Since most skateboards are made of wood, they will soften, deform, and eventually get damaged if they come into contact with any wet or rainy conditions. You might notice the board gets wet, but is it good for your skateboard? Unfortunately, no! But What To Do If Your Skateboard Gets Wet?
When you skate in the rain or on a wet skateboard, you might hurriedly need to dismantle the board to repair it again as there is a possibility of an accident. Your board will develop water damage, warp, bearing, rust, or lubrication issues, among other minor problems that cause the board to fail.
We are all curious to try skating in the rain, as it feels like flying in the rain. Today we will try to discover some of the best ways to keep the skateboard secure and safe from the wet surface or if, accidentally, it goes down to the swimming pool. However, read the entire article to know more about wet or waterlogged boards.
Can A Skateboard Get Wet?
This is very natural when your skateboard gets wet after coming into contact with a wet or watery surface. You should keep your skateboard dry since water damages the bearings, board, trucks, and bolts. However, if your board becomes wet in any way, no matter how you fix it, the wood of your deck will be permanently damaged.
Additionally, this warps the board’s form and the glue will also start to lose its strength. But if it’s a kid’s skateboard, let them have fun skating on the wet one. We advise being mindful of moist shoes. We suggest avoiding rainy days, pools, and moist grass.
Can Electric Skateboards Get Wet?
Electric skateboards are water-resistant, which means that water won’t get inside of them. Most electric skateboards lack water resistance. Therefore, you can check out our given ideas.
- After being exposed to damp conditions, boards with high IP ratings run the danger of having their electrical and motor systems destroyed. Keep it dry.
- Avoid skating in puddles.
- Stay away from water corrosion as it’s an electrical item.
- When not in use, make sure to keep your skateboard in a dry place.
- If it has been wet, try to always wipe it off or dry it.
What Happens If Your Skateboard Gets Wet?
When the boards get wet, the bolts will rust, and the bearings might be unlubricated. The skateboard will slow down when the lubrication stops, or your bearings will continue to disintegrate from the inside out. Also, the skateboard won’t perform the same and go smoothly. The common issues we face are:
Delamination Issues
A skateboard material might fail in a manner called delamination in which it separates into portions. In short, when your deck is moist, it may cause the lamination to peel or bubble; this is what we call delamination.
These layers become loose if water gets between them because the adhesive will lose its cohesiveness and ultimately make a delaminated board. That’s what we notice at the beginning of the wet board.
Warped Board or Deck
Your skateboard absorbs water and gets wet, which will result in the wooden deck warping and permanent deck damage. However, bearings can be cleaned, re-lubricated, and repaired if they become wet. Also, steel vehicles’ iron-containing materials can be dried out because they won’t rust.
Anyway, decks of poor quality could start to distort or delaminate. Your board’s epoxied layers will allow water to get through and weaken the adhesive.
Wet Bolts and Bearings
If skateboards get wet, the bolts may rust, the bearings will become unlubricated, and slow and bearings begin to deteriorate. When it runs differently, you will notice it catches a long time to dry and eventually results in rusted bearings. But ultimately, the skateboard will be broken by the damp bolts and bearings.
How to Fix Wet Bearings?
- Use grip tape to offer the feet traction to keep them safe. However, grip tape can lose its adhesive after a certain time with continuous soaking and drying.
- Skateboard wheels with synthetic hard rubber bearings are completely unaffected by moisture.
- Remove the skateboard’s wheels, bearings, and decks to repair it. Put some WD-40 or another lubricant on your bearings after drying them off with a dry cloth.
See more: how to loosen skateboard wheels?
Trucks Can Rust
Skate trucks can endure water for a certain time. It’s not an issue when the trucks get wet a few times, but if the board meets water most of the time, it will eventually rust. This occasionally has an effect on the hangar, axes, kingpins, and nuts. Your truck’s attachment hardware will rust and weaken with time.
Related hardware: what size hardware for skateboard?
Slippery Skates On The Road
If you want to attempt skating in a rainy environment out of curiosity, be cautious because it will be slippery. For you to maintain control of your momentum, the road can be excessively slick, which could result in unintended accidents. Usually, slow bearings, soft or undersized wheels, or loose axle bolts cause it to occur. As a result, be careful to inspect and repair the skateboard.
Grip Tape Slippery Issue Might Happen
The tape will come off the deck after so many wet and dry sessions. The stickiness of grip tape could weaken. the type’s stickiness and continuously wet or dry can affect the rider’s safety.
Although it might eventually lose adhesion, it will still provide traction for both your feet and the board. If the skate grip tape on your skateboard gets wet, it will become slippery and difficult to control the board. Therefore, make sure you change your grip tape when you find them problematic.
Is It Bad If Your Skateboard Gets Wet
Whether it is good or negative is not important to us, but we do advise against skating on damp surfaces or making the board wet. The reason is that water harms decks, bearings, trucks, or nuts. Additionally, you can experience hydroplaning, which might make it harder for you to maneuver the skateboard.
Can You Skateboard on Wet Roads?
