When To Buy Your Own Snowboard

The Ultimate Guide To Buying A Snowboard has been created to help Snowboarders choose the right Snowboard.

This is a series of articles designed to answer all of your most common questions.

The first question that I get asked all the time by Snowboard students is:

When should I buy my own Snowboard?

This is something that will vary from person to person. Having your own board is way better than riding a rental.

How often do you Snowboard?

If you only Snowboard for a week a season, or are a complete beginner, there isn’t much point in buying your own board yet, unless you have some cash to burn, or if someone offers to buy you one.

If you Snowboard a few weeks a season, then you may want to consider buying a cheaper board.

If you Snowboard for more than a few weeks a season, or if you’re going to spend a whole winter near a mountain, then you should definitely buy your own board.

I would always advise buying boots first, they are the most important part of your setup.

Why should you buy a Snowboard?

Rental boards pretty much suck, 90% of the time.

Rental shops usually only stock boards that are stiff as hell, weigh a lot, and don’t feel fun to ride.

You won’t know any different if you’ve never ridden a Snowboard though.

I was forced to ride a rental board when I snapped my binding in Australia last year, it was a miserable few days.

Not all rental boards are horrible to ride. Burton have created a fun range. I tested them whilst working for the Burton Snowboard Academy at Northstar-at-Tahoe, CA, USA.

Rental Vs your own board

Rental boards are designed to take a beating. They are built to last, not for enjoyment or feel. Rental shops need the boards to last for as long as possible, so they make as much money as possible.

A non-rental (your own board) is built with the rider in mind. They are designed to feel good.

You have never snowboarded before

If you’re an absolute first timer, and are thinking about buying a board, I would avoid it, unless you have money to burn.

A beginner won’t know how the right board should feel. I know this because I was one of those people…

The first board I bought was after one week on a Snowboard. I even took a few boards out and tested them. The guy in the shop told me that “you won’t be able to feel the difference” (but what did he know). I thought I knew best. I ended up buying a board that was too narrow, too expensive, and completely wrong for me. I spent about 500 Euros on that board. Ouch.

Don’t make the same mistake as me.

Your determined to buy your own board

Get some good advice before you buy your first Snowboard. If possible, take a friend with you to a shop (who knows more than you), or you could ask me?

By the end of this guide, you will know everything that is important about buying a board.

Note: The guys in Snowboard shops rarely offer you impartial advice, remember, they are trying to sell you something.

Next instalment

If you’ve made a decision that buying a Snowboard is the right choice for you, the next part of The Ultimate Guide To Buying A Snowboard will cover which “style” of board to choose. You have the choice of Freestyle, Freeride, All-Mountain, Powder, and Race Carving boards. I’ll help you choose the right style for you.

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About the author: David Raybould is a Snowboard Instructor and Writer. You can connect with him on Twitter or Facebook.

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1. The Ultimate Guide To Buying A Snowboard