The question we would be answering in this article is “can you roller skate in the rain?”.
Now I don’t know how much of a skater you might be, but what I do know is that almost all roller skaters have at some point gotten caught up in the rain.
Yes! We know skating is a risky activity and quite a lot of us have only truly learned from the constant accidents and occasional injuries.
But then again, it is part of the sport, and we accept it.
So, can you quad roller skate in the rain? if so, then what are the risks, and most importantly how can you better protect yourself or prepare yourself for a downpour.
So get a glass of something chill and enjoy reading.
Yes! You can roller skate while in the rain, but there are some things you have to take note of, one of such things would be bad visibility.
What Are The Problems You Might Face When Skating In The Rain
When deciding whether it is safe to skate in the rain or not, understanding the potential challenges you might face is quite important.
So, here are a few of them.
A Slippery Ground
The first issue you might encounter when skating in the rain is that of course, the ground is more slippery.
This could affect inline skates more than it would quad skates, as inline skates wheels have a more curved profile and the skating mechanism cause the wheels to tip over.
How slippery the ground could vary, depending on the surface type, making it difficult to predict.
In fact, The smoother a surface is when dry, the more slippery it would be when wet.
Tip: It helps to pay particular attention to the most slippery polished stones, marble, and interior.
Stopping
Another problem you might encounter when skating in the rain would be stopping.
Just like other transportation modes, the stopping distance for wet conditions is usually longer, and it is especially true for skating.
The stopping distance for skating on a rainy day would be at least three times longer than on a dry day.
And some stop methods won’t be appropriate when skating in the rain.
Some of the best methods for stopping while skating in the rain would be methods that require you to slide on one skate.
These are some examples:
- Powerslide
- T-Stop
- Soul Slide
Using these methods might take you a lot before you can actually stop, so ensure you maintain complete balance for each slide position.
Also, avoid weaknesses in your techniques, as they may become exaggerated while skating on a rainy day.
For instance, you would need to be gentle when using sliding stops that involve sliding on both skates, like Magic Slide, Parallel Slide or Hockey Stop could be quite difficult to execute on a rainy day.
So you might need to achieve pro status before using those during a downpour.
But as a beginner, I recommend using the Heel brake stop. This is because although it might take a while, the rubber brake would easily slow down, eventually stopping you.
Tip: Try to avoid stopping methods that would require you to turn while on a wide stance (e.g Plough Stops). This is because the edges have a higher tendency of sliding.
You Stride While Skating
It could be a lot harder to push forward (stride ) when you skate in the rain. This is usually caused by the low visibility.
You could easily fall or slip when you try to stride or push forward when skating in the rain.
So a normal stride when skating could end you in a bad slide, and we do not want that.
Most inline skaters have a general problem of pronating while on an insight edge, and this could become quite critical during the rain.
Your Turning
If you’ve ever seen a bicycle as it leans into a turn then you would understand a little of how turning on an inline skate looks.
Try to avoid edging when you skate in the rain as this could create a bigger problem when you try to turn.
Also, avoid doing crossovers that would require body rotations and edging.
Try reducing your speeds on turns greatly when skating in rainy conditions.
Your Equipment
Just by simply skating in the rain, you risk affecting your bearings, and could even reduce the efficiency of your bearings.
So do ensure you clean your bearings after skating in the rain. This is to make sure that your bearings do not suffer any long-lasting or permanent damages.
You can determine while skating in the rain, how much grip you could get from the hardness or softness of your wheels.
Tip: I personally recommend you get Torrent rain wheels for situations where you would need to skate in the rain.
So, Can You Roller Skate In The Rain?
Now that you know the possible issues you might face or encounter while skating in the rain. You can better decide whether it is safe to skate in the rain or not.
Personally, I do not advise or recommend that you go skating while it rains. There are a lot of challenges and problems that come with it.
But if you truly must skate in the rain (maybe due to an emergency or you just want to satisfy your “skate cravings”), here are some tips to better help you skate safely during a downpour.
If You Must Skate While In The Rain, Do These Things
Try Preparing Your Roller Skates Properly, Before Heading Out
The first thing you would want to check out before stepping outside would be your bearings.
Make sure they are correctly working as you would definitely want your wheels to easily and freely spin.
When it comes to skating in the rain, your wheels are everything, so I advise you to get softer wheels.
Hard wheels offer less grip and wheels made of polyurethane rubber tend to harden up more when exposed to cold.
As I stated earlier, soft wheels offer a better grip generally (not just on wet surfaces) but they are perfect for rainy conditions.
Tip: Get a grade 70A wheel for skating in the rain. It might not be fast but it is safer.
It might be inevitable to keep your feet dry while skating in the rain. But still, getting boot covers for your skates might be a great idea.
It might not keep your wheels dry, but I am sure it is way better than having water in your roller skates as you skate.
Follow the Proper Skating Practices
As we already established, there are a lot of challenges to skating while in the rain.
So following the best skating practices could help make it a lot safer and easier to manage.
Maintaining friction while you skate might be the best practice while you skate in the rain.
It is so easy for your feet to slide apart while skating in the rain, so do ensure you keep them close together at all times.
Also, try pushing downwards when you skate in the rain, It would shift the force on your feet downwards maintaining your Center of mass.
Try to stay on your feet, it is quite the same with normal skating, try going slow, most especially during corners or bends. Do not rush, what matters most is safety not speed.
Braking methods are a lot less effective while in the rain, so you have to be quite careful with the method you choose.
I listed some “okay” methods above. They don’t guarantee safety but they are good choices.
Further Precautions
If you find yourself going uphill, try maintaining a short stride. Ensure you always keep in contact with the ground. Using fast but light strides could do the trick.
And if you find yourself going downhill, don’t go all commando. Take it easy, test your brakes while at the top of the hill.
If you find that the hill might be too steep for you, try the staircase technique to get down.
Read Next: Why Does Rain Make the Power Go Out?
Conclusion
Can you roller skate in the rain? Yes, you can! But as I said earlier, I personally do not recommend it.
But if you however find yourself in a situation where you just have to, then by all means do.
Be careful though, to follow the practices listed above, it would definitely be of help to you.
That’s all we have in this article. I do however ask that you check out our previous articles, you might learn something useful.
For now, stay safe and have a great time.
