How to Play Paintball Safely

kevin asked:


 

Apart from having fun, an important consideration when you play paintball is everyone’s safety. Although paintball is one of the safest sports you can play, the safety aspect should not be taken for granted. In paintball there is an important emphasis on putting safety first; being mindful of yourself and other players. Here are some useful tips for keeping safe when you play paintball.

You should wear goggles or a mask at all times during a game. Ideally, the mask should cover the whole head, fit securely and be comfortable. Regular glasses or sunglasses are not sufficient to protect you from fast flying projectiles when you play paintball.

You should always wear thick, long sleeved shirts and full-length pants to fully protect your arms and legs. Better still, cover your vulnerable areas with hard plastic body armour or a padded paintball suit. Collars, boxes and gloves all give added protection.

You should have no physical contact with another player; paintball is a non-contact sport. Keep your distance when you play paintball.

You should not shoot at an opponent within a range of five meters. A paintball can cause serious injury when fired at close range. When you play paintball it is wise to keep a distance of five meters between players at all times.

You should not shoot at a player when he is holding his gun aloft with both hands. A player in this position has either just been marked and is leaving the field or he has surrendered. Either way he is defenceless and is not a target.

You should not consume alcohol before, during or after the game as it will impair your judgement and reactions drastically. You will endanger yourself and other players when you play paintball.

You should have a plug inserted in the marker’s barrel at all times when you are off the field to avoid accidental firing. You should avoid contact with co2 if your gun has leakage as it can cause freeze burns on your skin. Never carry your marker by its co2 supply hose as this could lead to leaking gas.

You should maintain your gun and equipment thoroughly to maximise safe and effective performance. Ideally, you should strip down your gear straight after every game, then clean and lubricate it before you put it away so its ready to go the next time you play paintball.

You should never fire your marker outside of the playing boundaries or at anyone not involved in the game; including the referee!

You should never leave your gear, especially the marker, unsupervised between games. Always ensure it is locked away safely when not in use and kept out of the reach of children.

You should invest in chronographs to control the speed of your paintballs. The maximum allowed velocity required for safety when you play paintball outdoors is 300 feet per second (200 feet per second indoors).

You should avoid blind-firing; this is a dangerous practice as you can’t see what you’re firing at and you could hit someone at point blank.

You should avoid overshooting; it is unnecessary and potentially dangerous to repeatedly shoot at an opponent once you’ve marked them.

Paintball is safe if you follow all the safety precautions and are mindful of yourself and others. Don’t be complacent when you play paintball. Any sport is dangerous if you play it  irresponsibly. Safety needs to be worked at to ensure you get the maximum enjoyment out of the sport.

 



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Paintball Gear: Kit Yourself Out

kevin asked:


 

Paintball Gear is a broad term covering all the paraphernalia you need to set you up in paintball. This might include: a gun, ammo, mask, clothing, safety equipment and carrying belt. For the purpose of this article, I will disregard the paintball gun and all of its attachments. Whilst it is the most important piece of “gear”, it requires a whole article to itself ( if not many). Apart from the gun, what else do you need to kit yourself out for paintball?

After the gun, the most important piece of paintball gear is the mask. The number of serious injuries may well be lower in paintball than numerous other sports, but they can be severe. It is not pleasant to be struck on the head by a paintball travelling at 300 feet per second. It is essential that you protect your eyes and ears from paintball damage.

It is sensible to wear a mask with ear flaps, and a visor to give protection from the sun. The mask should cover the whole head to avoid being struck on a sensitive area. They come in an assortment of colours and styles, but as cool as they look, safety must be your first concern with this type of paintball gear. The mask must fit securely and be comfortable.

Alternatively, You could opt for protective glasses or goggles. These do not give as much protection as the full mask, but they are better than nothing. Protective eye-wear must provide full coverage of the eye area. Regular glasses or sunglasses are not sufficient. The glasses must have side blinders to protect you from fast flying projectiles.

