We have had a wonderful run of hot & sunny weather recently but occasionally, like today, we get hit with rain. Skating in wet conditions can be hazardous and cause damage to your bearings, but it can also help your technique.
Whilst we do not encourage people to skate in the wet there are situations where it becomes a necessity, like when you're already skating and get caught in the rain. Here is some simple advice on how to deal with rain:
- Try to keep the blades of your skates as upright as possible, on center edges. You have considerably more grip if they are in this position than if they are lent onto an edge.
- Make short and even pushes when skating. If you are aggressive or make long pushes your skates will slide.
- Avoid wet, or even damp, leaves as these can be extremely slippery.
- Learn a good wet weather stopping technique. Heel braking is good, T-stopping is a lot worse. If you can, try to learn the Forward T-stop / Soul Slide as it is highly effectively.
- Turning in the wet can be the most dangerous thing you will do: a parallel turn requires you to lean your skates onto corresponding edges and this, in turn, makes them open for sliding. If you can, reduce your speed considerably and try to make more gradual turns.
- If your wheels are brand new and still have the shine on them, do not skate. Take your skates off and walk. The shiny surface on new wheels makes them extremely slippery in the wet and you're much much more likely to end up hurting yourself.
We'll be talking a bit about how to clean your bearings in a later article but, for now, one of the best things you can do when you get out of the wet is to remove your wheels from the frames and wipe the outside of the bearings with a dry cloth or tissue paper. It's likely that your bearings won't spin as well after being used in the wet, sometimes even getting a little "crunchy", but if you skate on them they should start to loosen up.
And, on the positive side of skating in the wet: it is easier to start learning some slides than if it was dry. For example, learning the Forward T-Stop / Soul Slide is much easier as the friction between your wheels and the ground is considerably reduced. However, be careful for exactly the same reason: you are going to slide, and you are likely to fall over. Wear safety gear to protect yourself as much as possible.
If you want us to write a "How To" for a particular skating skill please let us know by emailing instructors@skateinstructor.com and we'll see what we can do.
