So, you’ve just started snowboarding and now are looking to get a snowboard for yourself instead of renting one. Great, but what type of snowboard is best for beginners. Camber? Hybrid Camber? Maybe even a Hybrid Rocker? In this blog we’re going to break down which snowboard type is best for you beginners and the reasons why.
Does Size Matter?
Now if you haven’t seen our other beginner guide, be sure to check it out, we go through how to choose the size of your snowboard for beginners.
Size is key for beginners, get this wrong and all the other components, like the shape of the board won’t matter. I would recommend going with a smaller board (a few cm shorter than the “standard all-mountain length” as they call it). This is due to these boards being easier to control in turns and being easier to balance on.
With larger boards as a beginner, you will find it difficult to control in turns and due to the speed these longer boards pick up, you’ll find yourself flying down the slopes not knowing how to stop.
Variations (Camber Profile)
There are quite a few variations of snowboards and for a beginner it can be overwhelming choosing one. We’re here to breakdown the different types and the rank I’d give them (out of 10) for a beginner.
First, you need to understand what a camber profile is. This is basically the shape of your board and these different shapes will have a certain feel to them on the snow.
Traditional Camber – 4/10
A traditional camber is usually the most extreme form of a camber. This is where the board has a slight concave u shape going from tip to tail, where the board meets the snow.
(+) Improves edge hold.
(+) Provides a certain bounce to it – makes it better for jumps and ollies.
(+) Improves edge hold & stability.
(-) In deeper snow, becomes more difficult to control.
(-) Find yourself catching an edge easier.
The bigger the camber will result in the amplification of these traits and vice versa. I’d personally stay away from this type of board for now. Your priority is stability and keeping fundamentals when turning, with this board you might find it more challenging.
Flat Camber – 6/10
Essentially a flat board, it has no camber or rocker and therefore is flat from tip to tail.
(+) Very stable
(+) Quick from edge to edge (good in tight areas like through trees)
(+) Good edge hold
(-) Easy to catch an edge on
(-) Slower than other boards
(-) Harder to come across.
Flat camber offers a better choice for beginners in terms of stability, however due to it being prone to catching an edge, you might find it again more challenging when making turns to start, even if it provides more stability on straights.
Rocker/Reverse Camber – 6/10
This is basically the opposite to what a traditional camber is. This is where there is a convex u shape going from tip to tail (like a banana).
(+) Initiating turns becomes easier.
(+) Less likely to catch an edge.
(+) Floats well especially in powder.
(-) Less control, board has a looser feel to it.
(-) Can’t hold an edge as well as other boards
(-) Doesn’t have that bounce like a traditional camber will.
Overall, I’d say it’s a decent beginner board, it swings the opposite way to Flat camber in the sense you lose that stability, but the tradeoff is it’s definitely easier to initiate turns and it’s less likely to catch an edge.
Hybrids
Now the previous 3 variations were quite old-fashioned styles. With the new technology these hybrid profiles essentially give you the best of camber, flat and rocker in one board. There are loads of different variations to choose from I’m going to breakdown the best ones for you beginners in my opinion.
Rocker/Flat/Rocker – 9/10
This hybrid curves up at the tip and tail and flat through the center of the board.
(+) More stability
(+) Less likely to catch an edge.
(+) Turn initiations become a lot easier.
This is a great board for stability and one of my highly recommended boards for beginners. These hybrids can give you a range of different board types, but in terms of stability and control I’d say this is your best bet.
Hybrid Camber (Rocker/Camber/Rocker)– 9.5/10
The tip and tail will point up like a rocker, however the convex (Upside down U) shape will be there in the middle of the board.
(+) Great for turn initiation.
(+) Float exceptionally well in powder
(+) Good speed
(+) Increased edge hold due to that camber.
This would be my number one recommendation for a beginner. It offers such a good balance between speed, control and edge control when making turns. It’s the ideal board for a beginner.
However, I’ve given it a 9.5 because this is what I believe would be best for beginners, it’s hard to say the perfect board because people have their own styles and what works for them might be worse for you. I believe this board is the most balanced out of any and will give you a great foundation to work with.
I hope this blog has given you a better idea on choosing a beginner board. Check out are other beginner guides as well for more information about selecting a first board.
And if you've made your mind up and are ready to purchase, check out are collections below we have a range of boards to choose from !
