Not only is buying a used snowboard a great way to save money but it's also a great way to pick up a tremendous snowboard at a fraction of the price. Before taking the plunge and buying a used snowboard it's good to take a few precautions to ensure that you get a good quality board and not a lemon. Take the precautions outlined below and you should be well underway to finding a tremendous value in a used snowboard.
I know a lot of folks recommend that you rent a snowboard instead of buying one but the fact of the matter is that the cost of renting snowboards and other gear required to snowboard adds up rather quickly and very soon equals the cost of a quality used snowboard. And the other thing these folks don't mention is that rental snowboards are usually in very poor shape, very poor condition and are rarely waxed or maintained which leads to very poor performance on the snow and gives you a bad impression of snowboarding in general.
The first thing you want to do is choose the right size snowboard for yourself. The key for choosing the right length snowboard is finding a used snowboard that is ideally no higher than your nose and no lower than your chin when you stand it on its end. This will give you both stability and flexibility.
There are a lot of different styles of snowboards but the only one you should be considering is the freeride/all mountain style used snowboard if you are a beginner to snowboarding. Freeride/all mountain snowboards are designed for all-purpose mountain riding and are the most commonly used snowboard's. Freeride/all mountain are the most ideal style snowboard for beginners to snowboarding.
Once you've determined what the right length and style snowboard is for you, it's time to visually inspect the used snowboard. What you are basically looking for is a used snowboard that has some minor wear and tear but what you want to stay away from are any snowboards that show any visible dents or structural damage to the snowboard.
Snowboards are comprised of many layers and if possible you'll want to find the used snowboard that doesn't show any signs of any delaminating (peeling off of top layer). It's a good idea to also check for damage underneath the stickers and stomp pads as some shady sellers will typically try to hide damage with these. Scratches are fine as this falls under the category of normal wear and tear for a used snowboard.
Underneath the board what you are looking for is what is referred to in snowboarding as core shots. Core shots are dents that reach all the way to the wood of the snowboard and you should clearly state away from these. These are repairable but often affect the performance of the snowboard. Anything that looks like a deep gouge to the base of your prospective used snowboard you should stay away from.
If the used snowboard you are buying comes with bindings you'll want to check the bindings for any cracks and you'll also want to make sure that they screw in and out of the snowboard threading fittings okay. This is a common mistake a lot of people make when buying a used snowboard so make sure the threading holes for the bindings function well. Trust me you don't want a used snowboard, no matter how good of shape it's in, if you can't firmly attach the bindings to it.
While you have the bindings off you'll also want to inspect the area underneath the bindings to ensure that there are no cracks hiding under there.
You'll also want to check out the edges on the used snowboard. Again you're looking for gouges that go into the wood of the snowboard. That's what you want to stay away from. If the edges are dull, they can easily be sharpened to improve performance but stay away from any gouges.
Ideally what you are looking for in a used snowboard is a used snowboard with minor scrapes and scratches and essentially just cosmetic damage. It is also very good idea to only buy used snowboards from brand-name manufacturers. these are typically made with better quality materials and last longer.
Look for a used snowboard that has only been ridden a few times or for used snowboards that has been well maintained.
Ask questions like, "how often did you wax your snowboard?" If you are looking online try to get as much information as humanly possible from the seller. Often times sites like eBay are where you can find really good deals and where you can find folks just looking to unload their barely used stuff and larger companies looking to unload last years models.
Be persistent. Know what you're looking for and you'll be sure to find a tremendous value in a used snowboard soon enough..
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