Best size of snowboard for 175-185 lb person?

[thewalrus]

161-163cm?

[Battlecat]

shuoldnt it be measured by height and the style of riding you are doing?

[ReCkLeSs RiDeR]

I thought so...just go to sportchek or some store like that and tell them you need a board so help me.

[Jack Daniels]

It depends on the board. The main factor in weight is stiffness. Most boards will have a rating on recommended weight range for the flex pattern. This is probably the main starting point in deciding a size. Some freestyle boards are pretty flexy (noodle like if you will) even at lengths around 163, whereas some pipe boards are real stiff at 156. Then skill level and size of deck comes into play when you're trying to figure stuff out. I'm 185 lbs, 6'2", and I've got a 157, 159, 163, and a 172. The 172 is my main deck just cause I like the speed and solid feel of the big board. The other boards are good to for different things like jibbing. The low 160's is a good starter if you're fairly new but talking to any reputable shop, PB, Westbeach, Second Wave, should be able to set you up. I wouldn't trust Sport Check.

[sAFETY]

Originally posted by Jack Daniels
I wouldn't trust Sport Check.

So true. While the odd CSR there might know what they're talking about, but they are few and far between, and usually working as techs.

If you're in the Vancouver area, I've always been amazed by the Boardroom's product knowledge. Most places will tell you about the brand, they'll actually tell you about the board that's right for you. Twice I've been talked out of a more expensive board there because a cheaper one was more appropriate for me. Their prices aren't bad either.

[seand]

Originally posted by BP
shuoldnt it be measured by height and the style of riding you are doing?

i had to do a search for this as i didnt want to type it all out again.

Where your nose is, does not determine what size of snowboard you should ride! Or your chin, ears, shoulders or any other body part for that matter. These are the silliest rules for sizing boards that could possibly be imagined, and yet they persist. We hear new ones everyday, "my friend told me that a board should come to in between my chin and my nose." Why, are you planning to nibble on it? These generalities are good ways to end up with a completely inappropriate board. Why do such rules exist, you ask? It is due to the fact that finding the right board takes a bit of research and knowledge. The easy way, however incorrect, is much quicker. A snowboard reacts to only two factors, how much pressure is being applied to it (weight), and where that pressure is coming from (shoe size). Boards are designed around riders of a certain weight. The total weight range for a given board will be around 50 pounds (although manufacturers tend to exaggerate this range to make their products sellable to a wider variety of customers). Two men who stand six feet tall and have there noses at identical heights, may be separated by 100 pounds of weight. This would change the boards they should ride by two entire categories of stiffness, and length. You will also want to make sure that the board is appropriate for your shoe size. One half to three quarters of an inch of overhang (yes, overhang) off the edge of your board is ideal (when wearing snowboard boots, and measured at the stance angle that you will ride).

[pete@nsmb.com]

Originally posted by seand
Why, are you planning to nibble on it?

Nice!

[Wayne P]

I worked as a snowbard tech for years. There can be people at any store, Sport Chek or not, that can know what works for you. It's not exactly rocket science (nor any kind of science).

Granted a board length should be more based on the type of riding you do and the terrain you ride on, but there are limitations. At that weight, I wouldn't ride something in the 150's, but probably more towards the 160-170 range.

Don't worry about hittin' the park or the pipe with that kind of length, because the right board at any length, will have the appropriate effective edge and sidecut to make as maneuverable as you want it to be. So if someone says get something short for freestyle, run away screaming.