Skateboard Safety Equipment Buying Guide

Being safe while riding a skateboard is essential - especially for beginners who are more prone to falling and receiving injuries. Although it may sound strange, a big part of learning how to ride a skateboard is also learning how to fall in ways that reduce the risk of getting hurt. While your ability to handle falling off a skateboard becomes better with experience the learning process is always a bumpy ride and we recommended you are protected as much as possible.

The main types of skateboarding safety equipment are helmets, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards. These protect the areas of your body that you are most likely to knock or scrape when falling off of a skateboard. As safety equipment is essential we carry multiple sizes of helmets and pads and always recommend that beginners purchase the correct safety equipment alongside their skateboard.

As we understand that skateboarding can be an expensive hobby we frequently stock up on Pro-Tec pad sets which include knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards for an affordable price. These pad sets are available to browse, alongside our other safety equipment by clicking here.

Here’s everything else you need to know about skateboarding safety gear...

Helmets

Helmets should cover your whole head with a snug and comfortable fit that doesn’t apply pressure to your temples. We highly recommend that beginners purchase a proper skateboarding helmet, made by a brand such as Pro-Tec, rather than using a bicycle helmet as a substitute. This is because bicycle helmets may crack on impact whereas the outer layer of a skateboarding helmet is built to endure repeated collisions.

Helmets feature a chin buckle retention system. To guarantee they are secure and the best possible protection this strap should be snug to your chin when riding to prevent any slippage.

The inside of a skateboarding helmet contains soft sponge padding which is attatched with Velcro to a thick inner layer of expanded polypropylene inside the helmet’s hard plastic shell. Like any other physical exercise skateboarding raises your body temperature so helmets have ventilation holes to help relieve this. Exercising, while wearing something on your head, will cause you to sweat more so to prevent dehydration and heat exhaustion small breaks should be taken when skateboarding - especially on very sunny days.

In rare cases of extreme heat helmets may warp which reduces their efficiency to protect the wearer. In the event of such a damage, or any cracking to the outer shell, a new helmet should be purchased immediately.

Elbow Pads

Elbow pads are sold in sets of two. They feature a plastic cup which sits over your elbow, usually attached to an elasticated sleeve for comfort and support, and Velcro straps to guarantee they stay in place.

Elbow pads come in a variety of sizes and we always recommend trying them on in-store before making a purchase as skateboarding safety gear should fit close but comfortable for optimum protection.

Knee Pads

Knee pads are also sold in sets of two and resemble larger elbow pads. Knee pads are sold in sets of two and feature a plastic cup which sits over your knee, with a elasticated sleeve for comfort and support, and Velcro straps to keep them in place.

A knee pad should fit snug while still allowing for flexibility and they come in a variety of sizes. Correct sizing is important to ensure that you are properly protected when skateboarding therefore a knee pad should never be substituted for an elbow pad and vice versa.

Like the majority of the product we carry we recommend trying them on in-store before making a purchase.

Wrist Guards

Skateboarding wrist guards are sold in sets of two and fit like a gauntlet. Your thumb fits through a hole and the rest of the pad wraps around your wrist – held secure with Velcro straps. The palm area of wrist guards feature a layer of tough plastic to prevent damage to sensitive areas of the wrist and palm on impact.

We hope this guide has been helpful. For any further questions feel free to visit us at 36 Dale Street, Manchester where our staff can provide their expertise and friendly assistance. Alternatively, email any queries to contact@blacksheepstore.co.uk