# beginner, heavy rider, what's a good board?



## Janiocjr (Jan 7, 2017)

hello, I'm 240lbs right now, trying to get into snowboarding, it'll be mostly done at "Southington mountain" in CT, a few day trips to VT as well, what's a good board for me? Also boot size is 10.5, any help is appreciated.


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## qc89sc (Nov 19, 2014)

Any board with rocker or hybrid rocker and for your weigh maybe a wide board but as a beginner with 10.5 you can also try à regular 160-162 or 157-159w depend on your height too. But shorter rocker board are easier to ride. Also depend on your budget a burton custom with flying v is à great board that will follow your progression but will cost a lot! 

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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

Because of your weight they will push you to a big board, stay under 165. Anything over 165 becomes way harder to maneuver while riding or fliping over on the ground. Believe me, you will always be rolling to your knees to stand up as its easier for bigger people. 

Instructors will try to make you get up from your back, its extremely difficult on flatter terrain for big people who are beginning.

I would go for hybrid rocker also... not straight/full rocker.


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## htfu (Mar 18, 2015)

i'm about your weight and here's a few thoughts on beginner equipment :

- get a mid flex twin at around 159 wide size, anything longer and or stiffer is definitely a hindrance to learning and enjoyment
- there is a thread on boot sizing where you can post foot measurements and you should get some decent recommendations
- getting an expensive, tech-y or specialised board will be a waste until you have more experience and know more about what type(s) of riding you like
- spend more on boots, clothing and lessons
- really, spend as much as you can on a good instructor and as many lessons as possible

.. above all : have fun


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## Janiocjr (Jan 7, 2017)

any specific boards in mind? boots i want are the ride lasso double boa, or the DC judge double boa, any double boas tbh.


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## htfu (Mar 18, 2015)

Janiocjr said:


> any specific boards in mind? boots i want are the ride lasso double boa, or the DC judge double boa, any double boas tbh.


boards are a very personal thing, the best way to decide is to go to a slope and demo as many as you can. at the weight you and i are at it is a bit tricky to get good info, i'd say you should probably go for a 159w twin with mid flex, rocker is probably not a good thing to start off with although that is, again, a personal opinion. the thing that will probably be a bigger factor in your choice is how much you are prepared to spend, keeping in mind that you may outgrow the board and there are a lot of super expensive ones out there. all told you are looking for a mid flex, all mountain twin with camber or camber dominant profile (personal opinion).

if it was me i'd go for a bataleon evil twin 159w ... but bataleon is a marmite brand and you would have to ride one to decide if it was for you.

wrt boots : find the boot sizing thread, follow the measuring instructions, post measurements and hopefully wiredsports will give you the lowdown


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## jae (Nov 27, 2015)

get a 160 board mid-stiff around a 7, do not get wide. you can actually get away with a mid flexing board... get a yes basic, rossi jibsaw, or k2 raygun.


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## Janiocjr (Jan 7, 2017)

ride machete no good? twin rocker


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## DaftDeft (Mar 7, 2016)

Don't want to make assumptions, so I'd like to ask if you are heavy and fit: so like muscles and just a big dude?

Or more like me, heavy with a gut?

Because if you're more my body type, I would strongly suggest getting a pair of step-in bindings to go with your board. Flows are the most well known and respected, but there are other brands that do it too. They pitch them as fast and easy but for a guy like me the main advantage is you can strap in when you're knelt down with your board behind you: its a lot less tiring because it doesn't involve any bending over the belly. Plus once you're in you can just jump up on your toe edge, no need to swing the board over again like you would if you were sitting on your butt to strap in.


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## Janiocjr (Jan 7, 2017)

im pretty flexible, i used to be 200 when i was fit, i am not fit anymore but bending over doesnt tire me, so yeah heavy with a gut, ride machete any good? and the bindings/boots, i dont mind as long as it's a double BOA boot


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## Winter_Lion (Nov 30, 2016)

Janiocjr said:


> im pretty flexible, i used to be 200 when i was fit, i am not fit anymore but bending over doesnt tire me, so yeah heavy with a gut, ride machete any good? and the bindings/boots, i dont mind as long as it's a double BOA boot


Your options will be limited regarding what your lacing system is depending on your boot size and width size. Again head over to Wiredsport's boot fitting thread ASAP and go from there.

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## Janiocjr (Jan 7, 2017)

says im a 7.5, idk about that one LOL


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## Tratrim (Feb 7, 2013)

Wiredsport, altough it's sometimes creepy, knows his stuff about feet and boots. 

I went with "regular size" boots at the beginning => killed my feet, got heel lift after 15 days,...

Got the ruler wide, two size smaller than my regular shoes and now, except for two black nails which i don't give a flying f' about, i'm happy as it gets with my boots. 

Seriously. Boots are the most important snowboarding item you can have. Foot pain can turn the greatest day ever into your worst nightmare. Forget the board, get the best fitting boots, then worry about the rest. 

