Powsurf Sizing Recommendations

How Do I Determine My Ideal Powsurf Length?

To determine your ideal length of powsurfer you’ll need to consider your weight, boot size and the type of snow and terrain that you plan to ride in most often. The ideal length of your powsurfer usually ends up being around 15-25cm shorter than your “daily driver” snowboard. As a very general guide, if you weigh between 100 lbs anmd 180 lbs you’re going to line up best with a 140cm – 145cm powsurfer. But there are a lot of factors that are very important within that range. The most important being boot size and the type of snow you encounter in the area where you live and ride. For instance, if you live in an area with very deep and light snow and you weigh 160lbs you may want to size up to a 145-150cm powsurfer to keep you better afloat. If you are unsure on length or just want to be sure you’re headed in the right direction we encourage you to email Grassroots Powsurf with your height, weight, foot size and a description of where you ride and the types of snow you encounter most. Grassroots has 20 years experience powsurfing in every condition imaginable and we are happy to get you pointed in the right direction.

The single most important factor in finding a board that is best for you is width, especially the width of the waist and the cusp of the tail. This is why Grassroots makes so many different models and why we offer so many different widths within the models. One size most certainly does NOT fit all. The biggest mistake many people make when buying a powsurfer is getting one that is either too wide or too narrow in relation to their boot size. This results in a lack of precision control in all conditions and can result in the powsurfer being unrideable in many conditions.

A general rule for width would be that the “standard width” Grassroots Powsurfers are going to match up best with size 9-11.5 (US Men’s) boot sizes. The “Narrow” width powsurfers will be best for size 7.5-9 boots. The “X-Narrow” width will align best with boot sizes 7 and under (US Mens sizing). Our “Wide” Models will align best with size 11.5-13 and our X-Wide for the 13 and up. These are general rules and there are other things to consider. If you ride in particularly shallow snow, thick wind whipped snow or really dense snow most of the time then you would be best to size down width wise to give yourself maximum leverage to dig those edges into the thicker snow or keep control in shallow snow. Having some overhang on the toes can really help in these conditions. So adjust your width choice accordingly.

Not all powsurfers are created equally and there are a lot of factors that contribute to the performance of a powsurfer; affecting speed, float, agility, ability to go from edge to edge and ability to really power into turns. We are experts in the combination of these factors and if you are on the fence on what model to try be sure to hit us up for info. Powsurfing is our passion and experiencing the uniques feels of a quiver is what keeps us inspired and stoked on the incredible feelings that come from subtle but significant design variables.

Some models of powsurfers may be designed as more surfboard-like in outline (reverse sidecut) to give the board extreme float and these boards can be great when the powder is deeper and lighter but not so much when conditions are shallow, wind-thickened, set-up or variable. They will also be better in attacking the fall line of a slope and not so great when it comes to a lot of traversing across slopes. Some models are designed to cut perfect arcs, some designed more for speed in low angled terrain, or high speed stability in open terrain. We design some for maximum agility that really shine in tight and complex terrain. We encounter infinitely changing snow conditions and a huge variety of terrain and it’s so fun for us to both create a board that can handle all of these and also fun and rewarding to create individual boards that really excel in each specific condition or terrain type. You can certainly enjoy powsurfing on just one model of powsurfer, but the wisest surfers and powsurfers in the world fully understand that “quivers are the answer” to getting the most out of each and every day in the mountains.

Powsurf Sizing and Snowboard Sizing Are Not The Same

The ideal of length of powsurfer has everything to do with your foot size, your body weight and the type of snow that you ride in. It will always be shorter than your ideal length of snowboard; often by 10-25 centimeters. Powsurfers are typically wider in the nose and waist when compared to snowboards and this means there is significantly more surface area packed into a shorter length. The stance that a rider takes on their powsurfer can of course be anywhere on the top of the board, but in most conditions it is best to have your rear foot between 6 and 10 inches from the back of the tail. As a result you will have a lot more length in the “nose” (area in front of your front foot) than in the case of being strapped into a snowboard. The waist width of a well shaped powsurfer will also be quite a bit wider than even the widest snowboards. The combination of all these factors translates into great float in powder despite it’s relatively short length when compared with your snowboard length.

The shorter length of a powsurfer is ideal for better control and performance across a variety of snow conditions. This is the case especially in shallower or more dense snow. So if you’re buying your first powsurfer we recommend keeping your powsurf length at least 10-20 centimeters shorter than your “daily driver” snowboard. You’ll have much easier time learning to turn and be able to better control your speed by shifting weight back and forth from your front foot and back foot. A shorter board is always easier to learn on and great to progress on. There may be some rare occasions where you find yourself struggling in really deep and light snow especially if you are on lower angled slopes. So you must adjust your slope angle or pack down a runway so you can get the speed you need to get planed out on top of the snow so that your powsurfer can work as it was designed. Or you need to size up to a longer length and/or wider width to get you the float you want on those big days. Much like surfing, powsurfing is a “quiver sport” and anyone with experience surfing knows how big of a difference having a quiver of boards to choose from on a given day will make all of the difference in the world.

If you are quivering up, it’s a good idea to start with what you know from riding your current powsurfer(s) and size up or down accordingly. If you want a powsurfer designed for really deep and really light snow you will likely want to pick something 5-10cm longer than your current powsurfer or look into a board with a wider waist width. This is assuming that you are having good results on your current board. If you are unsure just drop us a line and explain your situation. Let us know what you currently have and how it is behaving (or mis-behaving) in certain circumstances. We have a ton of experience riding a huge variety of powsurf brands and models so we can certainly help you get on track to have the best powsurf experience possible.

Picking the ideal length for your powsurfer is not a fixed science and there are a ton of variables that go into this. We are happy to help you tackle this so feel free to reach out with any questions.

Click Here to Watch More Powsurfing Videos

Exceptions To The “Rules”

Of course there are exceptions to the “Rule” that your powsurfer should be shorter than your snowboard! We certainly wouldn’t recommend getting a longer board if it is your first powsurfer, however if you are an experienced powsurfer looking for new feelings and looking to open up more fun in low angle terrain or really deep powder then by all mean throw that rule out the window. For instance, we make a 166cm Slasher Malibu model powsurfer and that board is great for opening up super low angle terrain that wouldn’t quite be rideable. The length of this powsurfer can get enough float to unlock pastures, rollin hills and zones that you normally wouldn’t be getting enough speed to float in. Or if you like to ride big mountains going extremely fast and make long and drawn out turns then this is a really fun board. It’s actually quite forgiving in less than ideal snow conditions too.. we’ve even ridden it in slush.. not as good as a shorter board in slush and tricky conditions of course but it still can hold it’s own. Models like the Slasher Malibu 166cm are also great on days when avalanche danger is high and you need to make low angle terrain more fun (HIGH SPEED!). It’s also unsinkable, so take it to the deepest pow you can find and enjoy! Again, not ideal as your only board, but if you realize the power of a quiver, adding a “longboard” to that quiver will do you a lot of good on certain days and conditions.

The Powsurf Diaries Video Series -Powsurf Models In Action

To get a good visual of various Grassroots Powsurf models in action be sure to check out our “Powsurf Diaries” YouTube Playlist. In these short videos we show a particular models in action with notable snow types and terrain. Be sure to read the written descriptions for extra details on the snow conditions that are being ridden in each video. We also embed videos into our web store that highlight the particular board you are shopping for. We have no shortage of video content of all kinds so be sure to take a deep dive into our YouTube Channel and by all means SUBSCRIBE! So you don’t miss all the goods we have coming down the pipe.