Can you skateboard in the rain? Yes Or No With Reason

As a skateboarder, I understand how challenging riding in the rain is and keeping your board safe. Due to this reason, we’ve answered all the related questions like “Can you skateboard in the rain?” and also addressed what happens when your skateboard gets wet with its solution.

Therefore, if you want to go skating in such weather, you should read this article first. Also, note that this article emphasizes that skateboards are just one type of board, and other boards, such as longboards, cruiser boards, and penny boards, are also included.

Can You Skateboard In The Rain?

You can skateboard in the rain with proper safety precautions, but it’s not wise to do so. If you’re concerned for the safety of yourself and your skateboard, you should never skateboard in the rain.

If you’re at home and the rain is started, then never get out on a skateboard. But if you’re already riding and rain starts, which makes your skateboard wet, we’ve some valuable tips for you at the end of this article, which help prevent your skateboard.

But before learning the tips to prevent skateboarding, let’s go through why it is terrible to skateboard in the rain, and we don’t recommend doing so.

What Happens If You Skateboard In The Rain

If you skate on rainy or wet ground, not only will your skateboard have a shorter lifespan, but you’ll also be at great risk for injury. Let’s take a look at each of them point by point so that you can see what happens if you skateboard in the rain.

1. Compromise With Safety

If you ride in the rain, the chances of getting hurt or accident are more. This is because while it’s raining, you can’t see the road ahead clearly, and you may collide with a tree, vehicle, stone, or get out of the road. Not only this, but also the opponents and people behind will not be able to see you clearly, and if they are in a car, they may slam you.

If you care about your safety, never ride on the streets or crowded places in the rain. Suppose you want to then do it in a clear place where no vehicles or people are coming.

2. Can’t Apply Brake Easily

If you’re a pro or beginner at skateboarding, you can easily apply break on the street in different ways, like putting one foot on the ground and force on it or touching the back of the deck on the ground.

But if you ride in the rain or wet ground, applying the brake will be very tough because if you put your foot on the ground, it will slip, and if you touch the backside of the deck, it will not stop the board immediately. You can slowly stop the board; hence if you’re riding in the rain, make sure you’re at a slow speed.

3. Problem With Deck

The deck is the main part of the skateboard, and it’s made of wood, so it absorbs more water than other parts of the board. As a result, the skateboard deck is the part that gets more damage compared to other parts. Along with that it also costs more than other parts. 

If you’re skateboarding in the rain, you’ll feel a deck slippery, making you unstable and unbalanced on a skateboard. Hence, the chances of falling from the board not having a good grip on board, which is experienced while deciding the board’s direction. 

Furthermore, if you ride in the rain and keep the board as it’s the next day, you’ll see the waterlogged and delaminated deck of your skateboard. Every deck is made of wood, whether it’s a longboard, cruiser board, or skateboard, so if it comes in contact with water, you’ll see the deck is of no use. The shape of the deck will be changed completely, and you won’t be able to ride it anymore. The only left is to replace the deck.

4. Problem With Wheels

The wheels also get affected more by rain and wet ground. While riding in rain, the first thing you’ll experience is not having a grip on wheels. You will not turn or ride in the direction you want because there is water between the wheels and ground, which reduces the grip. This makes you unsafe and quite challenging.

Further, if you’re riding on the wet ground instead of the street, the wet sand will tuck inside the wheels, reducing the speed and making your wheels full of wet sand. To resolve this, you need to disassemble the wheels and clean all the dirt and sands from the wheels. Also, note if the wheels are more affected by riding long in such weather, you may need to replace them with other quality skateboard wheels.

5. Problem With Bearings

I know bearings are not costly compared to other skateboard parts, but it’s essential for you to consider that your bearings will ruin out by riding in the rain.

Bearings are used for smooth and fast-rolling but by riding in the rain, the water gets inside the bearings and touches the outer part of it by which the bearings can’t roll smoothly. The next day after riding in the rain, the bearings start making terrible noise and not rolling smoothly. Therefore to resolve this, you’ve to replace what you should know.

6. Problem With Trucks

If you’re skating for a longer time, you may know each part of the skateboard needs replacement after a few weeks or months, but the trucks are the most long lasting part of this.

