Have you ever faced a situation when you had to use your longboard while raining? I hope no. Longboarding in the rain provides you both thrillers and damages. It is a bit risky too. You may face a situation that, it is raining and you don't have any option without longboarding.
That's why better have all the necessary things in your mind before going to deal with your longboard while raining. It will make your journey much easier.
However, if you are thinking about getting prepared for longboarding in the rain, then I will say to spend here a few minutes. I will be talking about all the necessary things about longboarding while raining. This article will be highly beneficial to you.
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Image Credit to Joey Brooks
Longboarding in the Rain
Bring A Waterproof Board:
Well, the best suggestion I will suggest is arranging a waterproof longboard. You will find some waterproof longboards in the market which are specially made to use in the rainy season. The longboard which is painted and covered with a coating has the ability to resist the water absorption. The waterproof longboard is expensive.
However, if you can get the waterproof one. then it’s fine. Otherwise, you can make your longboard waterproof by coating your longboard with a thick layer of polyurethane. This will help to prevent water absorption.
What Happens If Your Longboard Is Not Waterproof:
Let's have a small discussion actually what happens when your longboard is not waterproof. Usually, the water of rain does not make any bad impact on your wheels. The wheels may get just dirty. But, if it happens for a long time, then there is a good possibility of affecting your wheel.
Apart from this, the wheels will lose traction with the road a bit after getting wet. So, never forget about wearing safety pads and helmet.
Apart from the wheels, nothing much happens to your bearings after getting wet. It will start getting rust. If you dry the bearings after longboarding, then it is fine. But if you don't do so, then your the rust will be hitting your bearing and as a result, the speed will start losing.
However, there is an option going for the ceramics bearings. The bearing that made with ceramics is water-resistant and also expensive. But note that all parts of the bearing need to be made of ceramics. The ceramic bearings need to re-oiled or re-applied with a speed cream though.
No exception with the board. If the board gets wet, then there is a good possibility of breaking into halves. That’s why some special treatment is needed. The first way about drying the board is by wrapping the board with a towel. In this way, the towel will absorb the droplets and will make the board dry. You can separate the parts and then reassemble it. But for this, you need to be a skilled and experienced one.
Lastly, axels and spacers are not supposed to have any direct effect. But, it is not likely that they do not need any care. If you do not clean them, then it will get rust. As a result, you may face problem while unscrewing any of the parts.
These are the most common and essential things that you need to know. Moreover, there are some key factors that you need to keep in your knowledge. I have divided those factors on three-part. Before, during and after longboarding in the rain. Let's have a glance at these.
Before Longboarding:
Well, the first thing you need to pay attention to your dress up. Try to wear a dress which is inexpensive and you won't mind having dirt on it. The most important thing, don't forget to wear slipper resistant shoes. As you have to control the board with your shoes, make sure that the shoe will provide a good grip.
Besides, if you still find riding in the rain is too slippery, then you can arrange a set of rain wheels. It will provide more traction on the wet road.
Picture credit to factorytwofour.com
Try to use a different longboard on a rainy day, especially the cheap one. Better do not use your regular one. But, if you don’t have an option, then you may go with the regular one. But, remember you have to take care of your longboard after the use.
Then, give your deck a quick check for scratches. If your deck holds a scratch, then it is supposed to be more biased than the unused or new one. So, after using the scratched but expensive deck, drying is a must.
However, you can seal your scratched deck using the water-resistant materials such as shoe water, hair spray, paint and so on. Be careful that you should only spray on the wooden parts, not on the grip tape. Without it, you may go for the cheaper bearings. Any damages on the bearing won't cost much.
During Longboarding:
While longboarding you should pay proper attention to your safety. You should wear all the safety gear like safety pads and helmet. These will keep you protected.
“Puddles are a no go – ride around puddles”. There are a few reasons for this. Avoiding over puddle offers to have a few amounts of water on the boar and the bearings. As you don't know what is inside it. A gentle puddle can be a missing cobblestone stone and you may in all probability crash hard.
Whatever, as the road will get wet, so you need to be careful about the turns. Make a turn carefully. Otherwise, you may get crashed. You have to be careful about all the little things like painted lines on the road which can get you off of the board.
And you must have to avoid letting the board run away from you. Be careful, you need to keep your weight in the center of the board. Otherwise, the board may slip out underneath your feet while turning.
After Longboarding:
I hope you know your job after riding in the rain as I already told you much about it. The first thing that you should do is disassembling the board and make it dry. I have talked about the process to dry all the parts in the above.
In a word, after longboarding in the rain, you need to take care of your longboard in a good manner so that the rust may not hit your longboard. Wish you a “Happy Longboarding”.
FAQ
Q: Is it okay to longboard in the rain?
A: Yes, you can. But before longboarding in the rain, you have to know some important details. It's enjoyable but risky too.
Q: How do you protect your skateboard from the rain?
A: You may also like to read our reviews of cruising longboard.
