 Poster: A snowHead
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Is there anywhere in the UK you can rent ski equipment (for use abroad)?
I've done a search but haven't come up with anything.
Perhaps I've used the wrong search terms, and actually there are so many outfits offering UK rental that there's even a directory of them?
I vaguely recall there were once some fitting shops in or near airports where you could rent on your way out, and return on the way home.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The Airport Skis business model pretty much collapsed with the first introduction of baggage fees.
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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?
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Highly unlikely to make economic sense to hire in the UK and transport abroad. easyJet charge £74 return for a ski bag.
A UK based hirer is unlikely to have as wide a range of stock as a resort shop.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Why would you want to?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| Why would you want to? |
This is for a group doing a self-drive short break, arriving at the slopes in the morning where one of the group doesn't want to slow the rest down by detouring via a ski shop, but usually flies & rents, so doesn't really want to buy for this occasion.
I'd suggest buying ex-rental skis on eBay, but UK rental prior to the journey seemed like a possible alternative.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@crosbie, there are invariably ski hire shops at lift base stations. Given that your group will probably also have to buy lift passes at the base stations, it seems senseless to make a special journey to somewhere in the UK to rent equipment.
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@crosbie, it takes 5 minutes.
Have breakfast.
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As others have said, just find a shop close to base lift, book online and it'll delay the party no more than someone going to the loo.
To save time someone else could buy his lift pass while he goes to the rental place.
Given the lack of a market for UK ski rental it's likely that he will get better and newer equipment than any place you'll find in the UK
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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.
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Lift passes are being obtained in advance, but arrival is a Sunday morning, when everyone and their dog are getting fitted up.
Anyway, despite the unsurprisingly poor market for UK rental, I deduce that there is no-one currently offering such a service in the UK.
Tant pis. 
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| queenie pretty please wrote: |
| @crosbie, there are invariably ski hire shops at lift base stations. Given that your group will probably also have to buy lift passes at the base stations, it seems senseless to make a special journey to somewhere in the UK to rent equipment. |
The chappie is used to driving around the UK as part of his job and has plenty of time to pop into many places the day before departure. He assumed there'd be places like Snow & Rock that would do this sort of thing, e.g. ski tests.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| crosbie wrote: |
| Lift passes are being obtained in advance, but arrival is a Sunday morning, when everyone and their dog are getting fitted up. |
Saturday is the big change over day. First thing Sunday should be fine. He could even pre-book what he wants/needs to save a bit of time. If it's a bit busy the rest of the group can do a warm up lap.
If they have their own boots it helps as finding a decent fit would be the most time consuming.
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@DidierCouch, VERY USEFUL! Thanks. 
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You know it makes sense.
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He could approach a UK retailer to to see whether he could try out somthing from their ex demo stock for the week. Would probably involve buying up front then bringing them back for a (partial?) refund.
When my son bought his ex demo skis he was told he could bring them back if he didn't get on with them as long as he didn't take the Mickey.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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It all sounds a bit frantic to worry about possibly having to wait 15 minutes for ski hire in a base station shop? As others have said, just have the group do an up & down on the nearest lift whilst it happens then join up with them once sorted? Is it really that big a deal to wait for a few minutes? What if something goes wrong with the ski bindings whilst abroad? Local shop could sort their own equipment out instantly. Seems a really weird way to go about things, but each to their own and all that.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Drop them at the hire shop nearest to the base station. Catch lift up, ski back down, pick up mate.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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...then chide him mercilessly for the next two months 
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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?
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I love my fine selection of skis and care for them like first born. However I am jealous of mates who drop the hirings off at the rental shop on the last evening when I have to pack and carry mine home. If not into skiing, or only do a week a year cannot see need for rental and as for renting a pair in the UK.............. Turn around is quick in hire shops and the quality seems to have improved if chose wisely.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We were with our daughter last month. After about an hour on the 1st day she sighed and said "No. These skis just aren't working for me. Or the boots need adjustment or something. I'm going back down to the hire shop in the village and getting them changed. Do a couple of circuits and let's meet back up here at the summit." 45 minutes later, she was back with her new skis.
Hiring them at your destination shouldn't take long, is no big deal, and allows you to fix/replace them if you have a problem.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hiring them at your destination shouldn't take long, is no big deal, and allows you to fix/replace them if you have a problem.
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This.
@crosbie,
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Sunday morning, when everyone and their dog are getting fitted up
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Not these days, necessarily. Chamonix f'rinstance is very much away from Sat-Sat other than during vacances scolaires and xmas NY.
Where are you going? As someone may have less generic advice. But what I would do is identify the ski shop(s) of choice, give them a call, reserve skis of choice and give them your mate's boot sole length (marked on the boot). That way they just need to verify boot fit, make any fine adjustments, scan barcodes, credit card and they're done.
5 minutes.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@under a new name, even resorts where people start skiing on the Sunday, many of them will have had time to collect skis the evening before.
A few years back one of our group had to sort skis, we toddled into town and I went to the bakery and got breakfast while he got skis. Didn't take him much longer to get skis than it took me to get a baguette.
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