Should I Ride A Wide Snowboard?

Do I need a wide board?

When Snowboards say that they are Wide it generally means they are for riders with a size US 12 or bigger. This is a very generalised way of thinking and the true answer lies with the waist width, which is the narrowest part of the board. 

We include the waist width in our snowboard size charts, so make sure you check this as not all snowboards that are technically wide, specify that they are wide. Below is a chart which converts the waist size to shoe sizes, but it is always best to double check the waist size of the board before automatically trusting company's definitions of Wide.

Wide: 260mm+ waist width

  • Great for guys size 12 boot (US) and bigger

Mid-Wide: 255-260mm waist width

  • Great for mens 10-12 boot (US)

Regular: 245-255mm waist width

  • This is where the majority of board sizes sit. Guys with US boot size 8-10 should avoid wider boards. Also women with size 10 boots can also ride these boards.

Narrow: 235-245mm waist width

  • This is the size of the majority of women's boards. Some mens boards also fall into this category and can be ridden by men with US size 8 shoe and smaller or any womens boot size. 

Do I have to ride a wide board if I have bigger feet?

You should always try to match your shoe size to the width of the board. Ideally you want a bit of your boot to hang over the board roughly 2-3cm on each side so you can leverage your board from toe-side to heel-side. If your toes and heels hang over too much, they have a chance to catch on the snow and slow you down, affect your turns, and knock you over. If they don't hang over enough, you will have to work much harder just to tip the board on edge. Volume shifted boards, powder boards, carving boards etc. are exceptions to this, and the accepted level of overhang can swing wildly in either direction depending on the board and style of riding. Powder board for example are usually wider than your regular all mountain board in order to help the board float, and tilting your board is much easier in powder than on hard snow so you don't necessarily need the same leverage as normal. 

Can a woman ride men's snowboards?

Absolutely, and it's very common these days for snowboards to be Unisex, but there are a few things to consider.

  1. Flex - Mens boards are usually stiffer than womens boards which will make a mens board more difficult to ride.
  2. Width - Mens boards are usually wider than womens boards, which will make it more difficult to get on edge.
  3. Length - Not all mens boards come in sizes suitable for women.

That said, if you're in the weight range, the width range, and the board suits your style/ability, there's no reason why you can't ride any board regardless of what gender it's designed for. 

If you're having trouble figuring out what size snowboard to ride, take a look at our guide on How to choose the right snowboard size, and if you's like a little help from the experts come visit the shop and we'll be happy to go over it with you. If you aren’t near Melbourne you can also email any questions or call us on (03) 9470 1822.