research in advance and work out what kind of board should suit you. (I'm sure if you said what kind of terrain you ride, ability, riding style etc. people would be happy to offer some suggestions). Some of it is personal preference though, hence why it makes sense to try a few out.

Buying a board in resort usually means paying a bit more and there is less choice (particularly if your lookin for something a little less run of the mill I.e. a longer board). Internet may be the way to go and means you can buy in advance and arrive ready to ride. On the other hand if you can find a shop willing to let you demo a few boards prior to buying its a good option too.

Generally I don't think the economics of buying over renting make sense unless you are doing over 2 weeks per year. However assuming you can't get a suitable rental it makes sense to buy and enjoy your time on snow to the maximum
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F282795759680

Not mine, but super cheap and quite the big board!
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
boarder2020 wrote:

Generally I don't think the economics of buying over renting make sense unless you are doing over 2 weeks per year. However assuming you can't get a suitable rental it makes sense to buy and enjoy your time on snow to the maximum


This is where I'm struggling. I fear that the progress I want to make - mainly to proper carving (I still get a bit of skid quite often and they're not really dynamic or driven) as well as better control on harder packed surfaces - is going to be held back a bit sooner or later by kit. The general consensus seems to be that boards that are shorter and more flexible than your designed set up ain't great news when it comes to carving and grip on the ice.

I'm not sure that any hire kit I've had has really been naff quality, so if there was stuff the right size I'd be happy to keep hiring.

If I do buy, it'll have to be a 2nd hand bargain; as mentioned, there are other things that take priority for my pocket money. With 2nd hand kit, are there any significant development periods where you really don't want to buy kit older than a certain age? In windsurfing, board tech and design changed a huge amount around 2000, and there's not a great deal to separate a board from 2004 with 2014, where 1998 is almost unusable compared to 2002. That ebay special that @HandyHand found looks right up my street as far as designed use goes, but no idea how old it is, or whether boards of that age are still worthwhile?

Yeah, it's all unquantifiable "maybe this, maybe that", which is why I thought I'd pick your brains for advice, but I'd be surprised if anyone can actually tell what I should do. We might manage a second cheeky week at Easter this year, so maybe I'll try to analyse my time on the mountain in the first week and decide what to do from there!

Jess
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I can't much help with what happened when with board tech, but can say that the consistency of owning my first own board (an ebay bargain) was good for my learning curve and helped me work out exactly what I wanted in my second board (a big long directional fat plank). Plus, owning boots that fit right is a godsend and removed that aspect of the rental lottery. I recommend that approach.
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