 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm an experienced skier but have only ever boarded the odd few days. I can safely manage most blue runs although not that confident on very busy slopes.
I'm thinking of doing a lot more boarding this easter as the pals I'm going away with are all beginner skiers whose ski level is about the same as my boarding level.
I'm looking to pick up a cheap board and bindings on E Bay for not much more than the cost of hiring for the week. There are plenty of boards about but none of the listings say anything about what level they are. How much flex they have etc.
1.) are there any makes of board more suited to my ability?
2.) are bindings easy to adjust? (I ride Goofy)
3.) Is there anything else I should look out for?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Avoid the totally no name brands and Burton cos they carry a big premium for the brand. Unless you buy an alpine board you'll struggle to find a board you really can't ride. Bindings adjust with a regular screwdriver.
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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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Ahhah, you need to come to london view and buy my kit with lots fresh money so I can escape this jungle again.
1) My board is perfect for you.
2) Goofy has adjusted these bindings
£) No No look for nothing else more, just maybe my boots£££, bring you fat wallet here and trust me I,m a good guy in a bad neighbourhood.
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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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| fatbob wrote: |
| Bindings adjust with a regular screwdriver. |
what happens if you're lefthanded??
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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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| Quote: |
Avoid the totally no name brands
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Disagree. I started on a Crazy Creek, was perfectly adequate for a first season. Board and bindings for 150€.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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rogg, Then you need a goofy screwdriver 
Main advice to OP surely is to get the right board length for his weight/foot size and avoid anything too stiff - but lots of 'beginner to intermed' boards on eBay so should be able to track something down - just google the board name and search for reviews to get an idea of what it is - look for amid flex all mountain or all mountain freestyle would be my advice. Bindings - just need to fit your boots really.
Does the OP have his own boots? Always the most important first buy - get boots before anything else
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Thanks for advice. I will buy boots new from a shop to ensure they fit properly.
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def start with your boots make sure that you get those totally sorted
Then sort out the length board you need according to your weight and not your height as many people incorrectly think.
Generally go for a mid flex board, anything too stiff wont be very forgiving although it will be responsive.
Also mid flex bindings as well, you may find a brand on ebay called Raven. Over on the Snowboard Uk forum there are plenty of beginners that have started out with these boards.
Obviously the general condition of the board is important, general scratches to the base or top sheet arnt usually a major problem unless they go down to the wood core. Make sure any metal edging is in one piece and not missing anywhere.
Also be aware to NOT to buy a BURTON EST ( slot system) board unless you plan to get EST bindings. Also just enquire as to the binding hole arrangement. Sometimes buyers put on very old boards that very retro binding hole arrangements that modern bindings will not fit with.
If you find anything that catches your eye im sure you could always post up details here to get some feedback.
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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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Make sure you get the right size bindings for your boots, fleabayers usually put the sizes the binding fits on their posting but if not google it. Get a board somewhere between the height of your chin (from the floor  ) to the height of your eyes. If you've got clown feet make sure you get a wide board (UK 11+). Check out the for sale section on goneboarding.co.uk you can find the odd bargain (I sold a Burton Custom 165W with 14 days use on there for £120 inc P+P, so much for the premium mentioned above). Make sure the board you get is a directional twin rather than a true twin (sometimes described as a park board) and you're looking for a beginner/intermediate 'all mountain' board.
HTH
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Snow_badger says that the board should be spec'd for your weight and not height, how does that work and being 80kg what size would be right for me?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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That's about 13st in old money isn't it? Unless you are phenomenally tall and skinny or short and fat then between chin and eyes is going to be about right. I'm 6' and the wrong side of 16st and base my board length on chin - eyes and have had no problem in the past (159 park boards up to 165W freeride boards). Weight does come in to it but I think height vs board length is more important (basically I think that if you think of the physics of it, how tall you are standing vs how long what you are standing on is important for balance)
Basically the shorter a board is the easier it is to turn, the longer a board is the more stable it is. Too short and it feels too loose, too long and it's like a tanker to turn.
Avoid camber, rocker, camrock etc and get a good flat based board to learn on. You'll catch more edges but it will make your riding better if you learn without the help that those technologies give you. You learn about edges from catching them and ending up with a face full of snow, if you buy a board which helps you not catch edges it will be easier but you won't learn the basics from your knocks imo 
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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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My current all mountain board is a 161, looking at the online calculators I would have to lose about 5 1/2 stone in order to pick that one and should be riding a 167 (the only time I'd ride a board that big would be off-piste in power )
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You need both height AND weight to be taken into consideration...