Keeping to the safety aspect of paintball gear, you may also want to consider a padded paintball suit. This gives extra built-in protection to vulnerable areas, such as the chest and neck. Or you may favour hard plastic body armour that can help protect your back, chest, arms and legs. Gloves, vests, boxes and collars also increase your protection on the field. Many players feel happier about playing if they know they are fully protected and can, therefore, enjoy the game more.

One of the reasons for the encouraging paintball safety statistics is that there is a strong emphasis on wearing the correct protective gear and you may not be allowed to play without it.

Although there is no requirement to dress in a certain way, your clothing choices are important. You need to wear thick clothing for added protection; short sleeves or pants do not give sufficient coverage, whatever the weather. Your clothes should be reasonably close fitting; baggy clothes increase your chance of getting hit and eliminated.  You can buy clothing designed specifically for paintball, which can be effective, but whatever you choose, you need to feel comfortable and be able to move freely.

Paintballs fall loosely into the category of paintball gear. They too, like markers, merit an article to themselves (see Paintballs: Your Questions Answered ). They vary a great deal in quality, and as you would expect, they give different levels of performance. You should expect to pay more for ammo of a higher quality.

Another useful item of paintball gear is a special carrying belt for holding your paintballs. The carrying belt holds tubes that can hold 200 paintballs each.

You can find a wide variety of appropriate paintball gear in sporting goods stores, discount retailers and paintball speciality stores. There are also many different online stores offering an impressive selection of guns, ammo and protective kit for reasonable prices. Aside from the gun and ammo, your most important items of paintball gear will be concerned with safety and comfort. You must take your time to purchase wisely.

Hawksbill Paintball

Hawksbill Sports was established by players, for players. Our goal is to give you the products you need to enjoy the sport of paintball. We have low prices and fast shipping and promise the best customer service you can find anywhere. For more information and a great selection of paintball gear,



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What Paintball Gear Do Players Need?

Candice Sabrina asked:


It goes almost without say, that paintball players need paintball gear. With the variety of gear on the market today, a player can easily pick the gear that best suits personal style of play.

The first piece of paintball gear any player will need is a marker or gun. The type of game that will be played will most likely determine the weapon chosen.

Depending on what type of game you play will most likely determine the weapon you choose, such as if you’re a wood ball player you might be more inclined go with a Tippman these markers are known for their durability and reliability.

Those that plan to play mostly on air ball or speedball fields will need a marker that fires at least 15 balls a second. Any number of guns fit this description. Examples include the Ego made by Planet Eclipse, a Dmc or a Dm6 made by Dye perhaps even a Karnivor made by Worrgames. Some of these guns are what might be considered by some to be “top of the line.”

All of the markers mentioned above do carry a hefty price tag, but there are alternatives, including the Ion by Smart Parts. This gun costs about half the price of the others and can hold its own when used by a good player.

After a marker is chosen, the next piece of paintball gear that will be needed is a mask. There are all kinds of makes to choose from. They come in all sorts of colors and some even have tinted, or colored, lenses. But as cool as some may look, always remember that a mask’s number one just is to protect the face and especially the eyes. Safety is the first concern of this type of paintball gear.

To buy a mask correctly, it is important to make sure it fits securely. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, don’t forget that! If a mask doesn’t fit right, it is not the right piece of gear.

Other paintball gear some players purchase includes optional safety equipment. If the sting of being hit by a ball is too much, there are hard plastic pieces of body armor that can help protected the back, chest, arms and legs. These aren’t required to play, but many players use them.

Beyond safety and the gun, another piece of paintball gear that is a must-have is a device for actually carrying the balls. Most players purchase a special carrying belt that holds tubes that can be filled with paintballs. The tubes generally hold 200 paint balls each. Style of play will determine how many balls need to be carried.

Clothing is also something to think about. What might be needed will depend on several factors, including the climate a game is taking place in and personal choice. The clothing designed for play can be very effective, but it is important for players to wear whatever makes them the most comfortable.

Aside from the marker and balls, the most important purchases on the paintball gear market fall in the safety category. Remember, safety and comfort are far more important on the field of play than looks.



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