As for the board, my fat ass (between 220 and 250) is fine on a 153 soft-ish cambered board and on a 156 yes greats. With that being said, I never had the chance to go in deep pow, so float isn't an issue.


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## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

Janiocjr said:


> says im a 7.5, idk about that one LOL


If you are incredulous about the boot size it is almost certainly because you have a wide foot and you wear longer shoes to accommodate the width. Check those threads for width measurements too. Then start looking for wide boots or boots that seem to run wide. Unfortunately I don't think any of those are Boa. Trust us that have been in the same position, though, proper fitting boots is far more important than the convenience of a particular lace system.


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## Winter_Lion (Nov 30, 2016)

Janiocjr said:


> says im a 7.5, idk about that one LOL


Do use a soft tape ruler, use centimeters and measure at your widest part of your foot and for the sake of clarity post a picture your feet with the soft tape underneath. I too was in way too big boots in order to accommodate a wide foot, he brought me down a couple of sizes. If you are a seven and a half and a normal width then you'll be free in the lacing system. Better to be safe than sorry.

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## taco tuesday (Jul 26, 2014)

Go to Cutting Edge in Berlin. They have a pretty wide selection of gear from different manufacturers. Try on as many boots as you can. That was my biggest setback starting out. You want boots that are the right size, don't hurt your feet and offer ample support for a bigger guy. I am about 230lb and started out with some burton hails that were a tad big and too soft for my liking. It was hell. Currently in Burton Ions which I love. They may be to stiff for a beginner though. Anyway, like I said, I recommend going to cutting edge and trying on lots of different boots, then talk to them about boards. They have a great selection and are probably the best snowboard shop in CT. Definitely the best that I know of.


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## hankweed (Nov 16, 2015)

Lib Tech Skunk APE HP


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## virtu (Jan 22, 2016)

My 3 cents on this with my true experience:

01. BOOTS: Go to the boot section and ask Wired about which size and which boot fits you best, if you already didn't do it. On my case I didn't know about this forum and bought it a brand new Burton Moto size 13 for CAD $100, where the correct size for me was size 11 on a more width boot. So, I sold my boots for CAD $60 and bought it an used Burton Ruler size 11 for CAD $120. So, on this case I lost money buying the wrong boots and the difference on my learning curve was incredible.

02. BOARD: after knowing your boot size, buy the smallest board to your weight, at 240lbs probably you can go around 158cm to 160cm, and don't buy something expensive or brand new, because after you learn how to link turns, probably you will need a bigger board to hold your edge better. Why the smallest board to your weight? Because it will be easier to learn how to make turns. Of course, you can buy a bigger board but it can take longer to learn. On my case I bought an 159cm K2 Fuse Wide for CAD $140 and sold it after I started learning how to do intermediate turns. The new board, plus already the experience on how to link turns and change edges improve my learning curve, so this scheme of getting a simple and cheap board worked really well for me.

03. BINDINGS: same thing about the board, don't spend too much money on it at the beginning, invest your money on the boots and lessons, so buy the right size bindings for your boot size and any entry level or even used ones are ok. Later you can sell it and buy better ones. On my case I bought Burton Freestyle for CAD $100 and sold it for CAD $50 later, and bought it used Burton Cartels for CAD $120 and they are great.

So, in simple words, focus your spending on boots and save money on board and bindings, use this amount of money to invest on lessons and you will see how your learning curve will improve having the right boot size + lessons.


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## Janiocjr (Jan 7, 2017)

Kenai said:


> If you are incredulous about the boot size it is almost certainly because you have a wide foot and you wear longer shoes to accommodate the width. Check those threads for width measurements too. Then start looking for wide boots or boots that seem to run wide. Unfortunately I don't think any of those are Boa. Trust us that have been in the same position, though, proper fitting boots is far more important than the convenience of a particular lace system.




I ended up buying a used package, ride rush 160, k2 firebird HB boots and step in bindings for $120. the boots are 10.5 and fit realllllllly snug. looking for k2 starks to replace the older boots.


you still might be correct on the wide thing though. i dont have soft measure tape to measure correctly. im hittin the slops tomorrow finally though!


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## Winter_Lion (Nov 30, 2016)

virtu said:


> My 3 cents on this with my true experience:
> 
> 01. BOOTS: Go to the boot section and ask Wired about which size and which boot fits you best, if you already didn't do it. On my case I didn't know about this forum and bought it a brand new Burton Moto size 13 for CAD $100, where the correct size for me was size 11 on a more width boot. So, I sold my boots for CAD $60 and bought it an used Burton Ruler size 11 for CAD $120. So, on this case I lost money buying the wrong boots and the difference on my learning curve was incredible.
> 
> ...


Thanks for this... I'm right around his weight at 235, I also got the right size boots after consulting Wired, lucky me got some Burton Stilettos in a large, got me two used boards to learn a 158 Velocity and a 160 Kemper. I had lessons before I got all my gear, this season I'll probably get some more lessons.

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