Beginner
(greens, blues, some reds)
(blues, reds, some blacks)
(everything, like a boss!)
riding level bar
You are learning new movements
and making them consistent
You learn new movements and
improve the aquired ones
You improve your skills
more than you learn new ones
Beginners & First timers
Let's start with good news, as a first timer or a beginner it's easier to find yourself a snowboard.
In a nutshell For a fun, fast and easy progression as a beginner you will want the smallest recommended snowboard size for your weight/height (wide or not depending on your boot size) check the size chart + soft flex + twin or a not very directional shape + rocker base profile to get to the first turns faster OR a camber profile for a more solid progression (or any combo in between, for a combo I would recommend rocker-camber-rocker). Now the cheapest and easiest way to get that? Look for a beginners board, and that way you only need to choose the width and size!
What to buy first? Boots. If you must choose buy boots before you buy a snowboard or anything else, they are shoes after all and you want to have your own shoes before have your own car. First the shoes, then the car. First the boots, then the snowboard. Also the snowboard (width) will depend on the boots size and the bindings size will depend on the boots size too, and one thing you can not adapt is the size of your feet, so start there. Now what to buy after the boots? If you have outerwear (either yours or borrowed or if you can rent it on the resort you're heading to) you may get the board, otherwise get the outerwear and accessories first as the board/bindings you can rent or buy anywhere and the lack of comfort (that comes with the lack of proper gear) can take the fun away.
All the necessary wisdom for a beginner to choose a snowboard like a pro:
size (tip to tail) - Find the standard recommended size for you according to weight and height. If you're looking on other size chart that not ours and you have a range of size options to choose from, go with the smaller end and round down if necessary.
flexibility - Soft flex is better to start, it's more forgiving and easier to control at slow to moderate speeds because, facilitates turn initiation. It is the most important part of your choice, along with the snowboard size.
shape - Slightly directional (not too much) if you think you are more an "all mountain" guy, or twin if you can already see yourself "freestyling" the cheat out of your local snowpark. This is more about the future, for now you will be OK with any shape as long as it´s not ridiculously directional like a powder board.
profile - Rocker is great if you are just trying snowboard out without any idea if it will hook you up or not, it´s easier to use and more catch free. It is also great if you want to try some off-pist runs or if the slopes are buried in fresh powder. Otherwise we recommend a camber or rocker-camber-rocker combo, most advanced riders use a camber board or some kind of combo and that's not a coincidence, they store energy that you can use to pop ollie's or to jump to the next arc like rocker boards never will. So if you believe you will get hooked and want to progress give a try to a camber or rocker-camber-rocker combo snowboard and you will probably be really happy with your choice in no time.
width vs boot size - Your boot's shall stick out of the snowboard about 1 to 1,5cm on each side. If your snowboard boots are size US 11 or up you may need a wide board. Wide snowboards are made for people with bigger feet than average for their weight / height (or advanced riders who just like it better). You will have, for example, the same snowboard available in the sizes 157 and 157W, beiing the only difference between them that the size 157W is a bit wider than the 157. If you are to decide between 2 or 3 boards, get the narrowest one.
width vs boot size - Your boot's shall stick out of the snowboard about 1 to 1,5cm on each side. If your snowboard boots are size US 11 or up you may need a wide board. Wide snowboards are made for people with bigger feet than average for their weight / height (or advanced riders who just like it better). You will have, for example, the same snowboard available in the sizes 157 and 157W, beiing the only difference between them that the size 157W is a bit wider than the 157. If you are to decide between 2 or 3 boards, get the narrowest one.