Longboarding is a fun sport that many people across the globe enjoy. It’s especially popular amongst young people. In that case, longboarding in the rain can specifically increase the excitement to a different level. Not only it’s fun, but also it gives an aesthetic vibe to lit up your Instagram profile. In case you’re wondering, it’s completely safe and okay to longboard in rain as long as you follow proper guidance. I will share some facts, pros and cons, tips and tricks regarding longboarding in rain, and also share some handful of advice and guidance for beginners.
All about Longboarding
Before getting into the longboarding in rain situation, let us learn some basics about longboarding. As we all know, longboarding is riding a longboard that is bigger than a skateboard. However, a few fundamentals need to be taken into consideration to approach this sport, especially in the case of longboarding in rain. Learning about the wheels and parts, getting used to the board, learning how to properly longboard is the basic and boring stuff but most crucial. There are a few types of this sport and longboarding in rain is one of them. For a beginner, the sound of longboarding in rain might sound quite dangerous as well as fascinating. Well, as fun it can be, without proper knowledge and experience, it can prove to be unpleasant. Technically, longboarding itself is either a fun sport or a dangerous one based on how well you’ve prepared.
Pros and Cons of Longboarding in the Rain
As we’ve been discussing, longboarding in rain is safe and fun rather than being a hindrance. However, before approaching this method, everyone should consider the pros and cons and a few important aspects. We will discuss the pros and cons of Longboarding in the Rain.
Pros:
- Gaining experience: Longboarding is a sport that brings on improvement upon practice and experience. As dangerous as it sounds, longboarding on wet roads gives a much smoother surface for the rider to experiment on. It’s a lot smoother and easier than scraping on the dry road.
- Perfect place to practice new tricks: wet roads can smooth out the surface and expose the rider to more flexibility for practicing new tricks such as sliding and nulling. The more flexible a rider gets in sliding tricks, the more fun longboarding becomes. It’s a great way for beginners to start their practice.
- The thrill of the ride: setting aside all the facts and issues, the main purpose of longboarding is amusement. Longboarding in the rain gives off a different thrill than any other place and stance.
- Perfecting your flaws: this may sound similar to practicing new tricks or gaining experiences but perfecting or overcoming your flaws is a different matter. On a wet and slippery surface, you’ll find it harder to get a grip of your strength at first. However, once you get the thrill of the risks as well as the overwhelming amusement, it will be harder to give up. Thus, upon repeatedly trying, the rider can overcome their flaws and improve their postures. The risk factors of getting dirty or hurt will strengthen the core and help to improve the caliber of longboarding.
Cons:
- Danger and obstacles: there’s no denying that wet and slippery roads can be quite dangerous even if you’re a veteran of longboarding. The beginners might face some hardships starting from getting a grip and keeping balance. Thus, any negligence and lack of precautions may put you in serious trouble.
- Dirtying and damaging your board: getting wet and soaked in mud may cause your board to damage the parts. Longboards are made of wooden barrels and steel wheels. After riding it in the rain, it needs thorough cleanups and proper care. Otherwise, the waterlogs may cause the board to deteriorate and be damaged. The wheels and Barings will start to log and rust.
- Physical toll: this is a serious con for beginners. Longboarding may seem physically less reflective, but it’s a sport that requires a lot of flexibility and stamina. The beginners might get dehydrated and easily surpassed if they’re not prone to exercise and have other health complications.
Important Facts to Consider:
As we’ve discussed the pros and cons of longboarding in the rain, there are a few pieces of information that any rider especially beginners need to consider. Here is a list of dos and don’ts for you.
Do’s
- The rider must prioritize their safety over anything. Wearing gloves, safety helmets, safety pads, and tools are complete necessities.
- Pay attention to the trucks. While boarding in the dry spaces, it’s better to loosen up the trucks to get used to the flexes. However, it can get extremely dangerous to have loose trucks on wet and slippery roads. The dirt and mud might get into the wheels and the board will lose balance. So, it’s better to tighten up the trucks repeatedly while longboarding in rain.
- Wiping the board after every session will ensure that the board doesn’t get damaged by all the water and dirt. Cleaning the barring every week or as frequently as necessary will ensure the longevity of your favorite longboard.
- it’s important to wear comfortable and athletic attire for the longboarding sessions. Less baggy, fitting but comfortable clothing will promote fewer chances of injuries.
- Make sure to always check on the board and its body parts whether they’re rusted or broken or not before going for longboarding.
- Try taping or plastic wrapping methods to protect your shoes from getting huge holes, dirty, and spoiling.
Don’ts
- Never get on the road without taking safety precautions, helmets, safety pads, and adequate knowledge. Not having enough knowledge of safety, board parts, and roads might lead to serious injuries and accidents.
