# New guy from UK.



## htfu (Mar 18, 2015)

welcome ...

get fit, get as many lessons with a good coach as possible, get lots of time on snow to practise and get good (waterproff, breathable, protective) outerwear ... ignore board/boots/bindings/other gear until you have solid basics. once that is done get good boots and then think about the rest. above all have fun


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## Radialhead (Jan 3, 2018)

Get armour. Lots & lots of armour. Takes too long to heal at our age. Impact shorts (or at least a tailbone protector), knee guards, wrist protectors & helmet as an absolute minimum. Ignore anyone who says you shouldn't wear wrist protectors as it makes it more likely you'll break your arms - they're idiots. Invest in private lessons if possible to get you started.


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## Snow Hound (Jul 21, 2012)

There's a few indoor domes in Blighty, wouldn't be a terrible idea to go to one and have a couple of private lessons just to get the basics down.

My good friend has learned to snowboard recently on his 40's. His progress has been pretty impressive. He'd get a private lesson on the first day of every trip and often another midweek. He knew when to say no to coming out with us and go off to practice on his own. On our last trip (his 5th I think) he was pretty much keeping up and was never that far behind. 

Pads for sure, your arse and knees will take a battering and don't get disheartened, the first week will probably be pretty rough on your body and your confidence.


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## WigMar (Mar 17, 2019)

Radialhead said:


> Ignore anyone who says you shouldn't wear wrist protectors as it makes it more likely you'll break your arms - they're idiots.


Ouch.  I've broken my wrists with and without wrist guards on. Do what makes you feel good.

You'll be spending a lot of time on the ground. Impact shorts and knee pads will help a ton. When falling, try to sit down without putting your hands out behind you- that'll break a wrist with or without a guard on.

I don't know where your flexibility is at, but I think doing yoga really helps one prevent injury. I started doing yoga for snowboarding, and I keep doing it because it really improved the quality of my life.


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## htfu (Mar 18, 2015)

yeah ... get the best protection you can (impact pants and knee/elbow/chest/back armor) as this is part of the comfort and getting as much snowtime as possible (it is also not fun to be injured while the rest of your group gets to ride ... don't ask, i know a guy who knows a guy


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## PhilT (Feb 12, 2020)

Yeah I second the the validity of wrist protectors. Face planted myself second day of snowboarding on hard ice and almost broke my ribs because my hands got between me and the ground wearing wrist protectors. That was a few years ago mind. Impact shorts are a godsend. Especially in icy conditions. I've ditched most other protection (except for helmet) but the shorts stay on. Deffo when you're starting out get it all!

You've not mentioned if you ever skied but if you have be prepared to fall over, a lot. I like to say that fall over on a snowboard is less serious than on skis but you will do it a lot more. Don't worry it's all part of the learning process. Also, they say the learning curve for snowboarding is steeper but shorter.


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## bob2356 (Jul 13, 2012)

BubbaGumbo said:


> Hi there.
> 
> I'm new here. About me: Late 50's and looking to get into snowboarding (when I go on holiday). Never done snowboarding, so hope to get some tips/advice from the forum members here!
> 
> BubbaGumbo.


As a former instructor and patroller I can say it is important to be aware to NEVER lock you elbows. when you fall. It's a natural reaction and most people need to think about avoiding it. If you elbow is locked your entire weight is absorbed by your wrist then shoulder. Even with wrist guards that is a lot of force and can do damage. . You want let your arms be loose and floppy to absorb some of the force of the fall not all of it. Falling backwards you want to try (key word try if possible) to roll back as you fall and not land directly on the coccyx with your full weight. A bruised or even worse broken coccyx is literally a pain in the ass.

Keep low, keep loose. try to relax as much as possible when falling. 

With a couple lessons almost everyone is cruising around the greens and very easy blues in a couple days. The first couple hours are frustrating then it all starts to work . Go out, have fun, relax, enjoy.


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## jsil (Oct 9, 2018)

As for the wrist guard discussion, any wrist guard is better than none, but there are two that are standouts in design and will DEFINITELY protect your wrists. Anyone I teach or asks me for advice about learning I tell them to get an Azzpad, flexmeter/biomex wrist guards and a helmet. You'll hear a lot of people say that any wrist guard will do or that they just transfer the force up your wrist and break another bone (which is preferable to wrist IMO....), but the following two DO NOT do that.

*Flexmeter Wrist Guard Single Sided *








Amazon.com: Flexmeter Wrist Guard Single Sided (Medium) : Health & Household


Buy Flexmeter Wrist Guard Single Sided (Medium): Hand & Wrist Braces - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases



www.amazon.com





*Level Biomex*








Amazon.com: Level Fly Snowboard Mitttens with Wrist Guards, Proven BioMex Design, Kevlar Palms, Removable Liner : Sports & Outdoors


Amazon.com: Level Fly Snowboard Mitttens with Wrist Guards, Proven BioMex Design, Kevlar Palms, Removable Liner : Sports & Outdoors



www.amazon.com





I have a bad wrist and lots of injuries. Once I started wearing Flexmeters I haven't had a single wrist issue in four seasons. The negative with flexmeters is that they are big and bulky and require sizing up on your mitts.

I actually ordered a Level Biomex glove to test out for next season. I never wanted to try them because it was "built into" the glove, but have since found out that its actually three components (outer glove/mitt), biomex insert, and liner. The biomex piece sits between the glove and the liner so it should be able to be interchanged into any glove/mitt you want....

Also, some people will tell you that you just need to "learn how to fall" which is definitely true, but many people will break their wrists while learning... If you don't have wrist guards, definitely ride with your hands in fists which will help a little but isn't foolproof. When you catch your first toeside edge at speed all your beginner brain does is shut off and go into panic mode.

I'm an advanced rider and I still wear wrist guards. I may be in the minority, but for me they are as important as my helmet.

Bottom line: Don't take advice on wrist guards from someone who hasn't worn flexmeter or level biomex. They just don't know because they have never experienced them. I'll also go out on a limb and say that 99% of wrist guard users just have some standard dakine/burton wrist guard and not one of these more advanced designs.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

Learn how to fall...see the tips section and search. There are different ways and reasons to try to fall a certain way depending on the terrain/conditions and riding level.


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