How to Ride a Longboard in the Rain: Exact Measures to Follow

Have you ever ridden a longboard in the rain? Are you a thrill-seeking, gutsy, or a romantic-minded rider who dares to ride during the time of heavy showers of rain?

Do you think like so ever? It’s really romantic thinking of riding a longboard on a downhill run with your peer riders. You are right. It seems like a lunatic imagination for some urban riders.

But the longboarders like you who reside on the hilly side, very close to Mother Nature! For a buddy like you, Hilly-resident riders are very fond of this habit of riding in the RAIN. Am I right?

Obviously, longboarding in the rain is a heavenly experience, I tell you for sure. Here is an exclusive video for you to share this amusing experience.

Is it possible to longboard in the rain? 

Of course, you can ride your passionate boar in the rain or afterward, and it is full of fun-making stuff. However, you have to take several precautionary measures and preparation before going for longboarding in the rain, under a dark, cloudy sky, and with a sleepy, rough, curvy track.

You have to adequately take care of your loving board before doing such a crazy and gutsy performance. You must ensure all the protection measures for not prevent your longboard from being damaged. Now, you are going to learn those top-notch techniques of hows!

How rainfall water could rainfall harm your longboard?

Ok! Let’s have a thought of how rain or water might harm your longboard, and start thinking about your wheels and bearings first. You guessed right. Nothing bad will happen to your wheel if those is made of ceramics or waterproof materials. Maybe the wheels would be muddy and dirty with mud. Not more than this. Am I right?

Are ceramic bearings really waterproof?

Yes, ceramic-made bearings are absolutely waterproof. But the matter is that wheels get wet in the time of rain, which is why bearings lose traction to some extent with the road. So what will you do?

You must take enough precautions,s when like wearing a rock-hard protective helmet and safety pads. I know, as a pro rider, you wear all those safety kinds of stuff before going for any ride.

If your bearings are not made of ceramic:

But what happens when your bearings are not ceramic-made? Metal-made bearings become damaged faster than you think. Because, after riding in the rain, metal bearings get wet and the rusting process starts immediately. It is your unconsciousness of the wet condition of your bearings.

What happens when bearings become rusted?

Actually, rainwater does not do any harm to your longboard bearing in any way. Bearings begin to rust as you return home with dirty clothes, wet, tired, feeling too lazy to clean them and dry the bearings. And at this unaware time point, they start to rust. And once rust begins, your rolling stuff of the board eventually starts losing speed.

How to avoid the rust of bearings?

Guess right. No other work to do. First and first, clean your longboard- each and every part of it after riding in the rain. If you feel bored doing that, you have only one option in your hand to buy a set of ceramic bearings. There are some ceramic bearings you will find in the market that are waterproof, while some are only water-resistant. Both are pretty expensive as well. And you don’t want expensive bearings with water-resistant characteristics solely for the purpose of riding in the rain. Despite that, if you really want to have one, check out our recommended longboard bearings and wheels.

What is a ceramic bearing’s Utility?

“If the bearings are only water resistant or waterproof depends on if the whole bearing is made of ceramic or only some parts of it is. So don’t get too happy when bearings are labeled as ‘Ceramic’. Before buying you have to determine if the bearings are full ceramic or hybrid ceramic. Full ceramic bearings are rust proof while the hybrid ones are only rust resistant. Usually you will encounter hybrid ceramic bearings and the full ceramic ones are really expensive”.

Choosing between normal bearings and ceramic bearings:

In any situation, your longboard requires your attention for proper maintenance and care. Average bearings usually need a lot more drying but whereas if you use ceramic bearings, it’s not like you buy it and no more extra attention it needs.

Ceramic bearings still have to be well-lubed or re-applied with a speed cream that can be washed out regularly. Remember it; if you ride very often on a rainy day with your longboard, your bearings need extra care.

How do the rains affect your board’s deck?

Now, by this time we have already covered all the pros and cons of wheels and bearings, let’s now talk about your longboard’s decks. Try to guess what might be wrong with that? Yap, two things will happen:

your longboard’s decks. Try to guess what might be wrong with that? Yap, two things will happen:

1. Definitely, your deck will be wet as you come from rthe ain. So, dry it properly and keep it in a safe place.
2. On the other hand, grip tape will get wet and dirty as usual. If you are too lazy to clean it, it will start losing its gripping capacity and might get slippery

What is warping?

“So when we are talking about deck warping I have a very good example for you. Wonder why? It happened to me. Check out the image. So what warp means is that longboard deck loses its shape.

