AdvenQuest.com

Are You Buying the Right Snowboard?
By Richard Block

If you're looking for a way to have fun and get fit in the snow you may be in the market for a snowboard. If you're an experienced snowboarder you might be considering a new board or an upgrade; if you're new to the sport you might not have any idea beyond getting some kind of board so you can get started. But whether you're a new or seasoned rider, it's a good idea to start with an overview of the different boards available and their major features.

Basic Features

• Type - Freeride, freestyle, backcountry, women's, racing, kids'. Choose a board appropriate for your individual needs.
• Size - Length and width options for different riders; shorter boards are better for tricks while longer boards are used for speed and 'carving'.
• Options - Flex, weight, materials. Lighter boards are more manoeuvrable than heavy boards, and high-flex boards made of composite materials are more expensive.
• Cost - Budget to advanced options. If you're a beginner, start with a basic all-mountain board and work your way up if you stick with it.

Further Considerations

The base type of the board will determine both the maximum speed obtainable and the maintenance requirements. Extruded bases are made from sheets of the material P-tex. These bases don't require a lot of maintenance and they perform about the same with or without wax; adding wax to an extruded base will not gain much speed.

Sintered bases are made from P-tex that has been broken down and reformed. The composition of the board is thus more porous, and wax will integrate better for a faster ride. If these base type boards get damaged they are expensive and difficult to repair. They also require wax to achieve even an average performance.

Hybrid bases seek to eliminate the shortcomings of sintered bases. The base is still sintered, but other materials such as graphite are added to increase strength and the hold of the wax. They are still more expensive to maintain than extruded bases.

Bindings are usually sold separately from the board, and have to be compatible with boarding style and choice of boots. Soft boots with strap bindings are fiddly to do up but offer the foot the most flexibility, and are very popular. Plate bindings are a hard boot with a rigid sole that clips into place when the binding is stepped into and offer more control than soft boots. Flow-in bindings are a cross between strap and plate. They use soft boots and can be stepped in and out of easily.

Tip: All-mountain snowboards are really the only snowboards that are suitable for beginners.

For everything you need to know about buying the right Snowboard go to Buyz123.com: Snowboard Buying Guide

Richard Block is the webmaster for Buyz123.com and has written and edited hundreds of their buying guides

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Block
http://EzineArticles.com/?Are-You-Buy ... ght-Snowboard?&id=2104983