Is a Snowboard Lesson Worth It? Cheaper in the Longrun

Snowboarding is a great way for many people to enjoy the long, cold, and dark winter months. For those who don’t know how to snowboard, however, is signing up for snowboarding lessons worth the time and money? Here’s the truth!

Snowboarding lessons can be pricey but there are definite benefits to taking them. For one thing, having instant feedback on riding techniques is one of the fastest ways for snowboarders to improve in their sport. It will also allow snowboarders to minimize their chance of injury on the hills.

It’s normal to have questions about this because snowboarding lessons might make a painful impact on your wallet. If you still have questions look no further! Read on to learn the benefits of snowboarding lessons as well as any potential downsides.

Snowboarding Lessons: The Pros and Cons

In this particular area, the pros far outweigh the cons, but it is still good to be aware of both pros and cons just the same. Hopefully, knowing about these will help you make the best decision for yourself in regards to taking snowboarding lessons.

Pros

First of all, beginners often do better when they have an instructor for the beginning portion of their snowboarding education. Many snowboarders you meet will say that it is sometimes painful to watch a beginner try to struggle up and down the hills on their own. Obviously, taking lessons won’t make you perfect, but it will make it easier for you to decrease your embarrassments and battle wounds if you have somebody to lead you along.

Taking lessons will also help you to learn much faster. You can, of course, experiment and learn through trial and error on your own, but if that is your method of choice it will most likely take years and years for you to build up a good store of snowboarding knowledge. Why do that when there are lessons available?

Many people would argue that snowboarding lessons are far too expensive and for some people, that might be true. However, one of the beauties of snowboarding lessons is that you can likely get away with only having one or two lessons under your belt. Of course, this does depend on how well you listen and apply what you’ve learned, but the first lesson or two is designed to help you get started with a basic foundation of knowledge.

Once that foundation has been taught, you will be able to build up from there. Naturally, there will still be trial and error in the learning process, but if you know what you’re doing, you will experience a far more fulfilling time on the slopes. Of course, if you decide you like what you’re learning and want to continue, you certainly can.

There are a variety of different lessons you can take depending on your interests and needs. As mentioned before, you may want to take lessons in the long run, but you may also want to take one or two and then quit and learn the rest by yourself. If you are more interested in taking lessons, you will have the ability to choose between group and private lessons.

Private lessons are more expensive than group lessons and are typically geared toward more experienced snowboarders who have specific goals set or specific aspects of the sport that they’d like to work on. However, one to three private lessons can work just fine for beginners as well. Just keep in mind that the price is significantly higher than the alternative.

Group lessons are more commonly utilized by beginners. Group lessons occur when you are put into a class with several other riders with the same level of experience. Here, you will be able to learn the first basic skills and techniques you will need to know to progress.

Cons

To be completely honest here, there is really only one real con to taking snowboarding lessons and that is the price. The lesson alone is not the only expense you will have to account for. Unless you have your own gear, you will have to rent gear to use and this can cost as much as $45 and a lift ticket might cost you $75 or more. On top of that, the lessons themselves could cost anywhere from $100 to $233, depending on where you are taking lessons.

How Do I Know If I Need Snowboard Lessons?

Snowboarding lessons are not necessarily essential, especially if you are determined to be self-taught or taught by a friend. However, as mentioned above, taking them will definitely minimize any embarrassment on the hill as well as the likelihood that you suffer any injury while going through the learning process and even later on. In short, the real determining factor should be you asking yourself exactly how much you want and are willing to learn.

Most people would advise lessons for beginners because it makes the process much less painful or time-consuming than it would be otherwise. Beginners who have somebody to lead and guide them along the way will be far more likely to learn quickly and without incident. Snowboarding is harder to learn than skiing at first. Once you have the basics down it becomes easier, but starting is a process.

Additionally, if you have a desire to know professional opinions on the way you ride, taking lessons is a perfect way to do that. Your instructor will be able to offer immediate feedback on your technique and that will help you to correct any flaws that might exist there. If this is a priority, then lessons will definitely be a good investment on your part.

This might be more of an afterthought, but if you have any snowboarding-related questions, you should be able to ask them and have them answered right away. It is not uncommon or bad to ask the internet questions, but the flood of information you are likely to find is often overwhelming. Asking questions directly to your instructor is a much more reliable and productive way of receiving answers to any questions that you may have.