Getting Started With Sandboarding

Have you always wanted to try snowboarding but is afraid of the cold?

Or maybe you do not live anywhere near the mountains but live by the water inside.

Well, have you heard of sandboarding? It is much like how it sounds… boarding, on the sand!

It is a much cheaper alternative to snowboarding with much less gear and just as much fun!

Sandboarding, much like snowboarding, is done by strapping a board to your feet, then starting at a place of higher altitude to gain momentum downhill, allowing you to ride, glide, flip and do any tricks you are brave enough to try. It is also a year-round sport as the sand never melts and goes away!

So, you are probably asking where can I try this?!

Here in Oregon, Florence beach (not Florence, Italy), is a popular place to go! But anywhere with sand dunes is a good place for you to try out this activity. However, at Florence, there is a place called the Sand Master Park where you can rent sandboards, get lessons, and ride on sculpted dunes with different difficulty levels. A great place to go for your first time!

Sandboards can be rented for as cheap as $10 a day or up to $25 for the professional boards. For my first time, I rented a standard board, which was $16 for 24 hours. And I decided to just go out there and ride without any lessons. There are no fees to also just bring your own board and ride. The sand is free :)

Since I have previously snowboarded a bit before, I read that sandboarding feels like snowboarding in fresh snow and I can say that is pretty true! However, crashing in it does not feel like fresh fluffy snow. Regardless of your previous experience with any activity that involves a board, sandboarding is really easy to pick up. I started by going down some small dunes until I was able to gain a pretty good balance. (You might find that you cannot pick up a lot of speed on small dunes.) And then, I worked my way up to the bigger dunes while I was able to pick up a lot more speed!

You might be asking what other gear is needed! If you are afraid of the sand getting in your eyes, there are also goggles to rent for $5. But I went without goggles and did fine! Also, goggles are only recommended when it is windy out and you can bring your own sunglasses or goggles from home as needed. As for any other gear, I just went bared footed (as it was not that hot that day), some swim trunks and a t-shirt. While I fell a lot, I really was not getting any scratches or cuts. But it is always smart to wear a helmet, especially if you’re a super adventurous person!

However, unlike snowboarding, sandboarding in Oregon does not have a lift that brings you to the top of the dunes, which requires you to climb a lot of dunes for each of your thrill rides. A great way to get a workout! The dunes are also not as high up, meaning each ride down the hill does not last as long. If you are looking for a big dune to ride down, I would recommend going to Cape Kiwanda. But only if you have been riding for a while and is comfortable to tackle such a beast!

Hopefully, you feel inspired to try out this new outdoor activity. I know I had a lot of fun trying it out. The Oregon coast is beautiful, and this is an activity that you can have a lot of fun doing even by yourself. With the boards being rented out for 24 hours at a time, you can easily bring a book and a picnic and take many breaks in between to enjoy the scenery and replenish yourself.