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Totally clueless and need a little help on sizing

1K views 12 replies 5 participants last post by  schmitty34 
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#1 ·
Well first off I am new to these forums so take it easy on me. I am a lifelong skier and I am going switch to snowboarding this season, I need a challenge and skiing is getting boring to me. The only issue is I have no equipment and have no where to start regarding sizes, so if this helps my sizes are 6'4, 229lbs, 12.5 to 13 shoe and if you need anything else let me know. My biggest issue might be shoe size, I can wear a 12.5 to a 13 depending on the shoe. I am just looking to get the sizing right the first time and since everyone on here has more experience with sizing and probably everything else related to snowboarding I will welcome your input on the best size board, bindings, and boots for my dimensions. I don't know if I need a wide board or any of that so your help would be killer. Wayne
 
#2 ·
Well first off I am new to these forums so take it easy on me. I am a lifelong skier and I am going switch to snowboarding this season, I need a challenge and skiing is getting boring to me.
Welcome, and welcome to the club. I made the switch a couple of years ago for the same reasons and never looked back. It's a whole new world. :)

The only issue is I have no equipment and have no where to start regarding sizes, so if this helps my sizes are 6'4, 229lbs, 12.5 to 13 shoe and if you need anything else let me know. My biggest issue might be shoe size, I can wear a 12.5 to a 13 depending on the shoe. I am just looking to get the sizing right the first time and since everyone on here has more experience with sizing and probably everything else related to snowboarding I will welcome your input on the best size board, bindings, and boots for my dimensions. I don't know if I need a wide board or any of that so your help would be killer. Wayne
Firstly, check out the FAQ here. These will answer a lot of questions from the get go. In brief:

- It would be a good idea to rent to start off with.
- You will almost definitely need a wide board.
- Board size is more related to weight, and the FAQ has a sizing guide.
- Boots and boot fitting are an key bit of the equipment and the FAQ has info on that too.

As a convert, I think doing the research is a good learning exercise and when you have made a few picks you can confirm them here.
 
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#4 ·
I did read the FAQ's area and it is helpful as hell but is kind a good overview of hints and great factors to consider when buying a board and equipment. There is however no size guide when it comes to buying a board, it just talks about factors to consider when purchasing a new board and things to take into consideration. Based on my dimensions I was looking for what size board I need, and as stated before that I may need a wide board, that seems to be the only thing that I have established. Funny how in the Faq's about the chin to nose measurement, my buddy just bought a board from Play it Again Sports and the kid told him that exact thing. So if someone can help me with the sizing thing I would appreciate it and please don't guide me to the FAQ's section, I have already read it(twice). Thanks
 
#10 ·
There is however no size guide when it comes to buying a board, it just talks about factors to consider when purchasing a new board and things to take into consideration.
Goto the Equipment FAQ thread. See post #5, paragraph 4 that starts off with the sentence, "So, what size board is right for you?" ;)
 
#5 ·
Since you're pretty big, you'll probably want a 160+. I ride a 165, which is pretty long, at 180 pounds. If you ride park, you might want to go shorter, though. And with 13's you'll want a wide board. Really, there is no magic size board for a certain weight. My suggestion would be to rent or demo a few different sizes and see which one feels best. That's how I found my board.
 
#8 ·
My answer was not designed to tell you to suck eggs or piss you off, merely to guide you to a bunch of information that saves the gurus (not me btw) from repeating it again. That you have read the FAQ is good, you'd be surprised how many don't.

Having said that, a lot of the process of picking equipment comes down to personal preference, so don't be surprised if the answers are not as cut and dried as you would like. For example, I weigh 220lb and personally chose to go with a 161 because I wanted a "livelier," shorter board, have the intention to start working on a few tricks this season, and to some extent based it on the particular brand/model of board I chose. Was I right or stupid? I'll tell you in a week and a bit. I also know of someone who weighs 240lb and reviewed a 156 of the same board and thought it was fantastic. As you can see, 156-161-164-168 (from the guide), that's a fair size range for me to pick from.

Here's the way I would look at it: The guide says 164-180. I'd personally would say the longer lengths are for some serious pow/back country/alpine riding, and 164 is more park orientated. Beginners can benefit from starting on a softer and shorter board, but the usefulness of that board may be limited as you progress, depending on what type of riding takes your fancy.

I think Extremo has it pretty right, start with the boots. Get them fitting right and then look at bindings, and then board. I don't think there is much chance you will get away with a standard width board, so that allows you to take the next step and look for a wide board. My personal opinion is that you should be looking at a board in the 164-168 size range. Someone else might recommend longer, someone else may recommend going shorter, but if it's close to this range then I don't think you will terminally f*ck yourself over, at least until you can pick what would be better based on you own experiences.
 
#9 ·
Oh, and on bindings, Rome 390's get a pretty good rap on these forums, along with Rome Targas and quite a few others. I personally went with the Targas, but I'm sure I would have been just as happy with the 390's, maybe even more so. Somebody else will no doubt add theirs to the list, or you will find them in various posts already. You will need M/XL or L/XL bindings.
 
#11 ·
It's true, guides only work to a point. There is no magic board size for you. You could use a range. My midwest crud board was a 154, but now I ride a 165. I've only put on about 10 pounds since I switched. Longer boards will work better in deep deep pow and shorter ones will give you more control on the groomed stuff. You just have to figure out what you will be on more often.
 
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#12 ·
Well WhistlerBound that was a great answer along with everyone else's answers. I like the input that it is personal preference, I will be doing most of my riding in the midwest area MI, and WI which seem to usually be mostly groomed runs. I am looking to do tricks but also have a board that can carve as well. My buddy has a used 170 and said that I can use something called a Palmer lift kit on it which helps a standard width board accomodate a larger boot size. I like to see that people are riding various sizes so I don't feel relegated to a 170, which is nice.
 
#13 ·
As mentioned before, you will want a wide board with your boot size. No big deal, there are a ton of wide options these days. Lifts can help, but only to a point. It may be worth it if you want to try your buddy's board for a while before buying.

As a beginner I don't see you needing anything more than 165-170 unless you are planning on doing a ton of powder or high speed carving. Most of us aren't lucky enough to ride tons of powder and you won't be doing any high speed carving for a while.
 
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