Hence, you should note that your skateboard trucks get Jung by riding in the rain and gradually reduce their life span. In addition to trucks rusting fast, the nuts and kingpin are also loose, keeping the trucks together. Therefore, after riding in the rain the next day, when you go to ride a skateboard, you’ll see a skateboard is out of control and will not turn or ride as you wish.

This happens because the nuts and kingpin are lost, which can be fixed but requires little effort and understanding. Also, consider not to ride the board fast in such conditions; if you do, you may have a big accident because of unbalanced trucks.

7. Griptape Will Ruin Out

As said earlier, by riding in the rain, the deck becomes waterlogged and delaminated, changing the deck shape. This results in the grip tape peeling off the deck and losing its grip ability.

Once the grip tape loses its grip ability, you can’t ride by standing on it because it will not give you proper foot position and balance. The only option left is to replace the grip tape and attach a new one.

Tips To Prevent Wet Skateboard

If you’re searching for what to do if the skateboard gets wet already in the rain, here we’ve some tips that might help you save your skateboard from replacing expenses of useless parts like the deck, trucks, wheels, or bearings.

• The first thing you should do if your skateboard gets wet try to soak all the water from the skateboard using a towel or air dryer. Make sure to absorb water from all the skateboard parts and mostly the deck because it gets worn out fast. By doing this, you can save most of the skateboard parts from deteriorating.
• Secondly, separate all the skateboard parts, including the deck, trucks, wheels, and bearings. By doing this, the water or wet mud fitted between the parts will drain.
• As said above, the skate deck declines faster compared to other parts so, after absorbing water from the deck, you should keep the deck in sunlight or near heat. By doing this, the chances of getting waterlogged will reduce.
•  Once you have done all this, get the bearings out of the wheels and clean them properly to work as earlier and provide a smooth ride. Make sure to clean the wheels and bearings properly because the wet mud fits easily inside this.

Also, note if your skateboard is not of high quality, you’ll see it start to ruin faster even by falling a few drops of water on it. Therefore you should always go quality skateboard, which doesn’t mean costly you can also get the best skateboard under 100.

Places To Skate When It’s Raining

We have alternative places where skateboarding can be done no matter if it’s raining or whatever’s going on. So that those who can’t leave without skateboarding can enjoy it without any risk in the places mentioned below.

Indoor Skateparks: I know skateparks are for those who like to do tricks. But while raining, you can do cruising or tricks both in Indore state parks. By doing this, you can save yourself and your skateboard. This is one of the best options if you really want to do skateboarding in the rain.

Additional Options: If you can see a parking garage, abandoned buildings, or abandoned warehouse near you, you can do skateboarding there also. It can be quite challenging for you because if it is a restricted area, you have to deal with their security guards; hence, make sure to consider that.

I hope you find this idea helpful, but we recommend not riding a skateboard in the rain because it can be very challenging for you and your skateboard. Either ride in indoor skateparks or prefer not to ride in such weather.

If your parking lot has shade you can read here if can you skateboard in parking lots or not.

FAQs

Q. What to do if your skateboard gets wet?

Answer: If your skateboard gets wet, you should dry it off as soon as possible. Wet boards can warp and swell, which can ruin your skateboard. If you can’t dry it off right away, try to keep it in a dry, warm place until you can.

Q. Is it OK to skate after it rains?

Answer: It could be better for skating after it rains because the ground will be wet and slippery, but if you must, make sure to wear proper footwear to avoid slipping. Also, be aware of any puddles or obstacles in your path. And lastly, be sure to clean and dry your skateboard afterward to avoid any water damage.

Q. How do you practice skateboarding when its raining?

Answer: If you want to practice skateboarding when it’s raining, you can try skating in a covered area like a garage or carport. Also, if your nearby skatepark is indoor, that’s another great option.

What is the best weather to skateboard?

Answer: Many skateboarders prefer to skate when the weather is sunny and dry. But you can skate in most weather conditions as long as you take the necessary precautions. Just be sure to dress appropriately and watch out for slippery surfaces.

Conclusion

I tried my best to educate you on this article about can you skateboard in the rain or not. But at last of this article, I will not recommend riding in such weather. If you are already riding and if the rain starts, you should follow the steps given in this article to save your skateboard from being deteriorated.

Always remember that pro skateboarders consider their skateboard safety first, and they never ride in such bad weather where their skateboard gets compromised.