You can have a completely different experience by skateboarding at night. It’s a bit riskier than to longboard in the daytime, but you can, however, skip the danger by following the given tips and tricks here. Not only that, but you will also find the set of gears you will need to skate after dark and all the related answers to longboarding at night below.
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Why Skateboard At Night?
Now, it’s common to skate during the day. But why skateboard at night? Night skating might have those excellent opportunities that daytime skating does not have. These might be the reasons that you should longboard at night:
So, it’s up to you whether you want to skate during the day or you want to creep through the night. However, you need to pick the right place for night skating.
Best Places to Skateboard or Longboard at Night:
Are you concerned about where you can longboard at night? Or you can’t find a suitable place to do so? Here are some ideas that can help you to figure out the best places to skateboard or longboard at night.
Is Skateboarding at Night Illegal?
In most of the U.S. states, longboarders are counted as pedestrians. Therefore, it’s legal and as common as walking to longboard in those places. However, invading someone’s private properties, confidential areas, and cantonments are not legal even when you’re not skating.
Night skating also might be illegal in some states and many city areas too. For example, skateboarding in the plazas and business districts is illegal in many cities. Also, you cannot longboard in San Diego and Los Angeles on the ocean boardwalks. Regulations are always to be changed. So, you need to know what your local Government says about skating at night.
Is Longboarding or Skateboarding at Night Safe?
It depends on many things if it’s safe to longboard at night. Due to insufficient lighting, you can bump into something or trip over the cracks. Though nighttime skating is riskier than skating in daylight, with proper precaution you can reduce the risk.
How to Skate at Night?
In 2017 skateboarding statistics, about 90,000 injury cases were reported. So, skateboarding safely requires some guidelines to follow whether it’s day or night. But night skating requires some special attention to daytime skating.
i. Always Keep Headlamps for Night Skateboarding
Headlamps are very useful when skateboarding at night. They help you to see the cracks and bumps in the road beforehand and avoid crashing. Putting a headlamp on will help you to skate on a less lit area.
Personal headlamps will illuminate only a small area of 2 to 5 feet depending on its design. But that’s enough when you’re learning it or riding slowly. However, they are insufficient if you want to ride faster. Neutral white lights are best for night skating. Also, a quality headlamp won’t stop even if it falls a few times.
ii. Use Skateboard Lights for Night skating
Besides headlamps, skateboard lights are also useful for night skating. Headlamps help you see a better view of the streets while blinding the persons opposite to you. You have to install skateboard lights on your skateboard. But they are multipurpose. Hence, they can be mounted on your helmet, arms, bike, onewheel, EUC. MTN board etc. Also, the best skateboard lights will give you better service than the cheap ones. Also, it’s better to find a waterproof skateboard light.
iii. Use a Skateboard Helmet
In addition to the lights, a skateboard helmet is necessary for both day and night skating. Best skateboard/longboard helmets are comfortable and sturdy and can reduce the risk of being head injured. Also, you may find helmets with installed LED lights.
Many people use bike helmets for skateboarding. But you need to check if the bike helmet covers the backside of your head as the longboarding helmet does. Also, skateboard helmets are safer than bike helmets. Therefore, you should better pick a specific helmet for skateboarding.
iv. Wear Reflective Clothing
You may like dark colors to wear. But dark clothes will be invisible at night. The streetwalkers and cars won’t be able to see you So, put away your black shirt and dark washed jeans.
Instead, wear some bright colors. Bright red, white, orange, and yellow is the best pick here. But wearing a reflective safety vest is the best you can do. Some areas may have distinctive rules of clothing to skate at night. Therefore, try to follow the guidelines.
v. Use skateboard protective gear
Can I skate without the protective gears? Yes, you can. But there is a huge risk of getting your body parts fractured. And you may discover yourself in the emergency of a hospital.
Skateboarding gears include knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards. Longboarding is a game where you have the risk of injuring yourself in the knees, elbows, and hands. Therefore, you need the best skateboard protective gear.
Protective gears with enough cushioning are best to reduce impact. Added velcro straps should be qualified to be used for longer periods and ensure comfort and the right fit. The protective gears must retain their shape soon enough after the impact.
How to Light Up a Skate Spot?
If you have a fixed night skating spot, you can install permanent lights. For the lights, pick the strong and sturdy ones under your budget. Multiple battery-based LED lights are a better and cheaper option for lighting up the skating area than electric-powered traditional lamps. You may also find different brightness regulating options in them. Also, you need a tripod to set up the lights.
To step up the game, you need a quiet generator that doesn’t produce loud noise and wakes the whole neighborhood up. But for that, you need a bigger budget. A big, loud generator will drain out the sound of skateboarding which is what you particularly don’t want as a skateboarder. You may choose a small, carryable one that can be transported to the place of skateboarding. Also, you may use an old generator, sitting in the garage.
Is Skateboarding Too Loud at Night?
Skateboarding at night can be a very exciting experience. However, not for the sleeping neighborhoods. No one wants to be bothered in the middle of the night hearing the skating noise. As there is no car honking or other noise, a little sound may feel like a roar. And when you use a generator to light up the skating place, it adds up to the noise level on a high tone.
According to the chief noise officer of the Portland Sheriff’s Department, skateboard noise is not noticeable or ignorable from a 50 feet distance except for the noise of some tricks, like- ollies. Therefore, it’s better to longboard harmoniously in the streets or practice in an empty parkway.
Conclusion
Night skating is thrilling to many skateboarders. Though it may seem risky and dangerous to many, it is an exciting game for others. It’s freedom from the crowd and traffic. It’s like flying in the night sky. Adequate lighting can turn night skating into a fun thing to do, especially when everyone has to maintain physical distance due to the corona situation.
