 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi folks,
OTB here, been reading this site for a few months now and think it's great.
I have a question, is it worth buying your own snowboard? I have skied for a few of years but went snowboarding for a week in April and will never go back. Now, I'm going to be boarding a week in Feb 2010 and will be travelling to NZ in the summer of 2010 for 4/5 weeks boarding. After that it will be 1 maybe 2 weeks a year. Trying to weigh up should I buy one. Would it be financially beneficial to me? How much is a run of the mill board? Is it costly to transfer them with say Ryanair? Is there much you have to do in maintening a snowboard?
Lot of questions I know! Any responses are greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
OTB.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
Is it costly to transfer them with say Ryanair?
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About £60 return with Ryanair.
It wont be financially beneficial (If buying snowsports equipment was the way out of recession I'd be set to retire now)
You might want to try a few boards and see what you like. The main benefit of buying your own kit is you have what suits you.
EDIT: Although if you go for 4-5 weeks in one season you could easily break even and the long haul carriers will probably carry your gear in your baggage allowance
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Is there much you have to do in maintening a snowboard?
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http://www.jonsskituning.co.uk/ is a good place to look its mostly ski oriented but boards require same treatment.
outsidethebox, Is there much skiing/boarding in Tipp? 
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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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Having your own board will almost certainly be cheaper than renting for 5 weeks in NZ.
Benefits - you know your kit, quality & consistency is better than rental boards (notably rental bindings IME are crap & board choice limited).
Drawbacks - certainly not cheaper than renting for 1 week holidays flying Ryanair.
Why not rent in Europe & buy a second hand board in NZ that you may chose to bring back or sell on if cash is everything?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks for the replys guys, I think I'll rent in Feb in Europe and buy a second hand pair in NZ next summer. I'll weigh up rental prices and purchase prices down under and see what the craic with them is.
PS. Unfortunately RPF we don't quite get the snow for boarding, though between the Galtees, Comeraghs and Knockmealdowns we'd have a few hills for it alright 
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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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there was a heap of snow an the galtees last time i passed them - (feb maybe?)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Is there much you have to do in maintening a snowboard?
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No, I agree wax helps, everything else is folklore and old wive's tales.
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The best thing about having your own kit is you know how to set it up so that it fits your perfectly and you wont loose any slope-time by getting refitted/exchanging/fiddling with angles etc...
Would definately advise you by boots and binings before you buy your board though.... they are far more important
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outsidethebox, This thread, in particular the OP is worth a read if buying boots.
My Brother got 2 good days of boarding in Wicklow during the snow earlier this year. Used a quad as a lift.
Gotta keep the edges sharp too Jonny luv plums  . Works wonders in the ice.
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hi,
You are lying on your bed looking at your board propped against your bedroom wall, it's full of memories of your trips, of the highs you had riding it. That sticker you put on it from that awesome time you had with your mates.
You can`t get that from a hired board 
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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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RPF, rounding off the edges helps when you land sloppy and yes, carving is not top of my list  You dont need to round off the whole board if you are afraid of ruining it, just the around the nose /tail about a third of the way up the board. De tuning is the new tuning.
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Dont touch your edges unless you are a hardcore rail monkey who spends week in, week out up at cas perfecting your gnarly jibs or like JLP, day in day out in the park in resort... you will lose all traction in your turns, you will look like a baby giraffe on an ice rink on steep or icy runs as your board flops and slips about underneath you trying to find grip... You cant get that edge back, once its gone, its gone...
People have said pretty much all there is to say about the pros and cons of having your own gear. One major point that people havent mentioned, buying snowboard gear is addictive. I would suggest that if you are going to buy yourself your own gear, dont buy second hand unless its brand new second hand only been ridden once type second hand. Worn out boards are useless and annoying and arent worth their weight in scrap. Buy from someone reputable that you can go and talk to or at least converse with via email. Dont buy from a catalogue. There are a number of shops that will sell you ex demo boards or even unsold brand new boards from previous seasons. TSA (the snowboard asylum) has its own 'outlet' for this online. I promote these guys all the time but they are really good at what they do, I used to do it with them... www.snowboard-clearance.com when you are ready to buy, email charlie at S-C and have a chat with him about your requirements and he will find you the perfect board at a stonking price.
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You know it makes sense.
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Buy - end of 
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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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rayscoops, as usual you are full of words 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Some good advice on here, the only one thing I can add is...
| Jonny luv plums wrote: |
| Quote: |
Is there much you have to do in maintening a snowboard?