As you can see three of the four corners of the deck are of the same height but the last one, the bottom right one, is much lower than the other three. This is an example of a warped deck. What it does in reality is makes your ride difficult and risky.”

And what about grip tape?

Good point, grip tape becomes very dirty and rusty whether you ride on a rainy day or not. Perhaps, it might be that it seems like looking a bit dirtier if you step into to wet muddy trail during the rainfall.

And when the mud dries up on your grip tape, it becomes sticky and attached to the board’s body.

If you don’t clean it regularly, at the time your grip tape will lose its grip drastically, which may cause an unwanted accident for you. So, don’t be lazy to clean your grip tape regularly.

Ensure all the time that you are stable and confident enough to ride, and your board has to be reliable for action.

The Function of the grip tap:

Don’t assume as a silly, simple matter. The function of the grip tape is not merely to look clean; it must be rough and clean enough to absorb your body weight while you are moving, sliding, taking turns, or pumping, for example.

If your grip tape is too dirty to ride, it cannot function in full faze of its capacity. As a result, what might happen? You will lose your grip and fall.

Therefore, we have come to a single point which is “as with bearings, the same with your deck and grip tape”.

You must take care of those essential kinds of stuff of your loving longboard to remain a longer life span, and for you to ride safer and more comfortably.

How does riding on rainy, wet streets affect other parts of the board?

It might be good news for the lazy longboarder, and perhaps we all belong to the same herd (Aren’t we?). Axles and spacers are the specific kinds of parts that you can baggy a bit with cleaning at a regular interval in your leisure period.

But what about your axles and spacers? The good news is that if they become rusty, it should not have any direct impact on your ride.

But if it is your regular habit of not cleaning them regularly, that causes you to eventually find it difficult to unscrew some of your boards’ parts if they are all covered in rust for a long period of time.

In general, it will be nice and fine if you clean it from time to time. Though an existing genre of trucks that are available in the market is quite water resistant, so it shouldn’t rust right away.

Of course, keep in mind, if you are very careful about drying and cleaning your whole board, then you should dry the axles down too.

How to longboard in the rain?

If you are still with me and reading, I am hopeful that you did not get pessimistic about the needed preservation of the board. So here you are to get started.

Just before your ride:

• Keep a longboard to ride on a rainy day – this is for the special purpose of riding only. You may have a few boards to ride.
• But you don’t ride in the rain with your all board because, honestly, you cannot keep maintenance activities of your all board altogether. So for rainy days, you should use your selective cheap board.
• You should maintain it regularly, but if something goes wrong, it would not be a big deal, as you must buy it on a low budget comparatively.
• What will you do? You just get equipped with a bit better bearings and wheels.
• Before riding, check your deck carefully. Are there any scratches? If your deck has scratches or you have hit a curb hard with it, just keep in mind that it will probably be more prone to warping than a totally fresh and brand-new deck.
• So if you are using a scratched one but the exclusive deck and decide to go for an assembly in the rain, the exposure to the air to dry it out afterward, go for a rainy day hill chill adventure!
• I think top mount in the rain will be your best choice – if you have a bit rich collection of boards or choosing a board for rainy days, go for the top mount, that’s it.
• Or a longboard that covers at least a part of the wheels, which will protect it from rainwater. If you don’t do this, you will suffer, that’s for sure!
• Another thing is that if your deck has so many scratches, you must seal it – it might sound expensive for you at first or difficult, but it isn’t at all.
• Alternatively, you can employ most of the water-resistant resources, for example, paint, hair spray, shoe water repellent, or floor sealer. Just make sure that you scatter your stilted parts, don’t spew on the grip tape.
• Try to make use of cheaper bearings – consider using some cheap bearings for riding on a rainy day.
• So if something incredible does go wrong, it doesn’t cost you too much, I think.
• Longboard in the attire you don’t mind forgetting it dirty – you will get all soaked and most likely soiled too. So make sure that you are wearisome something not too luxurious.
• You should avoid riding a longboard in a high-end tuxedo when it rains in a full-blown heavy shower.
• Try to be dressed in slipper-defiant shoes – as your longboard is controlled with your feet, make sure that you have on shoes that are not slippery.
• During the rainy riding moment, the grip tape of the deck will get soggy, and if you add dicey shoes, this calls for a mess, and we all know how it ends. Hah!
• Mind it rain makes your board’s wheels a baby – if you already tried riding on a rainy day and it was too slick for you. Now, consider buying a set of rain-adapted wheels.
• For sure, they afford more steady traction with the road when it is soggy. But if you are not capable of buying them or have a second set of wheels, you can DIY at home.
• Just don’t jump about with a classy set of wheels. See how to alter your wheels so they put on more traction on rainy days.

