First time snowboarder needs lots of help!!?

Question

Hey I am going to Lake Tahoe for 10 days with 3 friends that all know how to snowboard. I have never been but believe I will like it so I want to go ahead and buy a board, bindings and boots before we go. I am 5'3 about 115 pounds. I have been looking at boards that are 145 - 148 cm. Do I need to be concerned about the waist width? The boards I have looked at vary from 19.5 - 25 cm. What are good brands? What would you recommend for bindings and boots? I live in florida and there isn't a shop around where I can try stuff on - do boot sizes run relatively close to tennis shoe sizes? I wear a size 6 womens or a youth 5 - can I get away with buying youth boots and bindings for a women's board? Any help will be greatly appreciated - I have so many questions!!

Answer 1

If you go into a shop they should help you out with all of that... What I recomend is getting burton equipment, that has the highest quality generally...

board- when you stand up and put the board next to you, it is easiest if it comes to a little bellow the chin... If you are still growing, than I would go around the bottom lip for length. just don't go above the nose, or else the board will be hard to control. I would also make sure that you just get a nice all mountain board. look for decent flexibility, and lightness.

bindings- i recomend clip-ins/ clickers/ strap ins. don't go for any of that step in stuff, its all junk. Flows are decent, but can be hard to adjust for a begginer. the easiest is just a nice sturdy pair of strap in bindings. you can go for the burton toe cap if you have the money- those are pretty nice. one other thing i look for in a binding is metal clickers. just don't get the cheap plastic kind cus it can break, the metal is most durable, and they are easiest to get in. I would recomment the Burton Cartel or Mission, both quality bindings.

also try to get light weight ones.

boots- just get something comfortable. you want them to be nice and snug. allow yourself to have some extra room in the boots, and as long as your foot doesn't shift around at all than you are good. get nice comfortable, LIGHT WEIGHT, flexible boots.

Answer 2

The answers above are all about right.........but I would be cautious buying before trying. 1) You think you're going to like it, but will you. 2)You might be an absolute natural and soon need a much better board than a nice soft flexing forgiving  beginners board that you should start with. If you haven't got a local shop, do some research. The Burton site is good with lots of advice. Talk to your friends, but don't believe everything! Think about renting for your first time out until you have a clearer idea of the sort of riding you prefer and how quickly you are going to progress.

Answer 3

I never snowboaded but i kno its like skateboading just balance yourself then practice going down small landslides of snow then keep doing that till u get the hang of it then start snowboading down bigger places in no time you will be better than what you are now.

Answer 4

You should totally just rent your equipment for now. This way you can get an idea if you like snowboarding or not and have a better feel for the stiffness and design of the board that best suits you.

The board I learned on was borrowed from a friend and I used Sorrel boots. The first one that I owned (K2 board and bindings and Airwalk boots)  was bought at the end of the season when things are "cheap". A few later I settled on my current Burton board with K2 bindings and BOA type boots.

Be patient. Money on rentals isn't necessarily wasted.

Answer 5

Ya, the board size range you are looking at is a good range. For a begginer, you are not going to be too picky about the exact board length, that comes with experience and with what you want to concentrate on in snowboarding (parks, or downhill) Basically your first board should be about up to your chin when you stand it up. The width doesnt really matter, just get the average width, the wider boards are generally meant for heavier people, so dont worry about getting a wide board, just get the regular size. Boots vary in size, and its important that you get boots that fit you snuggly but not too tightly. You want to have them snug enough so that you have control, but not so tight that they cut off your circulation (It does happen! you will notice if your feet are freezing cold fairly quickly, it is not that easy to get freezing feet with good boots). Bindings come in 3 different size :small, medium, large. Depending on how big your boots are, you will need a different size binding. Boots vary in exterior sizes and shapes so I would recomend getting a board you like (I prefer Burton, over any other brand, very reliable, and last forever) anywhere, even online. But waiting till you get to Tahoe where they have tons of boardshops with experience people to help you fit a boot and a binding. They will even put the bindings on your board for you exactly where it will be most comfortable. Just let them know that you are a begginer and need some help chosing exactly what you need and where to put it on your board and they should be able to help you out alot.