How Exactly Does Water Damage a Skateboard

The moment I got to know about skateboarding water damage:- I took a trip out after what was only barely any rain, and thought on the way that being wet wouldn’t suck too much. But as I coasted down a familiar hill, my deck suddenly felt heavy.

I was on the floor before I could process time and my Skateboard spinning with a barely turning wheel. It was at this moment that I learned the extent to which water can absolutely kill a board.

Even if you are a professional skater, or an amateur just starting out on the board, knowledge about how water affects your Skateboard is important. Wet weather can do some serious damage to your skate gear, from warped decks and rusty bearings; being skated in the rain is never fun. Trust me, I know from personal experience how fun the ordeal of working with a wet board is (that was sarcasm).

Below are few things I learnt about how water affects a skateboard and what can we do to avoid that. —

Well, if you love your skateboard as well I do mine, here is how to keep it rolling nice when the weather outside does not want to play.

Contents

1 What Happens When a Skateboard Gets Wet?
2 Effect Of Water On Skateboard Trucks
3 How Water Affects Skateboard Bearings
4 What Water Does to Your Skateboard Grip Tape
5 Skateboarding in Wet Conditions: Risks and Precautions
6 My thoughts on what water does to a skateboard

What Happens When a Skateboard Gets Wet?

First of all, the simple answer is that skateboards just really don’t chop water. I, in common with most skaters I suspect, like to skate as often possible regardless of the weather. But one thing that is important to knows the fact, water can damage your Skateboard.

No matter if it is a flurry, an unexpected shower or cruising through puddles – water will harm all parts of your longboard.

Skateboard Deck Water Damage

The skateboard deck is the core of your set up. It’s the floor you use and rely on to pop ollies, kickflips and treasure your forever long deck stance. The decks are mostly constructed with multiple layers of maple wood, and that is what makes them so well balanced between flex while also maintaining strength. I was all-in — for wood covers cost nothing and water does not go together.

All that Water: When your skateboard deck gets wet the wood absorbs all of it. Little bits of water soaking wood may not seem like the end-of-the-world, but that sorta stuff warps loads quickly. Riding on a beach board sucks. Impairing your balance, making it harder to do tricks and maybe even snapping if you have enough pressure! Believe me, I’ve seen it happen to mates who got lazy with them boards the lucky barstawards.

Delamination A second thing to consider is Delamination. If your deck material is made up of layers of wood, they will begin separating when you get moisture between them. If enough moisture permeates the various layers, it can degrade that glue and lead to exposed plywood in sections of your deck. Kills your Skateboards graphics, but also essentially turns you board into a pretzel.

What Can You Do? The number one solution is prevention, keep your Skateboard dry from the get-go. If you begin to get rained on, then high tail it back to shelter and dry off the board asap. Alternatively, you could also opt for a waterproof deck sealant to offer that extra bit of protection. Nonetheless, always bear in mind every sealant will not be going to make your deck utterly waterproof and all the time use warning.

More Deck Maintenance Tips Looking for a new deck, check our article about selecting the right skateboard deck.

Effect Of Water On Skateboard Trucks

Skateboard Trucks: The metal T shaped part that connects the wheels and deck. These are what make your board turn and stay level. Rust: Since sheds are mainly made of metal, rust becomes a common issue specially due to water damage.

Rust Formation on Trucks

Water can cause the metal components of your trucks to rust over time. Rust is the enemy of a skater because it corrodes metal and makes it weaker, more brittle, and likely to break or fail without warning. This friction does not let the trucks to move on it smoothly, even if it is surface level rust.

Long-Term Damage and Replacement

Over time rust can cause a great deal of damage, eating into the metal and thinning it out to where it could snap or bend under pressure. This becomes a big problem if you are performing grinds or slides with significant weight on the trucks. If you notice a great deal of heavy rust on your trucks, the best course is to change them out before they break.

How to Protect Your Trucks

You can prevent rust by thoroughly drying out the panel trucks. If so I suggest that you also oil or WD-40 your trucks because this keeps moisture out and protects from rust. But, wary of not getting any oil on the wheels or deck as this makes your board slippery and unsafe to ride.

Check out our guide on how to maintain skateboard trucks for a more thorough approach

How Water Affects Skateboard Bearings

Skate bearing are one of the very important parts in your skate which allow wheels move around easily. The truck tires include the wheels, located in turn and usually made of metal — implying that they can rust (develop water damage).

Bearing Damage from Water

Water can get into your bearings causing the metal balls and races inside to rust. This rust increases friction, slowing your wheels and making the Skateboard sluggish. Ever wonder why your board doesn’t roll as nice, even if skated through a small puddle here and there?

It could seize up completely, stopping your wheels turning at all. This might just hinder your mobility on the board, but it can also be extremely dangerous if that happens to you when you go fast.

