New with questions

I am looking for a used board and I have a couple of questions. I am 5'10" so I think I need a 162ish board. Right? If I have a chance to buy a K2 Fuse with bindings and boots (new with few $ remember?, googles and a helmet for $180 but it is only a 153 does it matter that much? Most things say I want a longer board (the 162ish), but some people seem to say I would want a shorter board...What does one do?

What does the boot overhang look like on the 2 different snowboards?

I am not sure. I am going to where the guy is selling the board and stuff tomorrow. It is a trip of about 80 miles. I where a size ten and a half boot. Does this help?

I do not want to go all the way there if it is pointless. For the price, maybe I can use the boots and bindings and other gear and re-re-sell the board...

It is best to know what stance will be used, and set the boots on the deck/bindings to see what the over hang will be like. If setting boots in the bindings method is used, it may be more accurate to actually put your feet in the boots and strap in, like when riding.

Toe risers are popular for some people, this may effect the overhang equation. I have never used much of a riser before and feel they can be over rated.

But what about the overall length of the board? How much does that matter?

If I measure or whatever and it is 162 to my lips, what happens if I use a 152mm or 155mm board?

the board will want to create tighter turns under you were as a longer board will make more of a arcing turn and be faster. im 6' and my shortest park board is 154 and my longest will be a 159 but i also weigh a buck fifty. the lip rule is only a guide line you can ride most boards so long as you are inside the weight range and a little practice.

Sorov wrote:
[quote]But what about the overall length of the board? How much does that matter?

Effective edge may be a better indicator (ability to edge) if the sidecuts are very similar.

The flex and softness of the deck also effect the edge contact. Using a softer snowboard in very deep moguls gives much better edge control at slower speeds.

I guess people in California think a little differently than so called popular manufacturers. I prefer effective edge over nose and tail length. Big mountain decks seem this way. Also what I call the Southern California (freestyle) slurp/switch/skate boards have extremely long effective edge. These (So.Ca. freestyle) tend to be non directional nose/tail/ and probably flex too.