Skateboarding Safety Gear
What is the difference between a skateboard helmet and a bicycle helmet?
The difference between a skateboard helmet and a bicycle helmet is that a skateboard helmet will go further down the back of the head, covering a larger portion of the back of the head because that's where a lot of the crashes are going to happen and you want that protection back there. A bicycle helmet is a little lighter, and it focuses a lot of the emphasis of the helmet on the front part of the head. Again, a bicycle helmet is lighter, it's a little bit more comfortable to wear. The bicycle helmet is easily worn for both sports but if you had to buy one helmet, buy the multi-purpose skateboarding helmet because you can use that for riding your bicycle and for your skateboard, roller blades, and scooters.
How do I choose a safe skateboard helmet?
It should only be able to fit in two fingers in there. Make sure the helmet is secure, it shouldnt be able to roll around on the head. Make sure the pads are fitting in there nicely. Make sure your child is comfortable wearing that helmet. The same rules apply, proper fit is the best thing you can do so that helmet does it's job.
What protective gear should my child wear while skateboarding?
There's other safety gear that your child can wear when they're skateboarding. The most important piece of skateboarding protective gear is a multi-purpose helmet. They can also wear wrist scarves, and knee pads as protective gear. Those pieces of protective gear are actually secondary to the helmet. But a child may feel better wearing knee pads, and shin pads, and also the wrist scarves. But also make sure your child is wearing good shoes when they skateboard. No sandals, make sure if their shoes have shoe laces, they are tied, make sure that their shoe has good gripping. Make sure that your child is not carrying anything sharp in their pockets while they are skateboarding, if they should fall off, a pencil or a pen or something sharp could end up stabbing them. So, wearing the right kind of clothes is a really good idea, but that helmet is really the most important piece of protective gear.
