| Ray
I would agree to a certain point and depending on where you are going for the standard of the hire equipment.
Having your own boots is a great help, but having your own board is a personal things about knowing how it reacts etc. I have seen some great and some crap hire gear in different resorts at different times of the season.
It also depends on how often you want to go as the whether its vfm.
Good boots should last you a good few years, the same with a board if its looked after. If you are going for 2 - 4 weeks a year hire would probably be 150 for each trip (2 weeks), so over three years you could spend up to 900 quid, thats more than double buying your own gear! Even if you only went once a year its still pretty good value.
I agree that you keep up with technology, but over three years how much does technology change and how much of that will affect an intermediate boarder? | 
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