With so many benefits like getting outdoors, spending quality time with friends, and having a huge amount of fun, snowboarding is a fun activity that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. Not only it allows you to enjoy but also beneficial for your overall well-being.
If you also want to experience the fun of snowboarding, then there are lots of snowboarding parks that can double your happiness. You can choose to visit Whistler Blackcomb, Courchevel, Zermatt, Vail Mountain Resort, Aspen Snowmass, Cortina D’Ampezzo, Telluride, Niseko, Meribel, etc.
However, before you plan your trip to the hills or go for snowboarding, it is crucial to equip yourself with snowboarding gear as they will protect you from injuries and keep you warm while snowboarding.
With the rapidly changing technology, there comes a new gear every other day. Moreover, snowboarding equipment is costly. Hence, not everyone can afford to buy all the snowboarding equipment. Therefore, many people choose to rent snowboarding gear. Not only do you get the latest tech equipment, but it is an economical option as well.
But one question strikes our mind – is it worth going with snowboarding gear rentals? Well, the answer depends on your needs. For instance, if you are a regular snowboarder, it is good to buy your own snowboarding gear. On the other hand, if you go to the mountains once or twice a year, then renting the snowboarding gear can turn out to be the right option. In order to understand it in a better way, we are going to discuss the pros and cons of both cases. Without wasting much time, let’s get started.
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Advantages of Buying Your Own Snowboarding Gear
Renting is expensive
Buying all the snowboarding gears requires a hefty investment, but if you see it in the long run, it can save a significant amount of money. Moreover, it saves your time that you can use in snowboarding. For instance, if you have your gear, all you need to do is pack up all the gear and hit the hill. On the other hand, when you rent, you have to wait in a long queue & it can take up to one hour to finally take your first run.
Rental gears are not the same
If you’re going snowboarding to different snowboarding places in the world, then you won’t get the same snowboarding gear rentals; every time you have to handle different snowboards, boots, bindings, etc. Moreover, you never know what that gear has already gone through. While sometimes you will get decent gear, someday you will get tapped boots. However, when you have your own snowboarding gear, you will be able to focus more on developing your skills instead of learning to handle the new board, boots, or bindings.
Rental gears are outdated
Snowboarding gears are expensive. Some bigger ski resorts can afford to buy the latest tech equipment while other snowboarding gear rentals use the same gear for several years. Though re-used snowboard gears are at high risk of getting worn out, most of the ski resorts update their equipment every handful of years. So, if you don’t want to go snowboarding with a traditional board, then it is wise to go to a local shop and buy the latest tech snowboard. Not only does it allow you to enjoy more, but it is durable.
Rental boots aren’t perfect
Most of the rental boots aren’t always accurate. Since these boots are used by many snowboarders, they may or may not fit your feet size. Moreover, there are hygiene-related issues that most users face. But the case is reversed if you buy the best snowboard boots. You won’t be facing such issues when you are buying your own snowboarding gear.
Wide range of options
When you choose snowboarding gear rentals, you will get limited options to choose from snowboarding equipment. But when you buy your own snowboarding gear, you can choose from a wide range of options. Moreover, a proper fitting can make a huge difference; you will get the exact gear type that will suit your needs and riding style. Moreover, you will get the brand new gear that no one else has used before.
Affects your performance
Whenever you rent, your gear changes. As a result, you will feel different every time, making it difficult to improve your skills. On the other hand, when you have your own gear, you will feel the same every time you ride. It will help you to enhance your skills as you will spend more time on improving yourself instead of finding out how to use that gear.
Offers you freedom
When you have your own gear, you can use it on your own terms and conditions, but it is not the case with rental gears. You have to take care of the rental gear at any cost. Hence, it is worth buying your own snowboarding gear.
It isn’t time-consuming
Buying snowboarding gears will help you save more time, as you don’t have to haggle around with other travelers queuing to get your pieces of stuff. Also, before checking out from your destination, you would not have to visit your rental shop to return your gears; you can carry them from your home to the resort or skiing destination without wasting much time on renting related works.
These were the reasons to buy your own snowboarding gear, but it doesn’t mean that it is not always beneficial to buy your own gear & renting is completely worthless. Here are some instances where it is wise to rent snowboarding gear.
There are also most of us who are completely unsure whether they will like snowboarding or not. In such a situation, one can prefer snowboarding gear rentals.
One does not need to perform any maintenance on the rented gears. Additionally, when you have an overseas trip for a few days & you want to try snowboarding, it is more convenient to go with rented gear rather than paying extra money on the new one.
