Snowboard / Boots Advice - 6ft 82kg

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  timthetoolman on 24/05/2016 - 00:27

  As a general rule go about 20cm less than your height for board size, the bigger the board the more stability at speed, but harder to turn, and vise versa.
  There's a bit of debate on whats easier to learn on but i'd probably suggest either a camber or triple rocker.
  A rocker is great if you want to be doing tricks and presses and what not, but a camber will get those edges better for all mountain riding.
  Bindings are probably the least important there, just make sure you get some comfy boots or you'll have a crap time regardless.

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    tunzafun001 on 24/05/2016 - 00:35

    Cheers. So there is no must have safety feature in a binding? Or a fancy fangle dangle feature on a boot. Any brand recommendations with good bang for buck?

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      timthetoolman on 24/05/2016 - 20:34

      Nah not really, they keep you on the board and that's about it.
      There are front and rear entry bindings but it's just personal opinion

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        tunzafun001 on 27/05/2016 - 09:34

        Ok, cheers. So from what I have researched from 1995 to present not much has changed (give or take the stud pattern and toe strap). I have seen on Gumtree what looks like bindings without the heel flap thingy, or maybe it folds into the binding and I cant see it in the picture.

        I guess I'll stick to the named boards (Burton etc?) and keep an eye out for a mid 2000's board that is fat enough for my size 10.5 feet, with decent edges and spend a few extra $ on decent boots and should be good to go.

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        timthetoolman on 27/05/2016 - 23:05

        +1

        @tunzafun001:If you're on facebook check out snowboard traders , they're a group of people who can help you out a fair bit with advise but also have a fair few good items for sale at a good price

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        tunzafun001 on 28/05/2016 - 00:22

        @timthetoolman: Cheers mate. I saw a US based one?

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        timthetoolman on 28/05/2016 - 02:23

        +1

        @tunzafun001: Nah definitely Australia . Snowboard traders Australia I think. It's a private group though so you might need to ask to join

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  Mumbles on 29/05/2016 - 02:58

  I'd recommend Googling on the internet for "Snowboard buyers guide" as there are a lot of snowboard shops and review websites with helpful tips.

  You'll need to decide what is your favourite type of snowboarding. Eg. Freeride, Park, All mountain.

  A snowboarder who prefers to ride boxes, rails and jumps will use a different snowboard than a freerider who prefers stability on random surfaces (eg. fresh powder, mud and rocks).

  The link you provided is for an M3 Filter snowboard. From the low entry price + description it is likely to be a "beginner" freeride snowboard. You've previously mentioned snowboarding when younger which means you've already tried a beginner snowboard before. Perhaps consider looking for an "intermediate" board (or beginner/intermediate) if you have confidence, fitness + strength.

  1) Decide what style of snowboarder you are. Eg. Freeride, Park, All mountain.
  2) Choose a snowboard which matches your skill level. They are usually labelled or reviewed as Beginner, Intermediate, Expert (plus everything inbetween).
  3) After deciding on a few possible models then buy the width and length that suits your boot size + height while keeping in mind the country you mostly snowboard in.

  Most buyers guides on the internet are from the USA and Canada. Australian snowboarders will usually choose shorter boards than what is recommended because the quality of our snow is worse (eg. ice VS fresh powder). Shorter boards are easier to turn.

  For buying boots you are looking for something that's comfortable so you are best to try several pairs in a store rather than randomly choosing off the internet.

  After you've bought the boots you can choose the bindings to fit. The main differences will be durability and the feedback/feel. Unfortunately good bindings can be ridiculously expensive so decide how many seasons you want to get out of them. If you're on a tight budget and just trying out snowboarding then probably buy an entry level binding from the well known manufacturers so you can get replacement spare parts if you break anything.

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    tunzafun001 on 29/05/2016 - 12:20

    Cheers, good advice. Only snow ski'd, never snowboarded before. From research there hasn't been any must have safety feature in 20 years. Most likely Will only use on Aussie rock snow. So as long as it's wide enough and in the 155 range I cant go wrong. Would hire, but seen packages for less than a 3 day hire. P.S. Can you walk normally in snowboard boots? Ie not need moonboots as well?

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      Mumbles on 29/05/2016 - 22:52

      Yes. You can walk on level ground in snowboard boots with no problems. If you are walking hundreds of metres uphill then you may have to loosen up some laces.

      Safety gear is a totally separate issue to snowboard choice. If you snowboard in the park then you'd choose body armor like helmet, back protector, thorax protector, padded pants.

      Snowboards from 20 years ago have similar shapes eg. camber and rocker. But the technology which is different is the multiple layers and glues. Modern boards will try to smooth out the potholes and bumps a bit better. Most technologies will filter down from the expensive boards to budget boards over time.

      I honestly have no idea how easy you will pick up snowboarding. Wakeboarding and Kite surfing have the bad habit of leaning your weight backwards onto the rear foot. Snowboarding mistakes are waaaay more punishing than skiing. I've done both and found I was a natural at skiing.

      For value for money the best advice for your situation is to beg, borrow and steal a snowboard from your Wakeboarding friends or relatives. A lot of wakeboarders own a snowboard, ask to borrow someones when they are not using it themselves.

      If its only for 3 days of snowboarding then its definitely cheaper to rent. For beginner level snowboard gear the budget is usually $800-$1200 for boots + bindings + snowboard. I was extremely lucky and paid $500 in a Canberra shop for last years display model K2 Raygun snowboard + ex-display boots + ex-display bindings.

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  2ndeffort on 10/06/2016 - 17:33

  Love Levelnine, have bought 3-4 boards and bindings from them, all good. Never paid anywhere near $800 for board/boots/bindings. i am no boarding guru but for someone getting back into it I reckon the $150 board and some cheapish boots are fine. When you are good enough to be hucking 30 ft cliffs or riding the handrails down the stairs to the ticket office you can worry about fine tuning your board to get maximum pop. You should be able to get a rig from levelnine that at worst equals what the rental cost would be. Snowboard boots are way more forgiving than ski boots so as long as you get the right size boots there is less risk of painfull feet. I say go for it with Levelnine, i just used the online guidance on sizing etc and went for it. Might add that i am a skier and bought the boards for my teenage sons not for myself, sons loved the boards and are still riding them 3-4 years later.

  I have had one son outgrow his junior board and now needs a new one for this season. i wont even be going into an Australian shop, if anyone quoted me more than about $250 for a board i would laugh in their face. i have bought boards, bindings and all manner of kit from the US. I would be amazed if there was that much difference between a 'last season' board with different graphics that you would get from levelnine and a board you would get for an extra $500 from a local shop. The only trick i would caution is to make sure you get the right size bindings and a wider board if you have yeti-sized feet. You dont want boots that cant fit into your bindings or your feet overhanging and digging into the snow when you make turns. if you have any questions drop the guys at levelnine an email/query.