• Keep a longboard to ride on rainy days – this is for the special purpose of riding only. You may have a few boards to ride. But you don’t ride in the rain with your all board because, honestly, you cannot keep maintenance activities of your all board altogether.
• So for rainy days, you should use your selective cheap board. You should maintain it regularly, but if something goes wrong, it would not be a big deal, as you must buy it on a low budget comparatively.
• What will you do? You just get equipped with a bit better bearings and wheels.
• Before riding, check your deck carefully. Are there any scratches? If your deck has scratches or you have hit a curb hard with it, just keep in mind that it will probably be more prone to warping than a totally fresh and brand-new deck.
• So if you are using a scratched one but the exclusive deck and decide to go for an assembly in the rain, the exposure to the air to dry it out afterward, go for a rainy day hill chill adventure!
• I think top mount in the rain will be your best choice – if you have a bit rich collection of boards or choosing a board for rainy days, go for the top mount, that’s it.
• Or a longboard that covers at least a part of the wheels, which will protect it from rainwater. If you don’t do this, you will suffer, that’s for sure!
• Another thing is that if your deck has so many scratches, you must seal it – it might sound expensive for you at first or difficult, but it isn’t at all.
• Alternatively, you can employ most of the water-resistant resources, for example, paint, hair spray, shoe water repellent, or floor sealer. Just make sure that you scatter your stilted parts, don’t spew on the grip tape.
• Try to make use of cheaper bearings – consider using some cheap bearings for riding on a rainy day. So if something incredible does go wrong, it doesn’t cost you too much, I think.
• Longboard in the attire you don’t mind forgetting it dirty – you will get all soaked and most likely soiled too. So make sure that you are wearisome something not too luxurious.
• You should avoid riding in a high-end tuxedo when it rains in a full-blown heavy shower.
• Try to be dressed in slipper-defiant shoes – as your longboard is controlled with your feet, make sure that you have on shoes that are not slippery.
• During the rainy riding moment, the grip tape of the deck will get soggy, and if you add dicey shoes, this calls for a mess, and we all know how it ends. Hah!
• Mind it rain makes your board’s wheels a baby – if you already tried riding on a rainy day and it was too slick for you.
• Now, consider buying a set of rain-adapted wheels. For sure, they afford more steady traction with the road when it is soggy.
• But if you are not capable of buying them or have a second set of wheels, you can DIY at home. Just don’t jump about with a classy set of wheels. See how to alter your wheels so they put on more traction on rainy days.

During the riding time on a rainy day:

• You must wear your helmet and safety pads lying on – this is the most priority part of your rainy day adventure.
• Before you initiate riding, make certain you have a helmet and safety pads. You must take it into your head, “Riding in the rain is riskier than your usual rides,” so you will pay attention to your protection accordingly.
• “Puddles are a no-go – ride around puddles”. So, always try to avoid it when you face a sudden puddle in front of you when you’re riding in the rain.
• If you stay away from riding over puddles, you will, of course, get less water on your board and in your bearings. Second of all, you don’t typically know what is inside it.
• So something that looks like an innocent puddle could actually be a pretty huge gap or a missing cobblestone. And you will, in all probability, collide hard. So, be cautious about it.
• Always be careful with all curvy turns, mind it-be extremely careful on all your riding turns.
• You must have heard and read abundant stories of how longboarders who were trying to ride in the rain for the first time went down while turning a curvy turn.
• You must be aware of every little thing around you – even such things are like painted lines on the road, turning the signal sign on the roadside that might be ignored, could get you off-board any time.
• So make sure that you are conscious of your environment and the road to the fore. You already know the whole thing is a bit riskier when it’s raining.
• Be careful enough to let your longboard go away – you should avoid letting your board escape from you.
• Try to thump something like hold back. If it does happen and your deck ‘opens up’ a bit and water gets in, this is bad news. Now go home and try it at once because if you stay in the rain for long, water will get inside the wood and it will damage your board.
• Try to get the axis of your weight on top of the board – if you lean out too much while whirling, the board will slip out beneath your feet. So make sure that you crook your knees and turn with your ankles more than your weight.

