Jones Explorer Snowboard Review

With all the different varieties of snowboard on the market, it can be difficult for even an advanced rider to choose the ideal board for them.

Well, the Jones Explorer Splitboard may solve the issue of needing to shop for the right pick. It’s lightweight, works great on powder, and has strong edge hold.

But, unfortunately, not everyone has had a good experience with this board. Some users have found that it doesn’t ride that great on firm snow, and that it’s not the best board for heavier riders.

Nonetheless, before you make your final decision about whether this is the board for you, let’s take a closer look at the Jones Explorer Splitboard.

Jones Explorer Splitboard: The Details

In a Nutshell

• Profile: Hybrid rocker with cambered nose and tail.
• Shape: Directional.
• Flex: Medium-Stiff.
• Construction: Sandwich.
• Core: Wood.
• Available Lengths (Waist Widths): 152 cm (24.9 in.), 156 cm. (25.2 in.), 158 cm. (26.2 in.), 159 cm. (25.4 in.), 161 cm. (26.4 in.), 162 cm. (25.6 in.), 164 cm. (26.6 in.).
• Type: All-mountain.

Features

Directional Rocker

With a hybrid rocker-camber profile, the Explorer has more rocker at the tip than at the tail, and camber between where the bindings are.

The rockered tip helps with maneuvering on the slopes, and the camber assists with edge hold and responsiveness in the board.

The rockered tail also enhances the stability and how much power you can put behind it, improving turns.

Blunt Nose

The Explorer also has a slightly blunted nose.

This will help you float on powder and makes the overall design more lightweight. Both of those are very important features to any board.

Progressive Sidecut

The sidecut on this Explorer increases as the edges reach contact points.

This allows you to easily enter and exits turns, and the progressive sidecut helps to avoid abrupt transitions when riding on pipes.

Core and Laminates

The Explorer is also made with Bi-Ax fiberglass, applied in multiple layers, and the core of this board is Slovenian poplar wood.

This helps the design flex, be durable, and makes the board poppy, so you don’t feel the hit when jumping or doing tricks.

Stainless Steel Reinforcement

The Jones Explorer Splitboard is also made with stainless steel plates that are embedded in the nose and the tail of the board.

As you can probably guess, this helps with the durability of the tips. You won’t ride on much terrain that could wreck stainless steel.

Sidewalls

The Explorer Splitboard also includes recycled ABS sidewalls.

Since plastic isn’t the best for the environment, Jones uses recycled materials to try and make up for that issue.

Base

The base of the Explorer is a combination of a sintered 7000 Base and a flip-flop base.

The sintered base helps make the board durable and, with the addition of carbon, also great at high speeds and quick to absorb wax.

The flip-flop base means that Jones flip-flops the base graphic colors, allowing for the P-Tex waste to be reduced while increasing the amount of material they use.

Edges

The Explorer also uses Traction Tech edges. This means you essentially have serrated knives on the edges of your board. Imagine that slicing through the snow.

This also helps with edge grip by giving the board multiple points of contact along its length. It will help you glide down the mountain in almost any condition, without worry of slipping or wiping out.

Topsheet

An Eco-Plastic Topsheet is used on the Explorer Splitboard and it’s actually made of castor beans!

The material is very lightweight, scratch and chip resistant, and water repellant (always a good thing).

Factory Tuned

In addition to all these features, every Jones snowboard is factory detuned at the tip and tail, so that it is adjusted exactly for you.

You can go right from your house to the slopes!

Jones Explorer Splitboard Review

The Positives

Versatile

The Explorer is considered an all-mountain board but also works when riding freestyle.

It’s great on powder due to its lightweight construction and the directional rocker shape makes it ideal for buttering.

There is also some serious grip due to the Traction Tech on the edges. The board can work on most terrains, whether it’s soft or hard-packed!

This is great for the snowboarder that wants to take their board from resorts to the mountain. The Explorer is well-balanced, becoming the perfect companion for a variety of conditions.

Great Floater

The Explorer Splitboard is also an exceptional floater on powder and freshly fallen snow. The rockered nose rides above the snow without much work from you.

While users said they didn’t expect the board to be so good on powder due to the design, they stated they didn’t experience any issues.

The directional shape and the freestyle tail, nose, and rocker provide the rider with the best possible board for floating.

