# Wide Vs. Normal



## Guest

*Wide boards suit me.*

I wear a size 12 snowboard boot usually and though I have ridden some regular boards off and on in years past, I have definitely developed a preference for wide boards. As far as your reference to park riding and how it relates to a wide board, it is not my personal favorite activity so I may not be the best to give you insight on that, but I do play in the park a bit. I definitely prefer powder and trees, but you can do everything on a wide board that can be done on a narrow board. It is said wide boards are slower edge to edge which makes sense, but I actually have developed a preference for the more stable feel of a wider board. At SavageSnow.com, you can see me *landing a front flip* on hard pack in a park here in Summit County. Incidentally, my first attempt at a front flip broke one of my wide snowboards in half.  I am riding a 162 wide snowboard in the little gif front flip movie you will see if you click on the "SNOW" link at the site. I will be doing a whole segment on wide boards vs. regular boards in the Savage Snow podcast this winter. That episode might help you if you have not bought your new board by then.
Misc. Notes... The width does help a lot if you ride relatively mild angles like I do. I ride duck stance and don't like strong angles.
Also, keep in mind, wide boards float better in powder and give you some of the advantages of a longer board, without having to actually buy a separate board for powder days.
Anyway, some things for you to think about.
Ultimately, it is critical to demo a board to see how it feels to you. Since you are no longer a beginner, you should be able to evaluate what you like and don't like about boards you try.
I remember my first demo attempts as a beginner. I bought a noodle board because it turned so easily. A few days later, I was back in the shop to buy the stiffer board I thought was too stiff originally.
Good luck.
-Dan Savage


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## Guest

yeah i'm 6' 160lbs and i have a 11 shoe size and 155cm biggest board i've ever riden this year my old one was a 151 so it was quite a difference but i still got around fine in the park and for reference the board was a 155cm forum raider. best of luck


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## KIRKWOOD-$LUT

wider is more stable
i would buy a wide board


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## Guest

I have size 10 feet so there's really no reason for a wide oard for me...but i have ridden them before and i found them nice for fresh powder


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## Guest

Byoung said:


> Hey, I am 6 foot 3 175lbs with a size 13 boot. I was wondering if it was worth it to go with a wide snowboard. I have looked at many of them and their dimenions say that they are only a centimeter or two wider than standard boards. I am an upper intermedate snowboarder ( can handle almost all black diamonds, love back county) but i hope to get some expirence in the park. Please let me know.


def go with a wide I got a burton blunt wide and i love it. I wear a 12 boot. also if your looking for a some good deals go to buysnow.com got mine there and they were awesome got a great price free shipping and great customer service


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## Mountainmenace

I have a size 13 and ride the wides board i can find . i cant stand risers 


THE JIB CRIB - THE WORLD'S BEST INDOOR SNOWBOARD RACK - Home


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## Wiredsport

Here is a blog post that I just put up about this today. I hope it is helpful.

The Boarder's Blog - Snowboard Width - Huh?

How wide of a snowboard do I need? Where is the width of a snowboard measured? What does width mean in terms of my boot size?

Let’s start by talking about measurements, because this is where a lot of the confusion arises. The most common width measurement that is provided by manufacturers is "waist". The waist is measured at the narrowest point near the middle of the board (usually). But like with all things in snowboarding, different brands measure different things. Some measure the midpoint between the tip and tail and call that "waist". Others simply provide a measurement they call, "width", but do not really specify what width they are referring to. 

If that has you a bit confused, don't worry, because regardless of where these "waist" measurements are taken, they are not very useful for what they are typically used for. Most people think that this measurement is a good indicator of what foot size a board will handle. It is not, and for a simple reason: you do not stand at the waist, you stand at the inserts. A board's waist measurement is always less than the measurement at the inserts and often the difference is significant. Additionally, two boards with the same waist dimension, may have very different measurements at the inserts, depending on each board's sidecut. Measurement at the center insert is a much better way to compare boards for shoe size compatibility, but for some odd reason, manufacturers do not publish this info.

OK, so now we have told you why we think the commonly provided measurements are pretty silly, but what good does that do you? You still need to know how to figure out the correct width for your new board. Well, here comes. There are two easy steps to getting it right every time. 

First, measure your bare foot. It is important that you do not try to use a boot size. It is also important that you measure in centimeters, because the board measurements that you will be comparing to will be in cm. Here is the method that we suggest:

Kick your heel (barefoot please, no socks) back against a wall. Mark the floor exactly at the tip of your toe (the one that sticks out furthest - which toe this is will vary by rider). Measure from the mark on the floor to the wall. That is your foot length and is the only measurement that you will want to use. Measure in centimeters if possible, but if not, take inches and multiply by 2.54 (example: an 11.25 inch foot x 2.54 = 28.57 centimeters). 

Second, measure the board you are considering. This measurement is easy. It should be taken at the inserts. Try to measure at the inserts that you will be using to achieve your stance position. If you are unsure about this, simply measure at the center of the insert cluster (that will still be very close). Be sure to measure using the base of the board, not the deck. This is important because the sidewalls on many boards are angled in, and will therefore give you a smaller measurement on the deck than on the base. For our example's sake, let's say the measurement is 27.54 at the center insert.