- don’t ride on the road without checking on the body parts of the longboard whether it functions well or not.
- Avoid using unnecessary moves and tricks without having prior experience or practice. Trying out something new is fine, but make sure that you’re capable enough to pull them off. Otherwise, you might lose balance on the wet road.
- Don’t drift apart or wander around without proper course guidance. Uncertain and unknown roads may lead to accidents.
Taking Care of Your Longboard:
Taking adequate care of your longboard is as necessary as taking care of your body. Your board is the weapon you bear to dominate the silky and wet road in the rain. So, it’s necessary to make sure they’re well taken care of. Let’s talk about some fundamentals in that regard.
Wheels: this part remains quite safe even after riding in the rain. However, the wheels tend to lose traction when it gets wet. It makes the ride smoother but at the same time, the chances of losing grip are increased. So, you need to be extra careful to regularly clean the wheels so that they don’t lose traction permanently.
Bearings: If you do not take care of your longboard when it gets wet, this is the portion that will deteriorate the most. It doesn’t do much damage while riding in the rain. However, when you’re too lazy to clean and dry the bearings, they start to rust, and as rust sets in, your bearings will begin to slow down and lose speed. So, it’s important to religiously clean your bearings and properly dry them. On the other hand, if you’re willing to spend some good coins on your favorite longboard, you can go ahead and buy some ceramic bearings. There are a few types to them but most of them are water-resistant. Of course, good quality comes with good expenses. However, I ensure you that every penny is worth investing in. Ceramic material not only protects your bearings from water and rust but also smoothens the performance of the wheels. Good catch, right?
Deck: Deck is a part that needs constant cleaning and drying after use. Otherwise, it might warp and loosen its grip tape. Grip tape collects dirt either way. It’s more likely to do so in the rain. When your grip tape settles, the dirt on it is absorbed. The grip tape will ultimately lose its traction if you don’t cleanse it frequently. Hence, the board will lack stability for you to ride in. The grip tape’s purpose is to be rough and clean enough to retain your weight when moving, turning, and stroking. It cannot operate properly if it is too filthy. As a result, you have a risk of losing control and crashing.
Boards: Boards are necessary to take care of as they support you. Well, more or less. As we’ve discussed in the do’s part, make sure to wipe them with a clean rug after every use to keep them away from scratches and water damage. Also, if you’re willing to splurge some money, you can always get a waterproof one.
Others: other parts as axel, spacers don’t need much attention. However, do take care of them once in a while if you don’t want to see your favorite longboard getting defective.
Tips and Tricks to Rock in the Rain:
At this point, we’re all clear about how thrilling it can be to go longboarding in the rain. aren’t we? Well, to pair that sensation up, here are some of my tips and hacks to make sure you have a great time without a hitch. Let’s get into it.
- Work on your posture. Make sure that your weight is centered over the top of the board and keep your knees bent. This will give you a smoother slide.
- Wear your most comfortable trousers. Even though there’s a risk of getting soaked but it’s worth the comfort, safety, and most importantly fun.
- Ride a top mount or a board that’s long enough to cover the wheels. This will prevent you from getting soaked in rain.
- A good tip is to set aside a separate board for your rainy-day longboarding. This will ensure longevity and get you a brand new feeling every time you get on board.
- Cover your feet with a plastic bag. This will ensure that your shoes and feet don’t get soaked in the dirt.
- Try the shifting weight trick to pull spinning and nulling.
- Always have water on you. Get a bottle of water while leaving home. As longboarding is a physical sport, there’s a high chance that you might get dehydrated along the way. No matter how the weather seems or how less thirsty you feel, make sure to bring water and thank me later.
- Plan your course carefully. It’s a very crucial step to mark your destination. Plan your course ahead of time, look out for spiky roads and obstacles. It’s okay to be confident but don’t lose track of overconfidence.
- Work on your flaws. You may be hesitant to go out of your comfort zone but this is something you need to gradually make improvements on. Instead of going about the usual rounds, work on the flaws you have. Trust me, this will increase your experience and get you the utmost thrill of your ride.
- Don’t be fixated on your target only. It’s okay to want to achieve a trick that looks cool, but you need to breathe too. When you’re stuck, take a break, try something else and return to trying again. This will enhance your caliber.
- Last but not least, get the habit of taking notes. Jot down whatever cool ideas that come to your mind so that you can practice them later on.
Conclusion:
To conclude, longboarding in the rain is no doubt a great thrill for anyone fascinated with this sport. Even people who are not well accustomed to longboarding may find it fun. So, setting aside all the regulations, safety, care, and boring stuff, the main goal is to have as much fun as possible. To make that happen, preparation is necessary. However, there’s no such thing as a perfect plan. It’s okay to fail sometimes, not pulling cool tricks and all. It indicates that you still have room for growth. Enjoy!