However, before you go ahead, it is essential to know your usage. Means, you should know how often you do snowboarding. If you are going to keep snowboarding regularly, then it is good enough to invest in your own gear. Also, make sure it is of quality.
Whenever you are planning to buy snowboarding gear, it is essential to know the riding interests once. Don’t purchase until you don’t know what type of riding interests you have. If you ride a lot on the all-mountain twist, then buy your own snowboard gear. It will help you to have a comfortable experience for a long time period. If you only snowboard a few times a year, renting might work out cheaper.
Advantages of Renting Snowboarding Gear
No transportation cost
Snowboarding gear rentals make your travel from the resort or hotel to the snowboarding field hassle-free, as this doesn’t involve an extra transportation cost for carrying the snowboarding gears like boards, bindings, or helmets.
No need of carrying heavy equipment
There will be no need to carry heavy snowboarding equipment like boards or helmets from your home to the resort or field. As that involves an increase in luggage capacity and requires more strength rather than merely carrying outwears, best goggles for snowboarding, layers, or gloves.
No maintenance cost
There will be no maintenance cost required from your side. Since you are not buying the snowboarding equipment, you don’t have to worry about maintaining your gear in the near future. The rental provider will himself repair and maintain those gears before passing it to some other customer.
Allows easy trial
You can easily rent a particular type of snowboarding gear provided by your rental provider, and try them in a real-world scenario. You can judge their performance, stability, and sustainability by scratching in the snow.
Nearby presence
Snowboarding equipment rental is less expensive for those who do less Skiing. Snowboarding requires special types of equipment like snowboards and helmets, which can be costly if they are bought. So, buying such snowboarding gears would be an ideal and more cost-efficient decision, especially for those who ski at a high rate throughout the year, but buying would never be an apt option for those who ski less often. It won’t be suggested to buy skiing equipment for a few visits to snowy areas. Even the snowboarding gear rentals are offered at a high discount when you lease it as a package.
Cheaper for those who ski less
Snowboarding equipment rental is less expensive for those who do less Skiing. Snowboarding requires special types of equipment like snowboards and helmets, which can be costly if they are bought. So, buying such snowboarding gears would be an ideal and more cost-efficient decision, especially for those who ski at a high rate throughout the year, but buying would never be an apt option for those who ski less often. It won’t be suggested to buy skiing equipment for a few visits to snowy areas. Even the snowboarding gear rentals are offered at a
Flexibility
In case of snowboarding gear rental, you can change the size of your garments, modify the binding, length or design of the snowboard, and make some extra enhancements of your gear. But once you have bought the gears and equipment, the shop won’t exchange your product after 1-2 days. Renting is productive, as here you are technically trying out products without actually buying them, so in any way, you will have to return those gears and equipment. It gives a chance to try out several snowboarding items or gears without committing to a particular one.
Rental stations offer advice and suggestions
The team in the rental station delivers high customer-aided services, where they will listen to your discretion, about your interests and needs. They will offer the perfect type of gear, ranging from garments to snowboards, which will be suitable for you based on your usage. They will also give you advice on which ski hotel or resort to reside in, or where to eat. Even these rental shops can suggest you with the perfect snow gliding spots for your enjoyment.
From the above information, we conclude that both have some pros and cons. By keeping this in mind, we are providing you tips that will help you make an informed decision.
Things to Consider When Renting Snowboarding Gears
First, be particular about, in which interval you will ski. If you’re a traveler who likes to ski often, then it would be advisable to buy snowboarding gear, for it is better to get adjusted to your own set of equipment. But for those who occasionally ski in snowy landscapes, buying gear would be impractical as that will not be used frequently.
Having proper knowledge of the type of rider you are or reading out various snowboarding guides is essential, especially if you are a beginner. You should use a beginner’s kit rather than uselessly buying the expert’s gear that is usually meant for the professionals. Analyze the condition of the area in that you are going to snowboard, as knowing the slopes and curves will help the rental service to pick the correct type of gears and snowboards for you.
Conclusion
We hope that this post will help you to understand the importance of buying and renting snowboarding gear. The ultimate goal is to bring more and more joy to your vacations; whether you choose snowboarding gear rentals or not, it depends on your personal choice. If you want to buy snowboarding gear, then you can get the best snowboarding gear on Amazon. Make sure before you buy, you know your needs like the frequency of your riding, budget, which riding style you prefer, etc. If you’re a beginner or your wallet is tight, you can plan to buy snowboarding gear later & now you can rent them.
