# Board Advice Needed



## frankunderwood (May 3, 2015)

I've been snowboarding once before in Niseko, Japan, for 14 days with some experienced friends and so I was able to pick it up very quickly, completing most runs with no troubles by the end of the trip. I want to go a lot more and already have a trip planned for NZ I just need some advice on what size board will be the best for me. I am 6'2, 190lb and a US12.5 shoe size. I am also after an all mountain board. From what I have read a 163 wide may be around the best option. Any help is much appreciated, thank you!


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## Lamps (Sep 3, 2011)

frankunderwood said:


> I've been snowboarding once before in Niseko, Japan, for 14 days with some experienced friends and so I was able to pick it up very quickly, completing most runs with no troubles by the end of the trip. I want to go a lot more and already have a trip planned for NZ I just need some advice on what size board will be the best for me. I am 6'2, 190lb and a US12.5 shoe size. I am also after an all mountain board. From what I have read a 163 wide may be around the best option. Any help is much appreciated, thank you!


For non powder days you could go as short as 158/159, especially if you get a wide board which has more surface area. 

I weigh 190, I have four boards ranging from 158 to 163. The 163 is for powder. They are all standard width. 

Burton custom is a good all mountain deck, or burton process. Spend 80 percent of your time getting the best fit in boots, they are by far most important. 

Wiredsport will be here soon to put you through a foot measuring exercise and give you the proper advice but that's my non expert thoughts.


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## frankunderwood (May 3, 2015)

Lamps said:


> For non powder days you could go as short as 158/159, especially if you get a wide board which has more surface area.
> 
> I weigh 190, I have four boards ranging from 158 to 163. The 163 is for powder. They are all standard width.
> 
> ...


Thanks heaps for the reply, I've seen the burton custom mentioned in a few other places also so that looks like the one I may go with. Also saw the K2 ray gun and turbo dream mentioned around the place. Thanks again


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

Lamps said:


> For non powder days you could go as short as 158/159, especially if you get a wide board which has more surface area.
> 
> I weigh 190, I have four boards ranging from 158 to 163. The 163 is for powder. They are all standard width.
> 
> ...


Hah! Even my predictability is predictable.  

Frank, you have some great advice above. Most new riders want to (or are poorly advised to) latch on to a size (163 cm for example) but that is not a good approach. Using tip to tip board length is a very easy way to end up with a poorly sized board. While some 163's may be ideal for you, others will not be good choices. There will be very good choices that range about 7 cm.

Now on to that foot measurement .

Please measure your foot using this method:

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).


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## frankunderwood (May 3, 2015)

Thank you for the help. My foot length has measured in at 28cm. Can you suggest whether I would get a regular, mid-wide, or wide board? as well as the size of boot that would be of a best fit? Thanks in advance!


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

frankunderwood said:


> Thank you for the help. My foot length has measured in at 28cm. Can you suggest whether I would get a regular, mid-wide, or wide board? as well as the size of boot that would be of a best fit? Thanks in advance!


Hi Frank,

STOKED to help.

28 cm is a size 10 in snowboard boots. There is no industry standard for the various width determinations ("Normal", "Wide", Mid-Wide") but 280cm never requires any Mid Wide or Wide boards - so that part is easy .

Of the boards that you have mentioned the Custom Flying V in 163 (regular) would be my top choice. It is a great fit. Please note that this reflects my bias towards CRC over Flat Rock for all mountain boards and you may hear other worthy suggestions that favor exactly the opposite.


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## frankunderwood (May 3, 2015)

Wiredsport said:


> Hi Frank,
> 
> STOKED to help.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the quick reply! 
Being from Western Australia it is hard for me to try any boots on at all and so just curious if there is much leeway in getting a size 10 boot, would it be smart to go half a size larger? On second measurement 29cm looks more closer.
I have seen burton custom x get a lot of good reviews so I think thats what I will go with!
Also would you be able to recommend any good boot types for an intermediate boarder? 
Thanks once again for the help!


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

frankunderwood said:


> Thank you for the quick reply!
> Being from Western Australia it is hard for me to try any boots on at all and so just curious if there is much leeway in getting a size 10 boot, would it be smart to go half a size larger? On second measurement 29cm looks more closer.
> I have seen burton custom x get a lot of good reviews so I think thats what I will go with!
> Also would you be able to recommend any good boot types for an intermediate boarder?
> Thanks once again for the help!


Lets get a look at the measurement you are taking. Please post up some pics.

An alternate method for photos is to pull the insert out of a skate shoe/athletic shoe. Stand on that (barefoot) and post up those photos. Please measure the insert.


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## frankunderwood (May 3, 2015)

Wiredsport said:


> Lets get a look at the measurement you are taking. Please post up some pics.
> 
> An alternate method for photos is to pull the insert out of a skate shoe/athletic shoe. Stand on that (barefoot) and post up those photos. Please measure the insert.


I have redone the measurement using the insert from my nike skate shoe ( a US size 12) which measures at 30cm. Really appreciate the help!


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

Got it. You are 1 cm inside the confines of that 30 cm insert. We need you to be 1 cm outside of the confines of the insert. That overhang is what establishes firm pressure into the compliant materials of the boot liner. The insert in a size 29 snowboard boot will be 28 cm which will be correct for you. I would start your search there. A size 29 boot and a the Custom 163 will be a strong choice. 

STOKED!


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

Got it. You are 1 cm inside the confines of that 30 cm insert. We need you to be 1 cm outside of the confines of the insert. That overhang is what establishes firm pressure into the compliant materials of the boot liner. The insert in a size 29 snowboard boot will be 28 cm which will be correct for you. I would start your search there. A size 29 boot (US 11) and a the Custom 163 will be a strong choice. 

STOKED!


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