Protective Gear For Skating A Skateboard. You will get new bruises and possibly scars while skateboarding. If you want to reduce these risks, you should invest in your safety, regardless of whether you are a pro or a beginner.
It is more suitable for beginners who are more likely to fall, to ensure their safety. Not only should you invest in safety gear, but also follow skating rules to ensure your safety.
You should know, your safety does not start with a helmet and elbow and knee pads, but rather, with your skateboard. Using softer or stiffer wheels, cruisers, or longboards, every choice you make will determine how safe you are while riding.
For instance, you will not help yourself by choosing stiffer wheels if you are going to be skating on cracks and possibly pebbles.
So, the first thing you will need to look at when looking for skating protection gear is your skateboard.
That being said, falling is part of the game and by protecting high-impact areas you will spend more time skating and less time healing.
Protective Gear For Skating A Skateboard
Helmet
Helmet or head protection in general protects the most important part of your body. You must pick the right one when choosing your skating protection. When choosing a helmet, always choose one that fits you snugly, one that’s not easy to shake off. An easy way to do this is to measure your head. To do that you will need a tailor’s measuring tape. A piece of string will do if you do not have a tailor’s measuring tape. Measure your head with it and then place it against a ruler for accurate measure.
Another thing to consider when is your head shape. You will either have an “Oval”, “Round” or “Egg” shape.
- Oval: This is the most common head shape and is also known as the long oval.
- Round: This head shape is wider down the middle part of the head in the temples area, which is where your forehead is located.
- Egg: if you have a head that is wider at the top and gets narrower at the bottom, congratulations you are officially an egg head (congratulations…?).
For skateboarding, you will want to get a multi-purpose helmet which is also known as a recreational helmet. This will usually come with a visor that will help you protect yourself from the sun.
Pads & Gloves
Wrist, knee, and elbow pads will protect the areas where most of the slams will be occurring. These will result in bruises, burns, and scraps from learning new tricks or just from cruising if you are not wearing knee and elbow pads. For instance, while wearing knee pads and gloves you can slide to a stop which is cool if you are cruising downhill, and elbow pads protect you in case you fall while learning new tricks.
Gloves
Gloves protect your fingers and palms and are specifically designed for sliding, although while wearing gloves, you can also handle the toughest falls and have a quick recovery. These are worn by skateboarders of all levels whether beginners or pros, as they are not only helpful in protecting against falls but also assist when learning new tricks and stunts.
We recommend that whether you are a beginner or a pro, skateboarding gloves are a must-have. Unless they make you uncomfortable and find them to be a hindrance in which case you should at least stick to helmet, elbow, and knee pads.
Elbow Pads
Elbow pads protect your bones and joints during a wipeout. These are extremely important when on ramps or rails as skateboarding on ramps can tear up your body if you don’t take safety precautions. Avoid doing flat ground tricks at the bottom of the ramp, regardless of whether you have your elbow pads on or not.
Elbow pads are sold in pairs but you can also get them by piece if you are looking for a replacement or just mixing things up.
If they fit you well enough, they will not restrict your range. For this purpose, you may want to measure your elbows either by using a tailor’s measuring tape or by using a string, as mentioned above. Try doing it in front of a mirror so you remember the number that comes up. Alternatively, if you are using a string, don’t let go of the end until you have measured it against a ruler.
Knee Pads
You are aware of the risk involved while skateboarding, therefore you will find that skateboarders do wear some form of protection. Knee pads are the most common form of protection which is wore by many skateboarders.
Knee pads that are too tight will be uncomfortable and you will find yourself in dire need to throw these out (because why not?) as they will limit the ability to bend your knee, especially when you are going downhill or are practicing or doing tricks.
Same as the elbows, you can measure your knees as well. You can do this by measuring your knees with a tailor’s measuring tape or by using a string.
Conclusion
You should invest in protective equipment whether you are a pro or a beginner. From helmets to gloves to knee and elbow pads, everything is designed in a structured way to prevent you from falling and in the worst case, losing your life.
The most common places that injuries occur while skateboarding is the head and knees, therefore you should at least invest in a decent helmet and knee and elbow pads before skateboarding.