Behold! The Rule 'o' thumb all mountain snowboard table!
| Rider Height/Weight | sub 49kg | 50-59kg | 60-69kg | 70-79kg | 80-89kg | 90-95kg | 96kg or more
| | < 5'0" | 148-150 | 150-152 | 152-154 | 155-157 | 156-158 | 159-161 | 160-162
| | 5'1"–5'6" | 150-152 | 151-153 | 154-156 | 156-158 | 158-160 | 160-162 | 162-164
| | 5'7"–6'0" | 151-153 | 152-154 | 156-158 | 158-160 | 159-161 | 162-164 | 163-165
| | 6'1"–6'5" | 152-154 | 154-156 | 156-158 | 159-161 | 160-162 | 163-165 | >165
| | > 6'5" | 154-156 | 155-157 | 158-160 | 160-162 | 162-164 | >165 | >165
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Remember, this is all just a guideline, you can go for whatever you like, I myself have a mid-wide board but smallish feet at size 8. Why because I tried it and preferred the float I was getting without having to set the stance too far back.
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You know it makes sense.
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someone is going to start going on about the effect of camber/rocker now....
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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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TotallyBoard, do you not find you lose your edge alot though running a shorter board at 16st?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Richard_Sideways, that's a joke. I'm 5'6", 61kg, ride a 149. 152-154 would be ridiculous.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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not sure on that chart to be honest,, seems a bit far out, no way should i be riding a 158. 154cm is my ideal for an all mountain maybe a 151cm for park
always look at the manufacturers guidelines as well, because some will differ from the above chart... Oh and whats your shoes size as that may determine if you need a wide board or not.
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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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| Richard_Sideways wrote: |
| TotallyBoard, do you not find you lose your edge alot though running a shorter board at 16st? |
The 161 i'm riding now is this seasons k2 turbo dream and it feels more stable at speed than my old custom 165w! I lost my edge once at half term but that was just being cocky and going a bit too fast over the brow of a hill on to my heels (was kinda unweighted if that's possible at 16 stone+ )
I used to ride a 159 ride bezerker as my main board (true twin), I dulled parts of the edges down for rails and boxes but kept them sharp on the contact points, that was a challenge at speed heh
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Both height and weight are factors in choosing the length, as are the preferences of the rider.
The OP probably doesn't have enough experience to know what they prefer just yet in terms of length. And cheap brands tend to have no or sketchy information available as to which height/weight suits which length.
So the "between the chin and eyes" tip is the best to go for at this point. And going a tad short might also be better to start with to get confident with turns and manoeuvres..
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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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Richard_Sideways', table looks pretty good to me. Lizzard, 152-154 would be exactly what I would suggest for you. 149 is a kid's board!
Between chin and eyes is all very well, but that distance is a solid 10cm, so doesn't really help much!
The trend at the moment does seem to be for shorter boards. I'm 5'11", 90kg and my quiver goes from 161 to 169 (apart from a 156 Fish - which is a bit small, to be honest).
Most manufacturers rate their boards by weight ONLY. Height is pretty irrelevant.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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weight is def the one to go for. Got a boarding buddy who is tall 6'4" but is an absolute bean pole. In his case going on the height rule means he ends up with a massive board that is very hard for him to turn.
At the end of the day your weight will ultimately determine how your board flex's along with technique
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I have to admit the content of the table is pretty old now - so it won't incorporate the thing about rockers being shorter, you should REALLY be looking at the sidecut radius for turning characteristics anyway, but this was all about the rule-o-thumb keep-it-simple, and to go on about such things would start to sound a bit like 'the others'.
Oh and snow_badger, your beanpole mate, yes weight is a defining factor but because he's taller, his centre of gravity will be higher up so he could overpower the edge on a board which too small for him and slip more - plus someone his height is more likely to need a wider board - i imagine he's got pretty sizable feet under him which is another factor, as shorter boards tend not to be so wide.
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The way to select board length is: decide on make and model. Visit manufacturers website and look at the chart for that model, each model will have different charectoristics and be designed for certain weights. They generally don't mention heights, but unless you're seriously vertically challenged or gifted they don't seem to mention it.
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FAQ