Still with us? You are almost done. You now have a way to compare foot size to board width where it matters, but how do you interpret this info to get the correct width? Well that depends a little on stance angle. If you ride a 0 degree stance, you will want your foot size to be the same as the width of the board at the inserts or up to 1 cm greater. If you ride at an angled stance, you will want to measure the board across at the angles that you will be riding. Again, you will want your foot to at least match this measurement or exceed it by up to 1 cm. So using our example above, this guy has a foot 28.57 cm that exceeds the board with at the inserts 27.54 cm by 1.03 cm at a zero degree angle. But, when he angles his feet to the 15 degree angles that he rides, voila, he has .10 cm of overhang for a perfect fit.

But wait a second. Are we saying that you should have overhang, even with bare feet? Yes. You will need overhang to be able to apply leverage to your edges and to get the most out of your board. 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch of boot overhang for both toe and heel is ideal, and will not create problematic toe or heel drag. Remember that boots typically add 1/2 at both the toe and heel to your foot measurement from above, due to padding, insulation and the outer boot materials. We do not suggest using the boot length to size boards though, as the extra padding etc, cannot be used well to create leverage, that has to come from your foot itself. We highly recommend that riders do not choose boards where their feet do not come to or exceed the real board width.

OK, that's all well and good, but where can you get the information on board width at the inserts if the manufacturers don't provide it? That's easy. Email the store that carries the board(s) that you are considering. Give them your foot length in cm (and your stance width and angles if you know them). They will be able to provide you with the width at the inserts that you will be using and can factor in your stance angle as well to get you the exact overhang that you will have with bare feet.

Now go ride!


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## Guest

*my setup*

i did your test:

15 degrees on both feet, Duck.
feet = 28.575 
board (at my angle) = 26.67

am i gonna have a problem with drag? 

also, bought a pair of burton hail boots (11). supposed to be shrinkage boots. i'm worried they are too small...but don't want to get the 11.5 b/c of overhang. what to do...


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## Wiredsport

lanerd said:


> i did your test:
> 
> 15 degrees on both feet, Duck.
> feet = 28.575
> board (at my angle) = 26.67
> 
> am i gonna have a problem with drag?
> 
> also, bought a pair of burton hail boots (11). supposed to be shrinkage boots. i'm worried they are too small...but don't want to get the 11.5 b/c of overhang. what to do...


Hey Lanerd,

Your barefoot overhang is 1.9 cm at your stance angle and width. That is getting up there. Add on socks, and at least a 1/2 inch of extra boot material in front of your toe and behind your heel and you are pushing it.

A very accurate way to test for toe drag before riding:

Once mounted, the best way to test is to put your (tightly laced) boots into your bindings and strap them in tightly. It is important that you have the heel pulled all the way back into the bindings heel cup or the test won’t help. On a carpeted floor place your board flat on its base. Kneel behind the heelside edge and lift that edge so that it rests on your knees and so that the toeside edge is angled down into the carpet. Now press down with both hands using firm pressure, one hand on each of the boots. This will compress the board's sidecut and simulate a turn on hard snow. You can change the angle of the board on your knees to become progressively steeper and you will be able to see at what angle you will start getting toe drag. You will want to repeat the test for your heelside as well. If you are not getting drag at normal turn and landing angles, then you are good to go.

Also a note about boots: Boot design plays a big role in toe drag as does binding ramping and binding base height. Boots that have a solid bevel at the toe/heel drag less. Many freestyle boots push for more surface contact and reduce bevel. This helps with contact, but if you have a lot of overhang with those boots it hurts in terms of toe drag.

The best test for boot fit:

Your boots should be snug!

The most common complaint about boots is that they are too loose, not too tight. The junction between rider and board begins with the boot, as it is in the most direct contact with the rider. When fitting boots, use the following method: A. Slip into the boot. B. Kick your heel back against the ground several times to drive it back into the boot's heel pocket. C. Lace the boot tightly, as though you were going to ride. NOTE: This is where most sizing mistakes are made. A snowboard boot is shaped like an upside down "7". The back has a good degree of forward lean. Thus, when you drop into the boot, your heel may be resting up to an inch away from the back of the boot, and your toes may be jammed into the front of the boot. Until the boot is tightly laced, you will not know if it is a proper fit. D. Your toes should now have firm pressure against the front of the boot. As this is the crux of sizing, let's discuss firm pressure: When you flex your knee forward hard, the pressure should lighten, or cease, as your toes pull back. At no time should you feel numbness or lose circulation. Your toes will be in contact with the end of the boot, unlike in a properly fit street or athletic shoe (snowboard boots are designed to fit more snugly than your other shoes). When you have achieved this combination of firm pressure and no circulation loss, you have found the correct size!


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## Guest

thats funny i measured my bare foot at 12 inches exactley but i wear a size 14 boot. wonder why this is?


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## Wiredsport

pc650 said:


> thats funny i measured my bare foot at 12 inches exactley but i wear a size 14 boot. wonder why this is?


It is actually pretty funny to use the online shoe size convertors for larger feet. The vary from each other by up to 3 sizes 

Also,

From our fit tips:

There is no consistency in boot sizing from one brand to another.

...and often even within brands. Most major companies have their boots produced in factories in one or more foreign countries. This being the case, most of the US sizes that boots are labeled with, are actually approximated conversions from one of five foreign sizing standards. To further exaggerate the problem, the companies use different lasts (templates around which the boots are created) which also vary in size.


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## conwayeast

You want a wide board


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## Guest

*thanks*

thank you everyone for the advice. one more question...

what length should i go for? intermediate skills, size 11.5, 6 foot, and 175.


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## Guest

*do i need a wide*

i have a size 11 1/2us size and i have large bindings right now but im looking at XL ride contrabands and idk if they would fit on my 157.5 gnu board


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