HOW-TO: Weatherproofing your Longboard
Can you longboard in the rain? Yes. Will it damage your longboard? It might. But if you’re like us Seattleites who have to endure an extra-long, extra-moist rainy season, then you wont let a little downpour keep you from shredding the streets.
Although rain riding can do some damage to your longboard and bearings, there are some simple things you can do to prevent that. We thought we’d throw together a few helpful tips on how to protect your setup from water damage.When riding in the rain you want to be sure and keep water from seeping into your board or it can become water logged and start to delaminate.
Certain boards tend to be more prone to water damage than others. Boards that don’t have paint or a clear coat that protects the sides as well as the bottom will take in water much more easily. Boards with paint and/or a clear coating covering the entire board make it harder for water to get in between the wood plies. For example, Sector 9′s Downhill Division boards are fully painted and will naturally be more water resistant than a lot of other boards. Although it helps, keep in mind that a full coat of paint won’t make your board totally water resistant.
If your board doesn’t have a full coat of paint or lacquer, or it does but you want to make it more water resistant, a clear coat of polyurethane can be painted over the entire board to keep water from soaking into the wood. When coating your board with polyurethane you’ll want to cover the top of the standing platform as well. If you’re doing some serious rain riding and don’t coat the standing platform beneath the grip tape, water will find a way in pretty quickly. Especially if you have Vicious lumps under your grip!
Longboard bearings can be easily damaged by water so it’s important to protect them when riding in the rain if you want them to last. Some longboarders will buy a set of low-priced bearings that they only use when riding in wet weather so they don’t ruin their more expensive ones. Others just cover their bearings with duct tape which helps a little bit in keeping water out.
No matter what you do, you should protect your bearings by using bearing lube before and after you ride in wet weather. Adding lube to your bearings before you ride will help keep water out, but not completely. That’s why lubing up after you ride is important too. If you have the time, clean your bearings after a rain sesh. They’ll last a whole lot longer if you do.
If money isn't a problem or you want to have a waterproof longboard from a manufacturer, Moonshine sells all waterproof decks, or some metal decks we sell will also be rust resistant for all your rain shredding names.
If you have any other helpful advice on protecting your longboard in the rain, let us know in the comment section below!