Is longboarding in snow worth it? During the winter season, most outdoor activities come to a pause, usually in hilly and foreign areas, because the temperature often goes below zero degrees. However, some sports are still played in winter by taking the required preventive measures as many people don’t prefer staying at home.
Many longboarders probably hang their longboards in winter and get involved in other essential activities. Some still find skills to longboard in winters. Skipping longboarding in the winters may weaken your skills as longboarding will be out of your practice for a few months.
People give a break to longboarding, especially during the snowfall, because the roads freeze and snow often covers everything. Well, in short, it is hard to longboard in winters and the snow season.
Longboarding In Snow – Easy or Difficult?
You can longboard on the winter roads when they are not fully covered with snow. But still, because of the cold weather when it flurries, the watery pavements can get in your way. Longboarding in the snow is a bit trickier because of the snow and slippery ways.
But you can still get-go longboarding in the snow by using solid gears and wheels with high grips with extreme cautions. You’ll need to be more careful as your board may get damaged, or you may get injured in such weather.
lessen the absorption rate of water, but this still is not the safest way. Painting can still get the deck damaged a little bit.
However, if you don’t have a water-resistant deck in your budget, you can get your deck coated in POLYURETHANE. This will add more protection to your deck. In addition to water resistance, polyurethane shall also make your deck scratch and stain-proof.
Although it is not the best solution, you can get your longboard deck coated rather than doing nothing.
Lastly, all you have to do is prevent your deck from being waterlogged and becoming rot. Removing the water from your deck after every ride with a clean and dry cloth proves to be useful even if it’s coated safe. Many people use their throw-away decks during winters and keep their actual decks safe at home.
Waterproof Your Longboard for Longboarding in Snow
In winters, weather patterns are often unpredictable, and no one knows whether it’s going to rain or snow. Your longboard can get easily damaged by such wet weather. In spite of this, you’ll have to take extra care of your longboard.
Deck
Longboards are made up of plywood, and we all know that there are no match between water and wood together. You must have to protect your longboard from water.
Moreover, you need to protect your longboard deck from getting in contact with water; otherwise, you shall face the damage. If your longboard deck gets in contact with water, the wood will absorb it and get warped. To make your gadget’s investment secure, you can get water-resistant decks that offer no absorption and repel the water.
Or simply, you can paint your longboard decks if they are not waterproof. The reason for painting a longboard deck is that it will lessen the absorption rate of water, but this still is not the safest way. Painting can still get the deck damaged a little bit.
However, if you don’t have a water-resistant deck in your budget, you can get your deck coated in POLYURETHANE. This will add more protection to your deck. In addition to water resistance, polyurethane shall also make your deck scratch and stain-proof.
Although it is not the best solution, you can get your longboard deck coated rather than doing nothing.
Lastly, all you have to do is prevent your deck from being waterlogged and becoming rot. Removing the water from your deck after every ride with a clean and dry cloth proves to be useful even if it’s coated safe. Many people use their throw-away decks during winters and keep their actual decks safe at home.
Grip Tape to Longboard in Snow
The grip tape of longboards is usually durable. It remains fine if you keep wiping off the water after each ride and until you throw it off in a lake or sink it into the water yourself.
Basically, the grip tape is more sticky, and a high amount of moisture can penetrate it, and then it may get damaged or useless. However, the water can get into the grip tape, causing your longboard to warp. You can use waterproof grip tape for a sort of extra protection.
Longboard Bearings
After the deck and the grip tape, longboard bearings also get damaged easily due to water if you ride on wet and snowy pavements. If water fills in the bearings, they will become rust and further of no use. In order to prevent this, lube your bearings perfectly and in the right way.
However, using duct tape can also help out in prevention. After each ride, wipe off your board nicely and cover it again with lube for the next ride. Make sure that there is no dirt on your longboard bearings and keep them dry and not moisturized. Also, keep them lubricated in a well way.
Moreover, get yourself ceramic bearings because they offer less destruction to longboards and don’t get rusted. They are smoother than the average bearings.
You can use white lithium grease to cover your longboard bearings because it is the most useful, easiest, and least expensive solution.
However, the lithium grease withstands high heat and moisture and is protection against rusting and warping. This multi-purpose solution shall make a world difference in protection before and after. This benefits for long-term use of longboards.
Using WD-40 is a caution. Avoid using this lubricant because it will attract dust and particles that will ruin your longboard and damage your bearings. Likely the decks, some people do use throw-away bearings instead of the new ones. If your budget allows, you can also buy waterproof bearings as they hold up much better than the non-resistant ones. But remember to wipe down the shields of your waterproof bearing after each riding session for their long life.
Longboard Trucks
The longboard trucks usually don’t create any such issue, even when used in wet weather conditions or on snowy roads. The same thing that you should apply to the longboard trucks is to wipe them off very often after each ride.
The Wheels For Longboarding In Snow
Wheels don’t get ruined because of water because they are the non-wooden parts of the longboard. However, as we all know, the roads become slippery during winters even if it’s not raining. Wheels can make you slip more often during such weather, but you can sort this problem by using “rain wheels.”
Most longboards have their own rain wheels, but you can buy them online from any store if your longboards have not. Now, you might be thinking that “How shall rain wheels benefit you?”
To avoid hydroplaning, drivers primarily drive carefully and slowly when it’s raining due to the slippery pattern of the roads. If water gets under your wheels while driving or riding, you may crash and get injured. While, with the use of rain wheels, this problem is significantly reduced as these wheels have grooves all over them. These will allow better and adequate traction. In this way, the water will pass through the grooves instead of coming below the wheels. Moreover, don’t get low if you have water wheels because this still requires skills to work out. With a few tools and a little know-how, you can make your own rain wheels.
Warnings to Consider
- Longboarding in snowy and rainy seasons is very dangerous.
- You can get injured seriously without preparing yourself perfectly.
- Be alert and attentive while longboarding in snow and usually in foggy weather.
- Try not to ride alone in such weather conditions.
- Wear appropriate clothes during longboarding in winters.
Conclusion – Longboarding In Snow
True lovers of longboarding never accept staying at home due to harsh weather conditions. Instead, they do the most to make it safe for them and still go for longboarding.
Longboarding in snow requires more accurate riding and being more careful. More than being cautious, you have to take extra care of your longboard to avoid it from warping and rusting. Take care of your longboard deck, grip tape, wheels, trucks, and bearings.