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No, I agree wax helps, everything else is folklore and old wive's tales. |
...if you take a deep gouge on a base or de-lam an edge from your board it is worth filling with p-tex (and waxing) or glueing back together or your board will only last a few more weeks. Those simple repairs will at least see your board through the season, at a fraction of the price of a new board.
I think I know what your getting at JLP...taking the highbacks of my bindings and other other performance enhancing tips never helped me!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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In winter I see skiers come in with skis that have a light scratch on the base and they moan they want it fixed, makes not one bit of difference imo. The only time I need edges looking at is if they burr over from hitting rocks but then they get de tuned again. Burred edges do make a noticeable difference to the ride, it pulls all the time if you have them. People ask for 87/88 deg edges for their skis if the snow is hard, if I'm getting around on my board with no problems what does their 88 edge do for them? Ice and hard snow are 2 completely separate things, pure ice nothing is going to help you. I rarely see ice on the pistes where I am, rock hard yes but certainly not ice.
I dont care what my base looks like, gouged, scratched, shredded. I fail to see what fixing it will bring, how many times is a board ridden on a flat base?
Ignore most of what I say though, I'm special and would rather ride across gravel for 5 metres than unclip
And making it through a season with one board is a season I've failed at imo My record is 3 But still never done a whole season with the same board in 6 years and I've had some boards I've absolutely loved like the nitro MFM, I bust 3 of them  and managed to get this one new and unused for 50 quid and have never ridden it, and doubt I will. Going to save it for my old age to remind me of the good times
Since my misfit died I'm now riding that custom, god the shame.  2 and a half months before the custom V and eero arrive [woot]w00t[/woot]
damn I can waffle on sometimes.
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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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| outsidethebox wrote: |
Hi folks,
OTB here, been reading this site for a few months now and think it's great.
I have a question, is it worth buying your own snowboard? I have skied for a few of years but went snowboarding for a week in April and will never go back. Now, I'm going to be boarding a week in Feb 2010 and will be travelling to NZ in the summer of 2010 for 4/5 weeks boarding. After that it will be 1 maybe 2 weeks a year. Trying to weigh up should I buy one. Would it be financially beneficial to me? How much is a run of the mill board? Is it costly to transfer them with say Ryanair? Is there much you have to do in maintening a snowboard?
Lot of questions I know! Any responses are greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
OTB. |
Buy buy buy - BUT Buy in the summer and get last seasons kit, unless your bothered about having all the lastest kit!
I ride a Burton Custom X cost me £330 instead of £500 because I improted it from the States, this price included the import tax!
Also, buy a Dakine (or similar) Hi Roller Bag and carry all your mates kit aswell, Ive carried 3 boards, boots and bindings in one bag on both Ryanair & Easyjet, splitting the cost between us!
My set up cost me £485 and I love it, been 5 times since I bought it and still amazing, and it has a good few years left in it yet!
My mates have always been annoyed and frustrated at the kit they hire in the French Resorts! Normally bodged up bindings and beat up boards!
Tuning is cheap, about £15 a service in the resorts if you cant do it yourself!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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what's the import tax on a snowboard? and how much does it weigh (packaged) (I want to mail order a few from States too, but first want to work out if it makes sense economically).
Cheers
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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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| boardiac wrote: |
what's the import tax on a snowboard? and how much does it weigh (packaged) (I want to mail order a few from States too, but first want to work out if it makes sense economically).
Cheers |
It was a two years ago I imported it so cant remember exactly but it was around £45 and I got a burton custom x for £285. I think you basically pay the VAT on it, if you go on HMRC website you can work out the cost.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Board ownership is part of the fun. Buy.
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| boardiac wrote: |
what's the import tax on a snowboard? and how much does it weigh (packaged) (I want to mail order a few from States too, but first want to work out if it makes sense economically).
Cheers |
Cost me about £60 was deffo worth it, but at the time the pound was stronger..............
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and dont forget you get to shout "does this look like a f'ing rental? Get your shitty skis off my board you f'cker, some people buy their equipment, NOW F'CK OFF HOME" in the lift queues, of course I do that disguised, the same skis get returned to me probably at the end of the week.
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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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| Quote: |
Is there much you have to do in maintening a snowboard?
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Have to agree with Jonny luv plums, on that one. Doesn't make as much difference as people think.
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Buy your own. Most snowboard hire kit I've been unlucky enough to have has been utter rubbish and even potentially dangerous. 
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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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Jonny luv plums, you are a funghi
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