Skateboarding is a dangerous sport.
Serious injuries are rare, but sprains, breaks, and lacerations are common.
If you’re not careful, you could even suffer a serious concussion or experience an injury that impacts your quality of life and your future ability to skate.
To guard against such injuries, you should wear protective gear, including skateboard pads and a helmet.
Skateboard Pads
Skateboard pads are a type of protective gear that comes in several different categories:
Knee Pads
A flexible support that slips over the knee and features impact resistance and protection for the knee.
Knee pads also cover the area below and above the knee and apply pressure, but the main protective area is the knee itself and its purpose is to protect against knocks and falls.
Knee pads are very common and you’ll usually see them being worn by professional and amateur skaters alike.
Elbow Pads
Elbow pads are a lot like knee pads, only they are designed to be strapped around the elbow area to protect the bone against impacts.
Elbow pads are not as ubiquitous as knee pads as many skaters learn how to fall on their knees, but they are still relatively common.
Wrist Guards
Wrist guards are less common than knee and elbow pads.
They protect the wrists against impact.
When inexperienced riders fall, their first instinct is to catch themselves by thrusting their hands out.
As a result, their results often take the brunt of the fall and this can lead to serious injuries.
Pro skaters learn how to avoid falling on their wrists and so guards are not as common or necessary, but they still serve a purpose.
Skateboard Helmets
Skateboard helmets are often interchangeable with bike helmets and serve much the same purpose.
They are designed to protect against multiple falls on hard surfaces.
Some helmets are single-impact only, which means they’re basically useless after a heavy crash.
Others are designed for multiple impact protection and these are the best skateboard helmets and the ones you should buy.
A skateboard helmet should fit snugly to avoid your skull and brain rocking around in the event of a heavy impact.
At the same time, however, they shouldn’t apply too much pressure and should offer a level of comfort that makes them easy to wear for hours at a time.
Elbow Pads, Knee Pads, Wrist Guards, Helmets, and Other Protective Gear
It might not look “cool” to wear a helmet while street skating and you may even think twice about strapping on knee pads and elbow pads. But if they’re good enough for professional skaters then they should be good enough for you!
Protective gear is relatively inexpensive and there is a huge variety to choose from.
With services like Amazon Prime, as well as a quick visit to your local skate shop, you can get your hands on these items quickly and with minimum fuss.
There’s no reason not to wear them, especially when you consider the aches, pains, and breaks that they could prevent.