How To Tell If Your Bearings Are Broken

After many weeks or months of use, your bearings will start to be damaged (your board isn´t going as far like used, grinding/squeaking noise from wheels). For aesthetics or wear issues some users might need to restore their original performance, cleaning and re-lubing them can be quite OK in most cases but it is not unusual that they should be replaced once rust got its roots deep into the system.

How to Take Care of Your Bearings

After getting something related with water (eg.: after rainy days), clean your bearings and take them slightly out the skateboard. Water-resistant bearings If you skate in the wet a lot You can also put some bearing lubricant to prevent rust.

For a detailed step-by-step information on cleanliness of skateboard bearings have look at our post here.

What Water Does to Your Skateboard Grip Tape

Grip tape is that sandpaper-like layer on top of your skateboard deck so you can stay balanced while shredding. It is a must for maintaining grip while skating and especially necessary during tricks. But water can seriously mess up your grip tape..

Reduced Grip Performance

Wet Grip Tape: When grip tape goes through some exposure to moisture, the abrasive surface texture becomes less gritty which can result in slipped foot while doing tricks. A bad thing that could happen is you might slip off the board and fall down, not cool! Wet grip tape is also less sticky and simply won’t stick to the deck. With use, the grip tape’s edges can start peeling up so that it grips even less than normal.

Signs of Worn-Out Grip Tape: The grip tape on your skateboard should be rough and provide lots of friction, but if it starts to get shiny and smooth from use or wear out, that’s a sign you need to replace them. This is a good time to replace it with a new sheet.

How to Maintain Your Grip Tape

Dry out wet grip tape as soon as possible. After soaking your board, take a towel and blot as much of the water off and let it air dry someplace where heat is available. Do not use hair dryers, as they will heat the grip tape causing it to bubble or peel.

If you need to extend the life of your grip tape somewhat, consider also cleaning it with a little bit of grip tape cleaner and an old toothbrush. This keeps the roll of tape in good order and makes it rather adhesive when wet.

For additional advice on taking good care of your grip tape, check out our article here: How to Clean Your Skateboard Grip Tape

Skateboarding in Wet Conditions: Risks and Precautions

We know a lot more about water and how it impacts on your Skateboard so now we can talk about wet skating in general. It is tempting to head straight for the streets or park after a rainstorm but there are several risks involved.

Safety Concerns When Skating in Wet Conditions

Wet traction: The most important problem that arises when you skate in the rain is reduced grip on your board. It is slippery to ride over the wet surface with little control of your board. Notice: Reducing the amount of traction can also generate worse grip when you plan to glide down a slope or hit any tricks.

Greater Chance of Accident: When it is wet the surfaces around your pool, such as decks and patios become very slippery meaning you are also at higher risk to slip over a fall – which means injuries. Even something as simple as a push can be dangerous if your board kicks out from underneath you. A wet ground can make you slide and fall The force may have an even bigger impact.

Damage to Skateboard: We vans comments on water damage to Skateboard here as well. Even if you are fine with skating while raining, it will wear down your deck faster as well as trucks and bearings/grip tape.

Precautionary Measures

Stay Away from Puddles: If you opt to skate when it is wet, avoid puddles and standing water. These are bad for your board, and may disguise hazards that could lead to you eating dirt.

Dry Your Board Immediately: Dry it off whenever gets wet. This will help to stop water soaking into the deck and bearings. Cleaning the trucks and grip tape to prevent rust and peel.

Rain Deck: If you live in a city where it often rains, then maybe consider having your second skateboard to be used strictly for wet conditions. This way, you don’t have to destroy your mainboard skating on wet days.

Don’t Forget Your Safety Gear: Assuming you never go skating wet (we’ll get to that), always, first and foremost wear a helmet! Consider using knee pads & elbow padding with it as well. Because the risk of falling is much higher, it is important to protect yourself from serious injuries.

If you would like to know more ways on how we can be safe when skating, read our article Solves Skateboarding Safety Suggestions.

My thoughts on what water does to a skateboard

One of the most important lessons to learn about a water skateboard is how it reacts under different conditions. However, skateboarding water can cause a number of problems from makinew your deck to rusting your trucks and bearings. These Damages adversely impacts your Skateboard performance can lead a shorter life span of the same.

Of course, to maintain your board in top condition., never run it into the wet and also dry up you Skateboard right away. Your skateboard deck is especially susceptible to water so if you rinse, make sure you dry off your board well as it will warp over time or even delaminate. Don’t forget that your skateboard trucks and bearings are also at risk of rust, leading to decreased performance and potential safety hazards.

In the end, it does help just a little bit. Knowing what skateboarding water does to your deck and how best you can avoid it influenced, going a ways toward keeping that Skateboard of yours rolling smoothly in any weather. Don’t forget — a well-cared for skateboard = better skating! So keep them wheels dry, and skate safe!

Happy skating!

By following any of these guides, and keeping up to date with them, you will be able to enjoy skateboarding year-round no matter what the weather is. Be sure to check out our other articles for advice on how best to care and maintain your Skateboard.