Getting your own snowboard apparel makes sense for certain items but is not always a wise option for other items until you know exactly what you want. This article will cover what you really need when first snowboarding and what is nice to have but not essential. For non essential items it gives details of how to get these items without buying them.
To begin, I think if you are new to snowboarding or have a tight budget you should try to rent as much snowboard gear as possible. Most gear can be rented at a reasonable price. The advantage of this is that you will not have much to pay to rent out all the gear and you will be able to try it out and see if you like it.
So the big ticket items such as the board and boots are probably best rented if you have never tried snowboarding before. you may want to rent a specific board if you are planning to buy it to get a feel for how it works and if you like it. This takes a lot of risk out of the purchase. People also hire helmets and goggles depending on the weather and terrain they will be snowboarding in.
Some people even rent the apparel, such as the snow jacket and pants. However most people prefer to buy these types of items because they are not that expensive and have many uses rather than just for snowboarding.
If you have decided to get some snowboard apparel I would recommend the following items as necessary.
Gloves, eye protection, snow jacket and pants.
The following items are nice to have but not essential (Better to hire until you know what you want).
Snowboard, boots, head gear (helmet).
If you suffer from the cold you will also need some under layers to keep you warm. Maybe cold weather underwear and a fleece. Don't forget the sunscreen too. Your face will need plenty of sunscreen on during a days snowboarding. Your arms may also be exposed if the weather is mild.
When it comes to finding the right apparel you can look in the sports shops or even department stores for the general stuff like the snow jacket and the gloves. The boots and bindings will be found at a good sports store or even a specialist snowboard shop. Shopping in the off season is always a good idea because you can bargain a bit harder on last years snowboard.
You can shop for much of the snowboard apparel you need on the internet. There are many ski and snowboard stores online now. They offer cheaper prices than many physical stores and often have better selection to choose from. The downside is that you can try or feel the items you are purchasing. Ideally you want to have tried out the items before you buy so this might put people off.
for smaller apparel like gloves, hats and scarve you could even take alook at the internet auctions. There are great prices to be found on ebay but factor in shipping costs if you are comparing like for like.
Once you have all your snowboard apparel you are ready to start the fun. If you are new it may take a bit of time to get the basic skills down. When you have these skills there will be no looking back in your snowboarding adventures.
