Funkyhog

I'm sorta new to snowboarding and have been renting snowboards everytime I've gone but may be buying soon. I've looked on many different kinds of boards and don't know what brand to choose.

Are there any notable differences between different brands of snowboards?

VAhasnoWAVES

i would say for a begginner... no. lol. but there are so many patents and company secrets that keep boards completely different from their competitors. your best route would be to try and predict the type of riding you find yourself doing the most (since youve rode some you should have an idea right?) and find a board will lean torwards those preferences of yours.

do a little research and use specific questions to kind of narrow your choices down. "what board should i get?" threads are all too common. not saying yours is such, so dont take that the wrong way. lol. plus, if you let someone spend your money for you, then its easy to blame others and not like your purchase. ha!

canuck_boarder

Yes, but the best for you would be the Custom X or the T-6. They are really forgiving and easy to learn on...(srs post is srs)

You need to have a basic idea of what you would like to be doing as a snowboarder- do you like certain aspects of the park? Do you like to bomb down a mountain? Do you like to have a mixture of both? They have a board for every situation, and for mixtures of all different situations that the mountain will throw at you. Since you are a beginner it is probably safe to say that you should find a forgiving All-mountain board that will be easy to learn on while you get your boarding feet under you- not a stiff flexing board.

mrpez

you dont need to get a forgiving board, a beginner board, or any specific type of board to learn on. you could learn on a board made for advanced riders and you wouldnt know the difference because you have nothing to compare it to.

my first time i road an all-mountain board, second time a flexy park board, third a rental, etc. it doesnt make a difference at this point.

Funkyhog

Yea, well I think I would want a Freeride/all-mountain kind of board and I wouldn't necessarily want to get a beginner board because this may be my one and only board.

Also, I've been doing a little research and have a few questions.
Is twin flex and twin direction better than the one way flex and directional (I don't know if those are the right terms)?
Camber vs. Rocker and the trade-offs

And just snowboard brand recomondations,

Thanks

Tarzanman

Yes and no. There is a difference and range between the length, size, weight, shape (or camber) and flex of different snowboards.... but most major brands offer the full range of options across their different models (with a few exceptions).

Although you won't have a good frame of reference when learning to snowboard.... by time you figure out how to stop, turn, and ride around without falling down every 30 feet, the board you are using will start to influence your progress.

Generally, somewhat shorter, light, flexible (softer) boards are more forgiving for the kind of riding a beginner does. The short length makes them easier to turn and the soft flex helps keep the entire edge in contact with the snow as you traverse down the hill at slow-to-moderate speeds. A board like this will feel more 'responsive'

Stiffer, heavier boards require more effort (or technique) to maneuver, especially at low speeds. The trade-off is that these kinds of boards are more sturdy and more stable for high speed riding, or riding through choppy snow. Objectively, one might say that a board like this is a poorer choice for a novice rider because they require more rider-input and more speed to exert an equal amount of control over the snowboard...... but like everything in snowboarding, it comes down to preference.

Its perfectly possible to learn on either kind of board.

Tarzanman

There's no 'better', there is just preference and suitability for the kind of riding you are doing. A twin board (which means symmetrically equal board shape and positions for mounting bindings) is going to be better for changing between switch stance and normal stance riding (which happens a lot for riding in a terrain park), whereas a directional board makes it easier for the rider to weight the back of the board, giving it 'float' in powdery snow and making it easier to skid/rudder turns (which usually happens for traditional slope riding).

Explaining regular camber vs rocker to you at this point is probably a waste of time until you know how to work the edge of a snowboard and can at least link your turns. Different people like them for different things, even if they are riding two different boards on the same slopes/terrain.

VAhasnoWAVES

an all mountain board is exactly that. youll be able to shred the whole mountain with it. most dont exel in a specific aspect on the mountain but do perform well all around. but unless your done growing, dont count on a single board.

you have twin and direction shapes. and you have twin and directional flex. neither is better than the other, but they are catered to a certain type of riding. if your not into switch, directional is awesome. because most directional boards have a set back stance (you are closer to the tail instead of centered on the board) they make for decent powder boards as well. even a lot of freestyle boards are set back, while serious park boards are genereally twin shaped, twin flexed, and centered in stance.

rocker vs camber

id stay traditional camber for all mountain, its a tried and true design. burton, K2, lib tec, yada yada.... check out the sierra crew. its a copy of the burton custom, even made by burton for sierra. a solid performer no doubt.

i like camber, others will say otherwise. search for deals, and take your pic. but also be honest about your riding ability when deciding.

Funkyhog

Just so you guys know, i'm not a total beginner. I can link turns and I may not buy the board till I stop growing and by then I will probably be better, so I'm not excusively looking for a beginner board.
About camber vs. Rocker, how different do they ride and feel? Tell me the differences between the two even if you think it may be a "waste of time."

thanks

VAhasnoWAVES

camber creates a lot more pressure on your edges during high speed turns, giving better edge hold. they also have a lot of pop. because rocker is curvature in the opposite direction you dont get the same hold at high speed. but what it does allow you to do is put a lot more weight than usual on the nose and tail so you can get into extreme presses. and ive been told they lock in extremely well on rails. it a different feel all together. ive heard testimonials from people saying they almost had to relearn how to ride while others said there was little transition. i personally have never rode a board with rocker.