Stable

The slightly rockered tail helps keep the Explorer stable no matter the terrain. You won’t ever feel insecure or wobbly on the slopes.

Users also noted that the Traction Tech on the edges help the rider feel more stable on powder and on rougher ice.

The camber underfoot provides a little extra edge hold for the rider as well, which is a needed addition especially when going through the roughest of conditions.

Easy Turns

A slightly rockered tail maintains the power and stability of a traditional board but helps keep the tail catch-free when initiating turns.

The progressive sidecuts and the laminates also work to ensure you can turn on a dime.

Riders will have fun carving on this board, and when you want to take it easy or test out new trails, you won’t have to worry about your board letting you down.

Fast

The Jones Explorer Splitboard is also great at high speeds. The sintered base makes extra sure of that! You’ll be gliding through the snow as fast as you desire.

Attention speed demons! This is the board for you. You’ll be leaving your friends in your white, snowy dust.

What’s even better is that this board manages to stay stable when you’re moving speedily down the trails so riders can retain confidence without worry.

Made for Fun

With this board handling speed like a champ, it’s no surprise that testers have had a lot of fun on the Explorer. It’s great for jumps, allowing for stable, steady and safer landings, and definitely packs a pop.

While you may need to seek out a different board for jibbing, the Explorer is much more forgiving when it comes to jumps – the larger the better.

It’s a durable board too, able to take its share of bumps, and while we always recommend taking care of your board, there’s no need to baby it.

Accessible 

While it may take some time for beginners to work up to this board, you don’t have to be an olympic athlete to ride it.

For a splitboard, this board is very forgiving with a flex that keeps riders both stable, and comfortable. This allows riders who have been considering splitboards to get in on the action sooner than later.

While the board is forgiving, the price is relieving. When considering a splitboard, chances are, you’re also considering your bank account.

Some boards can cost thousands of dollars but the Explorer comes in at a fraction of the cost.

Warranty

Purchasing a snowboard can count as a big purchase, and when you’re making a big purchase, it’s always great to know the company has your back should anything go awry.

With the Jones Explorer Splitboard, you’ll be granted a 3-year limited warranty to protect against any faults or defects in the board’s craftsmanship.

Should you find errors or concerns, you’ll need to contact the company where they will decide whether they need to replace or repair your board.

If this is the board for you, you can purchase with some peace of mind.

The Negatives

Too Soft

According to some users, this board may not be for heavier riders. The flex is softer than its competitors, and that can hurt the board’s performance when going through firm snow, especially for snowboarders who weigh a little more.

One tester even stated that the nose of the board felt too soft for him in general, but especially when going through choppier conditions.

Not Great on Firmer Snow

While most riders didn’t experience a problem with firm snow, many stated this is where the board lacked.

If you occasionally ride on firm snow or you’re just a recreational rider, this shouldn’t be an issue for you.

However, if you want to buy this board specifically for firm snow, it may be smart to keep shopping. There are better boards out there for that purpose.

Not for Beginners

While this isn’t really a negative, it’s important to know if a board suits your skill level. This buy is ideal for riders who are advanced beginners or above.

If this is your first board or you just started snowboarding only a little while ago, you may want to try something different as you grow more experienced.

Overall Verdict

After looking over the pros and the cons, we are recommending the Jones Explorer Splitboard.

It works well on most conditions, is stable, fast, and makes easy turns. You can’t really get much better than that.

Yes, it is not for beginners or heavier riders and is not for firmer snow, but beyond that, it seems to be a great fit for all your needs.

Where to Buy the Jones Explorer Splitboard

This brand is nearing a decade since its establishment and their Jones Explorer Splitboard is just one example out of their arsenal of high-quality boards.

This snowboard has been turning heads and has caught the attention of enthusiasts and experts around the globe.

While it’s always best to check your specialty and sporting stores, Jones has had their foot in the game for some time now, producing quality equipment, so it’s no surprise you can find this board both in-store and online.

These boards are also known for being sold-out, but you can start your search by checking out the following online retailers.

• Pacific Boarder (from $629)
• Source Boards (from $764)
• EVO (from $629)

And of course, you can also find this snowboard on Amazon.

That’s it for our Jones Explorer review. What do you think? Would you give it a try?