This is not restricted in that you cannot ride on the wet road, but it’s not good for your skateboard as hydroplaning can happen. You can still ride on a wet road. Furthermore, skating on a wet surface is rather dangerous, and as we already indicated, the main problem is that the deck suffers permanent damage.
You must be aware that moisture can destroy the board’s hardware, cause it to become slippery, and result in serious accidents. For these reasons, it is best to ride in parking garages, indoor skateparks, bridge underpasses, or park pavilions. Keep in mind that skating in the half bowl or pipe is not good when it is raining.
However, if you enjoy skating in a rainy environment, use the advice we’ve provided. To reduce the likelihood of rust, avoid puddles, wipe off your wheels after riding through them, or, after riding through damp areas, lightly lubricate your bearings.
Why You Shouldn’t Ride The Skateboard When It Is Wet
Skateboard injuries often occur in wet or rainy conditions. Because your bearings will damage the interior, grip tape may come off & lose traction, and the deck may lose the pop and become damp.
In addition to grip tape losing stickiness and possibly starting to tear, warp, add weight, and when the bearings, trucks, bolts, and nuts can be damaged or rust. Consequently, you shouldn’t run or skate on a damp surface.
How Much Water Does It Take To Waterlog A Board?
One or two occurrences of wetting and soaking won’t harm the board, but prolonged contact with water can cause the board to bulge and lose its color. However, after a while, you’ll see that the deck entirely dries up, adds weight, and loses the efficiency of its wheels, bearings, and other elements. So, frequently facing water should be avoided!
How Wet is Too Wet When Skateboarding?
It is not a good idea to skate after or during rain. Sometimes a light rain might distort your bearings or turn your deck waterlogged. Although we are unable to determine how wet is too wet for skateboarding, you should avoid skating on surfaces covered in water or mud. We suggest using an old setup or deck to enjoy the rainy day skating session.
How to Tell If a Skateboard Is Waterlogged
A board that is covered in water, dropped into a pool, or totally screwed off will certainly never perform the same. This is because the board has become waterlogged. But how do you spot a skateboard that has been waterlogged?
- Peeling and breaking are signals of waterlogging. Take your board out on a calm street, try a few ollies, and pay close attention to the snap of a dry board. You should hear a sharp, clear sound.
- A wet board, on the other hand, would sound dull and feel almost like pulling cardboard as you raised it. Additionally, it might make a wobbling floorboard sound.
- You might also notice tacks of glue or cracks somewhere on the board.
What Can You Do With a Wet Skateboard – 8 Easy Tips
Can You Fix A Waterlogged Skateboard Deck? Skateboards are not constructed with water-resistant materials. You cannot perfectly fix the waterlogged board as the water inside the deck will make it heavy and ultimately destroy the board after a while. However, you can dry it and repair it, but ultimately it won’t perform the same as before.
- Every part can be disassembled and dried out.
- Cleaning or drying the bearings could be accomplished well by using nail remover rather than re-lubricating them with silicone lube.
- Remove the hardware to detach the deck from the trucks. All of them, along with grip tape, can be dried using an absorbent towel or rag.
- Take off your wheels, properly dry the inside and exterior of the bearings, and lubricate them so that they won’t rust. Purchase WD-40 or bearing lubricant.
- Make sure to use a cloth to wipe down and dry your trucks if you did skate in the rain or if you went through a puddle. Alternately, you might change the truck or the worn-out axle nuts.
- Use sandpaper, an old cloth, and some rust remover to remove rust from skateboard trucks.
- Place the deck in the sun or let it dry naturally in a warm, dry area.
- Before leaving, you should also check the weather forecast.
FAQ
1. Does water ruin a skateboard deck?
Water can harm skateboard decks, while other components like bearings, axle nuts, cup washers, or kingpin nuts will rust but ultimately be repaired.
2. How do you take care of a skateboard after it rains?
The key parts, such as the decks, bearings, and wheels, can be dried in the sun or lubricated to operate effectively.
3. Okay, what’s actually going to happen if my board gets wet?
Wet boards cause rusty bearings and slow rolling. Your deck loses its shape, gains weight, and eventually gets completely damaged.
4. What to do if your bearings get wet?
Before the oil becomes dirty, a bearing will lose 75% of its lifetime due to water corrosion. Simply dry them, lubricate them with grease, or replace them if necessary.
Final Thoughts
So, there is no leftover info about what to do if your skateboard gets wet. From start to finish, we have mentioned tips and tricks on wet skateboard issues.
So, it is totally against skating on a wet surface, and if you accidentally or intentionally met watery areas like a damp road, pool, or rain, make sure you follow our given advice to fix the problems. Hopefully, the skateboard will run again!
Hi, my name is Gabriel. I am completed my MBA from private university and my subject was IT (Information Technology) and also I complete my graduation form South East University and Department from CSE (Computer Science & Engineering). I am author and blogger of this website who loves to write about different topics that are related to the board sport. From beginner tips to intermediate advice, I want to offer you quality content that will help improve your skill set and make you a better rider. Thanks for checking out my site!