Just after your ride:

• Now disassemble your board and dry it at once – detach your wheels, get your bearings out, remove other parts, and dry with a hearth rug first. Get a hairdryer or something that blows tepid air and dry your deck and other parts as well.
• Hey, unbolt the linchpin or kingpin – kingpin is a part that would cost a few bucks to trimmings to replace, but if it starts to rust and you fail to remember to clean it, you will not be able to detach it.
• This means that you are not able to slacken off or tighten your trucks afterward, which is a disappointment because new trucks price much more than unscrewing the linchpin after your ride.
• Keep your board dry – almost certainly you will not get all of the water out, even with aeration it with a hairdryer.
• So, keep your board in a dry situation. You don’t just blow-dry it and pull it outside again; keep it dry for a few days before your next ride.
• Always try to keep your deck above the earth – after you have disassembled your board, first dehydrated it, and want to leave it to fully dry up, make sure that your deck is above the plane surface of the earth it is lying on.
• Not right ahead of it. Now you can make use of your wheels, place them on the ground, and lay the deck on your wheels.
• Take care of your bearings in the perfect way – some people just clean their bearings carelessly and overlook it.
• Isn’t it a bad habit? If you just dirt-free your bearings and don’t apply any type of bearing oil, you will demolish them.
• So do it the right way – clean the bearings with mineral spirits, acetone, or other solvents like that, keep them away for several days, and then apply bearing lubricant or velocity enhancer cream.
• Rotate your wheels regularly – if you are lazy and lethargic and skipped the above tips after the ride, at least spin and rotate your board’s wheels.
• Try to repeat it every few hours after you have finished your rainy gathering. When you spin the wheels, at least some water will come out of the bearing and hopefully minimize the propensity of rusting it.

What are the pros and cons of longboarding in the rain?

Now we have come through and mingled with the experiences of longboarding in the rain from different perspectives and angles of thinking. Some people always say that it is tons of fun and a great way to learn some techniques and tactics.

On the other hand, other people say that it is really terrible for your board, dodgy, dangerous for you, and totally not worth it. So, here I have tried my level best to summarize and wrap up all the pros and cons of longboarding in the rain below.

Pros:

• Exciting, adventurous experience as a streamlined rider – riding on wet asphalt road is a bit different from riding a dry one.
• You have to be more cautious while turning and more careful in general when reaching higher speeds.
• Riding in the rain will build you up as a more complete and knowledgeable rider.
• Learning option of how to slide – when you ride on a wet surface with your longboard, there is less traction.
• That means that you can break into slides much more easily than on dry surfaces. This is especially helpful for beginner riders who have difficulty sliding.
• Trying to slide in the rain is a pretty common option to learn to slide quicker than learning only on normal dry surfaces.
• Yes, it is all about full of fun – if you have tried it ever, you know what I mean. But if you don’t do that, it is just a different feeling of riding experience your board in the rain or just right after it.

Cons:

• So much danger of riding in a slippery, soggy road – as I already told you, riding on a wet surface is different in a way that there is less traction between the wheel and the road.
• That means that you must be extra careful and cautious, more especially when you are going for taking turns.
• If you make a turn too quickly or the turn is too sharp, because of the slippery, greasy-like surface, your board could easily slide from beneath your feet at any time, and you will meet a dangerous longboard accident.
• You must know the tactics of how to prevent longboard accidents first, before getting the experience of riding on a rainy day.
• More to the point, you must be really vigilant when reaching high speeds of riding, the same thing applies as with making sharp turns, and because of the wet plane surface, you are more prone to lose control than on a dry one. I think you grasp the idea.
• Damage and smash up to your board – this one is a big con indeed. If you do not take care of your board and do not maintain it after riding in the rain, it will definitely get damaged or broken.
• If you do not leave your board to dry, it will get sodden, which will make the wood of the deck scrawny and more prone to warping.
• The probability of rusting your bearings – as with damaging your board, you can damage your bearings too. If you do not care to clean them timely manner, your bearings will start to rust and be damaged.
• Perhaps, in the beginning, you may not see a big dissimilarity, but with the passing of time, you will notice your board starting to slow down with reduced speed. So what?
• You must clean and make it spotless of your longboard bearings spotless to avoid rust.

Wrapping Up:

Now is the time to let me sum it up on our topic. In both ways, rain can be really dangerous to your life and your board as well. But if you think from a different perspective of thinking, riding in the rain is full of fun and adventure and of a heavenly experience. It’s the rider’s guts, instinct, and courageous intent to move and ride in a rain in a hilly, sloppy down the road. It’s really challenging and distinctive behavioral approach of a rider, whether he will ride in the rain. You have to be a Pro rider if you want to ride in the rain. It is not for the newbie rider at all, in all respects.