How to Choose Snowboard

A right choice on your snowboard can boost your progress in snowboarding. In fact, an expensive snowboard is not necessarily good for everyone. Every single snowboard has its own flex pattern, weight, material, design, and manufacturing technique.


Here are the most commonly accepted rules regarding snowboards:

[1] Length of a Board = your height - 6 inches (15 - 20 centimeters)

[2] Effective Edge = your height X 0.7

[3] Waist Width = size of your feet - 1 inch (2.54 centimeters)

[4] Stance Width = width of your chest

[5] Your weight should be at the range of suggested weight of the company.

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Insert Hole Pattern

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Pros and Cons

By Length:

aaa	Pros	Cons
Shorter	Easier to control and make tricks. Turn quicker and easier to turn.	More unbalance when speeding Catches more shocks
Longer	More stable with speed. Higher buoyancy	Harder to control, make certain tricks and turn.

It is really a matter of your preference. But if you are a freestyle rider, you might prefer a shorter board because it is easier to control. If you are a freerider, your preference might be longer board since it is more stable.


By Waist:

The width of your snowboard is expected to be 1 or 1.5 half inch (2 to 4 centimeters) longer than that of your snowboard. But the preference varies.

aaa	Pros	Cons
Thinner	Easier to transmit power to a board and turn quick.	Easier to tumble for snow.
Thicker	More stable and doesn not shake much.	Harder to transmit power to a board and make turns.

By Hardness:

There are two kinds of hardnesses for a snowboard. One is when a board is bent, and the other is when a board is twisted.

a	Pros	Cons
Softer	Easier to control and make turns. Need less energy to turn. Easier to make ground-tricks.	Easier to slip and fall at turning. Lower repulsive power limits jump. Easier to lose balance.
Harder	More stable and easier to stay balanced at turning. Higher repulsive power generates higher jump .	Harder to make ground tricks. Use more energy to turn.

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Snowboard Types

Snowboards are usually classified into three kinds: Freeride; Freestyle; Alpine.
Each of them has a particular style of riding along with their unique shapes.

Freeride Snowboards	_
This type is what is called all-round and the shape is usually directional or directional-twin. It can be used for pretty much everything, like freeriding, making tricks, and backcountry. It is probably the most easy type of snowboard to handle. Freeride snowboards are suitable for those who enjoy free-running.

Freestyle Snowboards
This type of snowboard is used for pipes and parks since they usually have a twin-tip shape. It is designed to enable you to ride backwards without feeling uncomfortable. Smaller kick of nose and tail enables you to handle better. If you want to make those tricks or ride in fakie style, it might be better to get freestyle snowboards.

Alpine Snowboards
An alpine snowboard has totally different shape from free-ride and free-style in that the tale of the board is cut off and made flat to catch more speed. It is a snowboard for the speed. Waist is made thinner and this type is good at carving.

In addition to these criteria, the design of a snowboard is also a factor to be considered when you choose your snowboard.
After adding your budget to these criteria, you should be able to narrow your choices a lot.