Playing in the RainBy: Paul Katic
Friday January 11, 2008
No one can control the weather. Bad weather can hit at any time, especially for those of us living on the East Coast. The rain clouds seem to hover over our heads just about everywhere we go. As with many other things, weather is uncontrollable. But with preparation, you can help control and eliminate some of the major factors of rain affecting your paintball gameplay. Do you have questions about how pro players run so fast in the rain, and never seem to slip? In this article, we will go over what you can do to prepare yourself for rainy weather: everything from what to wear, to how to slide.
Playing in the rain is very harsh. You can’t see a darn thing. You're trying to see the field through a 1-centimeter group of raindrops. Rain will build up on your goggles and significantly limit your visibility. If rain gets in contact with the inside of your goggle system, it causes a hazy film that you can barely see through. If that is the case, then you might as well get out of the game, go back to your pit and clean your goggle system. For this reason, it is important that you wear either a visor that attaches to your goggle system, a hat or a visor beanie. Basically anything that will cover the top of and keep water out of the inside of your goggle system will help your visibility by at least 50 percent. A goggle rag is an excellent investment as well. Not only does it wipe your goggles crystal clear, you can just wash it with your paintball gear and reuse it for months. Always keep your goggle rag in your pocket and wipe your lenses off before the start of every game.
Make sure you plan ahead and take care of your paintball gear. There is nothing worse than getting to the field in the morning when it’s all frosty out and having to put freezing cold wet gear on. Always make sure your gear is completely dry the night before you play. Personally, I like to wear under armor, because it dries fast and doesn’t absorb water like a cotton shirt. Maintaining your equipment in the rain is also extremely important. After every game you play, you should take your barrel and hopper off and clean them and make sure everything is dry. Always avoid dragging your gun through a puddle of water or mud. Paintballs and markers are not designed to be submerged underwater. Paintball guns are not designed like high-tech Navy SEAL guns.
Some players like to tape the ports on the side of their barrel. Taping your barrel will help keep rain from entering your barrel, theoretically making your marker more accurate. If you are going to tape your barrel, make sure you chronograph after taping it because taping your barrel can increase your velocity anywhere from 10-25 fps.
Good traction is extremely important in the rain, especially if you playing on turf or grass. It's like trying to walk on ice in dress shoes. Different shoes are designed for different terrain. A track player runs on hard-packed dirt and has track cleats with small track spikes because if they used a shoe with big cleats, it wouldn’t dig into the dirt and give them good enough traction. A soccer player who runs on grass wears shoes with bigger spikes because the grass gives more and rips out and the bigger spikes will grip even though the grass is giving out. Find out what terrain you are going to be playing on and acquire the right shoe for it.
Most tournament players are switching to athletic golf shoes when playing on turf, due to the fact that tournament circuits ban metal track spikes. Golf cleats grip very well, even in the rain because they have many little spikes coming out of each circular cleat. If you are playing on woods fields, I would recommend a high-top football cleat because it’s very easy to sprain your ankle when walking/running in the woods and high tops offer better ankle support. Always put a new pair of socks on each day. Being comfortable helps you focus on your game, and less on distractions. Plus, athlete's foot sucks.
Strategies change in the rain. You will notice that teams run farther in the rain because they know that paintball markers are less accurate in the rain so there is less of a chance to get shot. During gameplay, one of the most important things you should know is that you can overslide your bunker by 10 feet with ease. Make sure you know how early you need to slide in order to make your bunker without overextending myself. A secret of mine before I play a game in the rain is to do a couple of test slides and mark where I am going to start sliding. Usually I make this mark with a little pile of paintballs. When the game starts, I know to run and slide exactly at my mark. That is how I make my bunker without oversliding it. Eliminating the risk of oversliding will instill confidence in your game. As you eliminate these obstacles with preparation, all you have to worry about is playing your game. You won’t have to worry about oversliding your bunker or having bad traction on the field. Being confident in your equipment and yourself will boost your gameplay.
Now the only thing left to do is to get out there and try out all these tips and tricks. Remember, playing in the rain can be dangerous. You can slip and fall, run into unknown objects, etc. If you are playing on a scenario field, you might want to slow down and not run around like crazy. It’s so hard to see through your goggles in the rain. You don’t want to run into a tree and look like a fool in front of your buddies (or hurt yourself). Be prepared and know what you are getting yourself into when you’re about to play in the rain. Take the time to organize your gear bag. Do yourself a favor and throw a visor in your bag just in case it rains.
And lastly, the most important thing to bring to the field when it's raining is a thoughtful mind, so you should pay attention to slick spots on the field where you can fall and hurt yourself. Keep your paint dry throughout the day, and make sure none of your teammates drown. Play hard, play smart and most importantly, be prepared!
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